Members of the public are invited to share their thoughts about the future of Wareham Village at an upcoming public hearing, with proposed alternatives to include a boardwalk along Merchants Way, a “sponge park” on lower Main Street and “air rights” for Merchants Way businesses to create decks facing the river.

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 13 to discuss a draft Urban Renewal Plan for Wareham Village. It will take place at 6 p.m. in Room 520, formerly Room 320, of the Multi-Service Center, 48 Marion Road. 

Public input will help the Planning Board decide whether the plan aligns with the town’s overall goals as expressed in the Wareham Master Plan.

A set of zoning changes passed by town meeting in April, 2023 were part of the plan’s recommendations. These changes increased the allowable building height on Main Street and Merchants Way from 40 to 50 feet, and to 65 feet in special cases approved by the Planning Board, and increased the allowable density of development on Main Street and Merchants Way. 

The plan outlines several major projects for the town, including:

The Redevelopment Authority may purchase certain buildings on Main Street, including 195 and 203 Main Street, and demolish them, replacing them with flood-resistant construction. 

The Authority may also purchase buildings on lower Main Street and demolish them to create a "sponge park," an open, green area that can absorb the worst of the floodwaters. 

The town may create a boardwalk along Merchants Way, attached to the rear of Main Street businesses. This boardwalk may be elevated to allow for parking beneath it and to elevate retail space above projected flood levels. 

The town may also create a riverside boardwalk and pier running along the train tracks by Merchants Way and connecting to the Tremont Nail Property. 

If the plan gets approved, that doesn’t guarantee any of its action items will come to pass. However, having a completed plan lets the town go and seek out state funding for the projects included therein, Butler said.

The draft plan can be found on the Wareham Redevelopment Authority website; look for the link on the left hand side of the page reading “urban renewal plan.”