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Dennis board opens discussion on moving DPW from Bob Crow Road to free land for affordable housing
Summary
Select Board opened multi-hour consideration of options for the Bob Crow Road site, including doing nothing, subdividing, relocating municipal operations, pursuing public'private partnerships or seeking legal steps to change parcel use; the board asked town counsel to evaluate re-designation and to look into a possible town purchase of private property tied to Tony Kent Arena.
The Town of Dennis Select Board on Wednesday held an extended initial discussion about the future of municipal Department of Public Works (DPW) buildings on Bob Crow Road and how removing or consolidating those facilities could enable an affordable-housing development on the parcel approved by Town Meeting.
Assistant Town Administrator Greg Roundsville summarized prior memos and MassHousing engagement and presented five options for the site: (1) take no action; (2) retain municipal use and subdivide for housing; (3) relocate municipal operations to another site (which would require OPM/design and updated cost estimates); (4) pursue a public'private partnership to develop the area; or (5) request a legal review to change adjacent-lot use from recreation to general municipal purposes to expand options.
Roundsville noted prior project-estimate work from 2022 priced a new consolidated facility at about $4 million but said current conditions and building-code changes make $10 million a more realistic estimate today. He also said the town has done test holes and that MassHousing has tentatively supported predevelopment plans, including outreach to the Housing Production Program.
Bob Samuel, chair of the Dennis Affordable Housing Trust, told the board consultants hired through MassHousing would analyze three alternative site layouts at varying densities and that consultants expect to return with public-facing options in March'April to help the board and the public visualize tradeoffs.
Board members asked whether the Tony Kent Arena or adjacent municipal parcels could be used as a relocation site for DPW operations. Representatives of the Tony Kent board said the arena is nearing the end of major mechanical life and that renovation or replacement would be expensive, but they noted the arena has parking and a suitable footprint and that the arena board is exploring fundraising and capital options.
Given the scale and overlapping timelines for wastewater infrastructure and housing grants, the Select Board voted unanimously to take two administrative steps: (1) ask town counsel to advise on the procedure to change the adjacent parcel''currently taken for recreation''to "general municipal" use so the town can expand disposition options for Bob Crow Road; and (2) ask town counsel to review legal and procedural steps should the town consider purchasing private property (including options related to the Tony Kent Arena). Both motions passed without opposition.
Board members and staff emphasized there were no final decisions tonight: members asked staff to continue work with consultants, the Housing Trust and MassHousing, and said a phased approach to housing and staged relocation of DPW operations may be feasible. The board directed staff to return with legal guidance, updated cost estimates, and a proposed schedule for public meetings and warrant timing.
The discussion is expected to continue as consultants complete site analyses and as the town obtains formal legal and cost inputs required for any future warrant articles or capital requests.
