Mashpee Commons is currently engaged in negotiating a three-party development agreement with the Cape Cod Commission and the Town of Mashpee – the first of its kind on Cape Cod.
Discover the neighborhood plans, the project scope, as well as economic, environmental, tax, and traffic considerations being addressed in the negotiations.
The proposed project is a multiyear, phased expansion of residential and commercial offerings adjacent to the existing Mashpee Commons center, adding varied housing types, recreational amenities, walkable streets, parks and a trail system connecting the greenways of the Quashnet and Mashpee rivers.
Constructed in the vernacular of a New England town, future development would be consistent with the style of the existing Mashpee Commons community.
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The project footprint includes the current development at Mashpee Commons and an additional approximately 120 acres of adjacent undeveloped land, extending east beyond Great Neck Road and west beyond Mashpee Public Library.
The existing Mashpee Commons development would serve as the core of the project, allowing for increased density and mixed-use buildings. Extending out from the core would be a transition area that would shift from a primarily mixed-use commercial center to the core area of primarily residential uses. The outermost – or edge – area of the planned expansion would be exclusively focused on residential development, with a wide-range of housing types.
The expansion plan also reflects Mashpee Commons’ commitment to public squares, pocket parks, civic spaces and walkable streets. The project would be designed to increase the walkability between the various areas of Mashpee Commons, nearby schools and the town’s natural resources.
The project will be phased over 25 years.
The project will generate a multitude of new residential neighborhoods in the town of Mashpee. A diversity of housing types at various price points; including cottage-style homes, townhomes, apartments and single-family homes are planned for the project.
The final of number of units has not yet been determined. The development agreement process with the Town of Mashpee, the Cape Cod Commission and Mashpee Commons is currently underway.
The proposed housing will address and offer solutions for several of the housing issues currently impacting Cape Cod. It will help alleviate a historically low inventory of available housing stock, provide housing options for the region’s workforce, offer downsizing alternatives for existing homeowners and create affordable housing.
All housing would be constructed in the vernacular New England style and will be consistent with the existing look and feel of Mashpee Commons.
Since its inception, Mashpee Commons has included public squares, pocket parks, civic spaces and walkable streets in its design. The expansion plan continues to embrace this philosophy, as well as increasing the walkability between the different areas of Mashpee Commons, nearby schools and the town’s natural resources.
The project proposes increased access to the Quashnet and Mashpee Rivers, which are currently largely inaccessible to the public. Areas near the rivers and wetlands, beyond those protected by zoning bylaws, will be protected as parkland space. The development of a trail system will allow accessibility to these natural resources by trails.
The parkland and civic spaces developed throughout Mashpee Commons will continue to be designated for public use.
The planned retail will be consistent with the type currently seen in Mashpee Commons, with an emphasis on locally-owned businesses.
Quite the opposite. In keeping with the Mashpee Commons tradition, the expansion will be constructed in the familiar thoughtfully-crafted, New England style architecture.
Most importantly, the project will keep and protect the area from becoming a sprawling landscape of vehicle-dependent supercenters.
Through a designation predating the establishment of the Cape Cod Commission in 1990, the majority of the land owned by Mashpee Commons is zoned C-1 commercial.
The expansion project serves to preserve the town’s charm, providing familiar, New England style architecture, green spaces, civic spaces and recreation opportunities.
Environmental stewardship and sustainability have been a hallmark of Mashpee Commons since the community’s inception. The planned expansion will be in line with that commitment.
The project will also embrace many of the other environmentally-conscious elements Mashpee Commons has historically implemented, including a stormwater system designed to absorb nitrogen from stormwater before it enters the sole-source aquifers that provide drinking water; a continued emphasis on solar energy; electric vehicle charging stations; and strategies to reduce dependence on automobiles through walking trails, greenspace and additional public transit (bus) stops.
Additionally, a major goal and component of the expansion project is to create and access public recreation spaces parklands – beyond those protected by zoning bylaws – including areas near the Quashnet and Mashpee Rivers.
During the original construction of the Commons in 1988, developer Buff Chace had the foresight to include a scalable wastewater treatment plant. That privately owned plant has been able to serve several town resources over the years, including the fire station, police station, senior center and library. All future development would also connect to the plant.
The planned expansion of Mashpee Commons will have a significant and beneficial economic impact for the town and region.
The project will increase the town’s tax base, potentially moderating or reducing the property tax burden of town property owners, while providing additional funding for town services, schools and infrastructure.
During the construction phase the project will generate many temporary jobs in construction, landscaping and related-fields. Upon completion of the project, many new jobs will be created in the service and retail industries. This job creation will greatly benefit the Mashpee economy through added spending at local businesses.
The additional development will also create a more robust town center, which enhances a primary amenity for the Town of Mashpee.
With a focus on walkability and creating an expanded, dense community activity center, Mashpee Commons is committed to mitigating traffic flow issues that could ordinarily be a byproduct of an expansion. This includes a purpose-built network of roads that would direct traffic within the neighborhoods away from identified high-congestion areas on local roadways and highways.
The plan also includes elements to reduce dependence on individual automobiles for transportation. This includes additional Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority bus stops, in addition to the two currently in place.
The development of trails and preservation of natural resources near the rivers will also create increased opportunities for safe walking and biking throughout town.
The expansion project will increase the town’s tax base, potentially moderating or reducing the property tax burden of town property owners, while providing additional funding for town services, schools and infrastructure.
According to an economic impact analysis of the proposed Mashpee Commons expansion, the project is expected to be fiscally positive for the town throughout the development period and at full build. The project will generate significant revenue in net new property tax and other revenue to the town of Mashpee.
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22 Steeple Street
Mashpee, Massachusetts 02649
Intersecting routes 151 & 28
Security: 508-737-5828 (office located behind Siena)
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