FALMOUTH — The Community Development Committee has decided it isn’t ready for a scheduled June 7 public hearing on the future of Route 1.

The committee discussed the upcoming public hearing at a meeting on May 17.

“We want to make sure that we are ready because it is a significant opportunity for deciding what to do with Route 1,” Tony Payne, chairman of the committee, said.

At the meeting, the committee looked at early cost estimates for various Route 1 corridor improvements, identifying some of their top options and potential costs for those projects. According to Payne, however, the future of these options depends heavily on the decision to change, or not change, zoning along Route 1.

“One of the things we determined was the decision to do something on Route 1, in terms of infrastructure, has a lot to do with what we are going to do, or not do, with zoning,” he said. “Until we make that decision, it really makes the other discussion (improvement options) less pertinent.”

On May 21, the committee discussed potential zoning changes for the Route 1 corridor.

“This discussion begins to center on proposals on either side and whether or not we want to change the zoning restrictions or liberalize them so that property owners have other incentives in terms of the use their land,” Payne said.

The committee is scheduled to brief the Town Council at its May 30 meeting to get feedback from councilors and to begin to engage the public in the discussion.

Payne said that at this point it looks as though the Town Council will hear public comment on Route 1 improvements in the early part of July, after the committee receives more information from the consultants working on project options.

Amber Cronin can be reached at acronin@theforecaster.net or 781-3661 ext. 115. Follow her on Twitter @croninamber.

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