Voters OK Tonset Road Purchase

ORLEANS – After considerable debate, voters authorized the purchase of a 2.2-acre property on Tonset Road at Monday’s special town meeting.

 The town has a purchase and sale agreement on the waterfront parcel at 72 Tonset Rd., which abuts the town-owned Sea Call Farm. Plans are for the town to purchase the property using $2.5 million in free cash.

 Addressing voters Monday night, Michael Solitro, the town’s special projects coordinator, said the property would be purchased for “general municipal use.” Options for its use could include recreation, conservation and housing. But much of the discussion Monday surrounded the public waterfront access to Town Cove that the parcel could provide.

Nate Sears, the town’s natural resources manager and harbormaster, called the property a “unicorn,” a parcel that offers the opportunity to provide public access to the cove that’s become increasingly difficult to secure.

“We’re basically living on an island surrounded by water with very little access,” he said.

The property could be used to create a new town landing, Sears added. With climate change and sea level rise, he said it’s possible that some of the town’s existing landings may be on borrowed time. He said the Tonset parcel offers plenty of upland area for “retreat” in the face of changing coastal conditions.

Efforts to bring pickleball courts and a new fire station to town have bumped up against a lack of available town land on which to site them. In this case, select board chair Mark Mathison said the town has a chance to create more town land and preserve public access to the water in the process.

“It’s the last chance we’re gonna have,” he said.

But some voters were skeptical about the proposed purchase. Barry Alper said he was uncomfortable with the lack of specifics as to how the property would be used. He likened the request to the town’s pitch in 2021 to purchase the former Governor Prence Inn. Plans are underway to bring housing to the site, but at the time it was undetermined how the property would be used.

“Maybe I don’t have the confidence [in the select board], but I won’t be fooled again,” he said.

Others questioned the use of free cash in purchasing the property. Matt Andretti said there still will be some cost absorbed by residents by taking the property off the tax rolls. The $2.5 million could be better spent elsewhere, he added.

“There’s a lot of places that need money, and this is a waste of money in my mind,” he said.

The town’s conservation commission would have to approve of any definitive use of the Tonset parcel, and resident Scott Zenke sought some assurance that the commission would go along with whatever proposed use the town put before it for consideration.

“Scott, I think it’s impossible to answer that question without a proper design in front of your local conservation commission,” said John Jannell, the town’s conservation agent.

Ed Mahoney of the finance committee cautioned that there would be extra costs to the town above the $2.5 million purchase price in the form of maintenance and other needs.

“My perspective is this isn’t a one-and-done deal,” he said.

 But while questions hung over how the property will ultimately be used, proponents of the purchase pointed out would be lost if the article failed. Kevin Galligan of the select board said beyond preserving access to the cove, purchasing the property will protect it from future development. The opportunity to buy the land won’t be there forever, he said.

 “This is a market,” he said. “We have to pounce and act.”

 Others Monday night saw the purchase as an investment in the town’s future. 

 “This is a little bit about us, and a lot about the people who will come behind us,” said Mefford Runyon of the select board.

Bill Amaru said he and many others in town have enjoyed access to local waterways for many years. But he feared that future generations of Orleans residents won’t be able to enjoy that same access unless the town acts to preserve it.

“Please don’t let this slip away,” he said.

Voters didn’t. The article, which required a three-quarters majority, passed by a margin of 374-104.

 Two recreation articles, including one seeking funding to boost the town’s pickleball infrastructure, also passed with voters Monday night.

 Article 9 on the special town meeting warrant sought $100,000 in free cash to explore “the development  and enhancement of pickleball courts in Orleans.” Tom DeSiervo, the town’s recreation director, said the funding would give the town the flexibility to explore a number of different options for bringing more pickleball resources to town, whether it be identifying a site in town to build more courts or to temporarily re-stripe existing tennis courts to create four new pickleball courts on Eldredge Park Way.

DeSiervo called pickleball “the fastest growing sport in the country, possibly the world,” and said demand for the sport is growing in Orleans. Registration for pickleball hit a high of 110 players in July, he said, and people continue to register to play into the cold weather months, with 36 players already registered for November. The sport has also grown in popularity among children, he said.

“So it’s not just for people above certain ages,” he said. 

Pickleball advocates said approval of Article 9 isn’t just about supporting the growing demand around the sport. It’s also about fostering the community that continues to grow around pickleball in Orleans.

“We’ve created a real community of friends on and off the pickleball court,” said Joan Morgan, who moved to town two years ago.

The article passed 299-173.

Article 10 sought an additional $850,000 in free cash to more broadly support the town’s recreational needs. Specifically, the funding would be used “for the purpose of design, engineering, repairs or construction” of recreational facilities identified as part of the first phase of the town’s recreational master plan.

Stephen Cass, a career recreation professional with experience in planning recreational facilities, was critical of the plan. In particular, he said Weston and Sampson, the engineering firm that prepared the master plan with the town, lacks the expertise in designing recreational facilities. 

“This plan is absolute nonsense,” he said.

But members of the town’s recreation advisory committee disagreed. Erica O’Reilly pointed to the work the firm has done on recreation projects in communities statewide, including in Provincetown.

“They have a proven track record of helping communities make the most of their recreational resources,” she said.

Recreation has played a central role in her life in Orleans, said Tracy Murphy, who chairs the recreation advisory committee. She recalled days spent pushing her young children in bucket swings at the toddler playground. As her children grew older, there were soccer games under the lights at Eldredge Park and more recently tennis on the tennis courts.

“Along the way I’ve found my own community,” she said. “I met some of you at the playground sandbox when our kids were little. We cheered on each other’s kids from the soccer sidelines and chatted about school while waiting for tennis lessons to end.

“One of the best things about living in Orleans is the people I’ve raised my kids with,” she added.

Others, such as Mark Berson, said investment in recreation, namely pickleball, is “good business” as demand for the sport continues to grow.

Ken Gandolfi called the funding for Article 10 “a start” toward getting the town’s recreation infrastructure where it needs to be.

“This will at least start to get things done,” he said.

Article 10 passed with voters 431-54.