As a member of Falmouth’s Route 100 Committee, I was proud of the public input we had in the proposal process. Open meetings and public forums were held for two years with strong public participation. We did not operate in a vacuum. The area’s zoning and the advice of the Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee were all considered.

The plan was to invest $15 million in Route 100 to upgrade the area with the specific mission of increasing residential and commercial development. The hope was to encourage commercial development, keeping taxes lower, and clustering residential growth for efficient delivery of town services.

This plan was approved by voters by a 3-1 margin. Voters on Middle Road and the Foreside did not vote to give 85 homes and businesses along Route 100 $15 million in infrastructure investment. They voted yes to the vision that was developed with extensive public input.

Just because a quarter of the voters can shout louder and with more anger, does not make them right. It is beyond time for the 75% of the town who supported the vision of future Falmouth to stand up and bring some sense back to the table. If not, our committee should have voted to put a coat of hot top on Route 100 all the way to the town line and called it a day.

Steve Melchiskey
Falmouth