Survey and inventory of building and infrastructure conditions in both Wareham Village and Onset Village

TOWN OF WAREHAM
COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
54 Marion Road
Wareham, MA 02571

Starting on January 8, 2018, Wareham’s Community and Economic Development Authority (CEDA) has been be working with members of the consulting firm JM GOLDSON community preservation + planning to undertake a survey and inventory of building and infrastructure conditions in both Wareham Village and Onset Village. Over the next few months, project consultants will be walking through both neighborhoods, taking pictures and documenting existing conditions as a first step to completing the necessary reports for each area. The reports are needed to allow the Town to commit future Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to infrastructure and building initiatives in both village areas. This process will be going on throughout the winter and early spring, and public meetings will be scheduled in each village area to review the project findings and next steps in the next few months.

Wareham Village and Onset Village are the community’s two traditional town centers, with commercial and residential structures intermixed in both locations. Wareham Village is a classic coastal village area with structures dating back to the town’s colonial beginnings, while Onset Village is known for its late nineteenth century development as a summer resort and retreat location. Older structures predominate in both areas and neither area has benefited from the substantial growth and development seen in other areas of Wareham over the past several years. Onset Village has the highest percentage of pre-1939 housing units of any area in Wareham (more than 50%) and many of its buildings, parks and community features show signs of wear and/or are in need of replacement. The survey work will focus on the Main Street corridor in Wareham Village. The survey in Onset will cover a larger area – the heart of the village extending from Lopes Field to the Stone Bridge, including Shell Point and Crescent Park.

Past initiatives in both areas have allowed the Town to improve public amenities, streetscapes, and infrastructure. The survey projects in the two villages will provide the needed groundwork that will enable the Town to continue to use its CDBG federal funding for future public improvements and revitalization efforts.

For further information on this project, please contact the CEDA office at 508-291-3100, extension 3173.