The town of Falmouth has acknowledged that SaveFalmouth.org’s growth data is accurate. The data is derived directly from the Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee’s publicly available documents.

In the interest of illuminating reasons why Falmouth’s mil rate has increased 16.1% since 2016, it is paramount to urge public discussion and clarification of the town’s published response to SaveFalmouth.org in advance of the May 7 and 13 public hearings regarding the RA District rezoning:

• Contrary to his March 26 letter, Superintendent of Schools Geoff Bruno acknowledged at the April 3 Town Council meeting that Maine’s recommended student-teacher ratio for kindergarten through second grade is 15-1 and the maximum is 20-1. Projected 2019-2020 ratios for Falmouth’s K-2 are 17-1, 19.6-1 and 19.9-1 respectively. All exceed the state recommendation, and two hit the maximum (children don’t come in fractions).

• The town does not consider housing built for people 55 or older since the 2016 rezoning “a demand on … town resources,” thus it is exempt from the so-called “growth cap.” But such housing increases traffic (1 or 2 cars per unit), water and sewer usage, and disproportionately, emergency services. The annual EMS call average increased 15% between 2016 and 2018 compared with the previous four years.

• Single-family unit growth is singled out, despite being combined with duplex and manufactured housing units in one category for growth cap purposes. Families with school-age children are not restricted from buying duplexes, e.g., 16 and 18 Falmouth Road have four bedrooms and three baths each. When duplexes are properly included in town growth calculations, the post-rezoning annual average for all potential “family housing” units is 22 percent higher than the preceding nine-year average, i.e., 51 not 40 units, and near the respective 26% and 24% growth in kindergarten and first grade class sizes over the same period.

• Despite acknowledging a post-rezoning 800% annual average increase of auxiliary dwelling units, the Town discounts their impact on services. Yet, ADUs increase traffic (1 or 2 cars per unit); have no occupancy or rental restrictions; and increase storm-water runoff. These, and other impacts were never studied.

A close inspection of all data reveals an unprecedented picture. Annual unit growth averages are all significantly higher than they were pre-2016 rezoning: Capped – 40%, exempted – 181%, all residential units – 68%.

The big kicker: total annual average residential growth (90 units) compared to the assumed 50 undifferentiated housing type growth per year published in the town’s Development Forecast is 80% higher. In essence, the growth cap is a euphemism for “growth targets:” In 2016, 101 ARU, or 102% above assumed growth, in 2017, 82 ARU, or 64% above, and in 2018, 86 ARU, or 72% above.

To best illustrate what town spokespeople casually refer to as “unintended consequences,” consider the following explicit growth data in LPAC’s Comprehensive Plan Implementation Growth Area Recommendations – Year 1 and the 2013 Comprehensive Plan, Volume II: Appendices:

• Pre-2016 rezoning: 1,232 new SFUs possible in RA.

• Post-2016 rezoning: 3,758 SFUs or 7,516 duplex units possible.

• In 2009 there were 3,771 SFUs in the entire town.

Were town planners and LPAC members knowingly comfortable with, or unwittingly complicit in a plan that would essentially cram another entire Falmouth into just RA?

Residential growth costs money. The post-rezoning average mil rate increase of 4% is more than double the previous eight-year average and twice the 2% 10-year inflation rate average.

Falmouth must roll back the 2016 rezoning and focus on economic development to stabilize property taxes and keep fixed-income and modest wage earners in their homes. Residents must frame upcoming growth discussions rather than let nonresidents and the handful of those influenced by them decide the future of our town.

Falmouth resident Valentine Sheldon is the author of the SaveFalmouth.org website.