On Monday, Nov. 17, Orleans town meeting voters will decide whether to approve the town purchasing a .82-acre parcel at 56 Eldredge Park Way for $1.35 million to support construction of a new fire station.
On Oct. 15, the Select Board announced that the town had reached an agreement with the property owner to buy the land which is next to the current fire station. Then, Select Board Chairman Kevin Galligan said that this parcel would allow the town to place the new rescue facility closer to the street to improve visibility and response time.
“When incorporated into the design of the new facility, this parcel will allow the existing fire rescue station to remain fully operational during the construction time to provide uninterrupted emergency services to our citizens and avoid the need for costly temporary relocation,” said Galligan last month during a Select Board meeting.
Town officials say the town will save million of dollars by not having to find temporary quarters.
The purchase would be paid for by tapping into existing stabilization funds and would not impact the tax rate.
The special town meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. in the Nauset Regional Middle School gym at 70 Route 28 in Orleans. Staff will be on hand at the school beginning at 4 p.m. that day to answer questions before the meeting.
The property currently houses Advanced Family Dentistry of Cape Cod. After the purchase, the town would lease the property back to Gregory Monfette, who owns the dentist office, for 18 months so he can relocate locally. This means Monfette would continue to operate out of his current location until the summer of 2027.
Fire Chief Geof Deering has named air quality, lack of appropriate male and female spaces, inadequate space for equipment and personnel, and no training space among the deficiencies with the current station.
The article needs a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
Voters will decide a total of 12 articles during Monday’s meeting.
Housing overlay district proposed downtown
If passed, Article 2 on the warrant will establish a new downtown housing overlay district that aims to promote year-round attainable housing and mixed-use development in the sewered downtown area, according to the town website.
Key elements include 50% of all new units deed-restricted for year-round residents, requirements for affordable and attainable units in new developments, and modern design and site standards that “preserve the character and walkability of downtown Orleans,” according to the website.
Another article proposes adopting a local-option property tax exemption allowed under state law for property owners who rent homes year-round at affordable rates to income-qualified tenants. The Select Board would set income limits (up to 200% of the area median income), affordable rent levels, and exemption amounts. And another measure aims to ensure that commercial short-term rental activities provide funding to help maintain and improve the town’s housing and infrastructure.
The article would authorize a 3% community impact fee on professionally managed short-term rentals, meaning properties operated by the same owner who manages two or more units in town.
The fee would be collected by the state and returned to Orleans quarterly and would go toward community needs, with 75% for affordable housing and 25% for local infrastructure improvements.
Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on X @zanerazz.
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