Neighbors urge Planning Board to seek building-commissioner ruling before bus-facility hearing

Residents opposing an expansion of bus operations told the Falmouth Planning Board they want the board to press the building commissioner for a formal determination before the board takes further action. At the meeting, a public commenter said the group escalated concerns to the Zoning Board of Appeals after learning the building commissioner had written two letters stating he had made no such determination and was not intending to do so.

The speaker asked the planning board to schedule a vote encouraging the building commissioner to decide whether the proposed use is allowed as-of-right and, absent that determination, to consider denying the application outright. The commenter also noted a 2.5-acre, light-industrial parcel at 64 Tech Drive about 1,500 feet from the current operations as a safer alternative site. "I think any objective person would say that that's a much safer and more appropriate place for Mister Buschini to expand his operations," the commenter said. The board did not act immediately; public comment and the matter remain on the agenda ahead of an Aug. 25 hearing.

Why it matters: Petitioners and neighbors argue that the board should not proceed without an administrative ruling that clarifies whether the proposed parking and use are permitted under the zoning bylaw. If the building commissioner issues a determination, it could resolve whether the planning board has jurisdiction to approve or deny the site plan and special-permit applications at this stage.