Wareham Planning Board Closes 2 East Boulevard Hearing, Defers Conditions Decision

Planning Board · Meeting of April 13, 2026

Wareham Planning Board closes public hearing on contested Onset waterfront parking lot. The board voted 5-0 at its April 13 meeting to end public testimony on the 2 East Boulevard LLC site plan review, a commercial parking project in the Onset Village 1 district that has drawn months of debate over parking safety, screening requirements, and a backing-onto-a-street prohibition under bylaw section 931.3. Engineer Bill Madden of GAF Engineering reported that the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a special permit in March relieving the project from a screening requirement under section 722.5, but Chair Jane Gleason said the board still needed to resolve whether a fence or plantings alone would satisfy the bylaw's buffer language before issuing a decision with conditions.

Abutter Philip Charlton told the board he supports the additional off-street parking but sees "no purpose" in a fence blocking water views, and online commenter Hannah Benoit urged the board not to "allow another dangerous situation" by permitting cars to back onto a public street. Director of Planning Joshua Faherty noted a state-funded intersection safety study is already proposing a mountable island curb and painted crosswalk at the Ocean Avenue and East Boulevard junction. The board has 60 days from the hearing's close to issue its decision; applicants said they need to begin construction before Memorial Day.

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Source: the Planning Board meeting of April 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.