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Resident proposes 'Mashpee Institute of Lake Sustainability,' asks CPC for roughly $250,000
Summary
Resident Craig Johnson asked the Select Board to consider repurposing 475 Nathan Ellis Highway as a 'Mashpee Institute of Lake Sustainability' — a small research/education center — and said he would seek about $250,000 from the Community Preservation Committee for equipment and student programming; the board did not take action pending legal review and CPC process.
Craig Johnson, a Mashpee resident, used the public comment period at the March 30 Select Board meeting to present a draft plan to convert town-owned property at 475 Nathan Ellis Highway into a local center for freshwater research, education and recreation he called the Mashpee Institute of Lake Sustainability.
Johnson described the proposal as "a science, education, research, and recreation center for all ages," saying the facility could host small-scale limnology research, student robotics projects and visiting investigators. He said he has worked in oceanography and underwater robotics and that he has shared a draft with the town manager, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) and the Conservation Commission.
Johnson said the initial funding request would be "$250,000 or so from the CPC" to buy robotics, instrumentation and equipment to establish a modest research lab. He described potential partnerships with Mashpee High School's STEM and robotics program and with the town-affiliated Friends of Wildlife, and proposed using one unit on the site to house visiting scientists.
Town staff and the chair responded that the proposal was welcome but that legal paperwork remains pending and the board could not act because the idea had not been noticed on the agenda. The chair asked Johnson to work with the town manager's office and CPC so the matter could be considered formally once legal and CPC reviews are complete.
No funding decision or board direction was made at the meeting; the proposal will move through CPC consideration and any necessary town review before returning to the board for formal action.
