Plymouth Select Board Debates Visitor Center Renovation Amid Concerns About Cost Uncertainty
PLYMOUTH - October 7 - Plymouth’s Select Board found itself divided over funding for a proposed $578,000 renovation of the town’s waterfront Visitor Center, ultimately deciding not to challenge the Advisory and Finance Committee’s full funding recommendation after a lengthy debate about fiscal responsibility, grant uncertainties, and the importance of the town’s waterfront infrastructure.
The Full Story
The October 7th meeting highlighted a fundamental tension between the desire to improve aging public facilities and concerns about authorizing spending when key funding sources remain uncertain. The Visitor Center renovation project, initially presented at $578,000, relies in part on a $200,000 grant from the Visitor Service Board (VSB) and an application for an additional $200,000 from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOT). The Select Board had originally voted to supplement the grants with $178,518, but the Advisory and Finance Committee later recommended the full $378,513—enough to complete the project even if the MOT grant does not materialize.
Town Manager Derek Brindisi presented the board with a choice: maintain their original $178,518 recommendation or accept Finance Committee’s position. The decision would determine whether the board would make a motion at town meeting to reduce the recommended funding.
Board member Kevin Canty, who made the original motion for the lower amount, explained his rationale: “I made the original motion to reduce it from the $378,000 request to $178,000 on the basis that we may or may not get this grant... increasing it by that amount, I am uncomfortable with, because I would rather... if we get the grant and we can make that difference with the grant, that’s okay, but authorizing the whole $378,000, meaning it would go forward with or without that grant, is a very different ask.”
The proposed renovation would add approximately 1,000 square feet of indoor space and 400 square feet of outdoor seasonal space to the existing Visitor Center. The expansion includes two ADA-compliant bathrooms accessible through a new entrance, addressing both accessibility issues and a critical safety violation—the building currently has only one entrance/exit. The project would also expand the lobby area where visitor ambassadors currently work in cramped quarters.
Lea Filson, head of See Plymouth, clarified design concerns raised by board members about visitors potentially bypassing the information desk. “You’ll be able to go to the restrooms through either door,” Filson explained, noting that staff would maintain visual contact with people entering through both the existing front entrance and the new accessible entrance.
Select Board member Bill Keohan forcefully advocated for the full funding amount, emphasizing the waterfront’s importance: “This is a major point of interest. Our waterfront is a major attraction... We need to showcase that in the strongest capability. Having ADA compliant bathrooms and a configuration of bathrooms that are easier for people to get in and out of with their families when they’re parking and getting out, especially when you see the numerous different age groups from young family and children to older people and people with mobility issues. You want to be as accommodating as possible.”
Board member Deb Iaquinto expressed concern about the project’s incomplete design: “I’m just really concerned that we get into this quagmire of, you know, like the money pit that we don’t really know what we’re buying here. And that’s really what my concern is with this whole thing. I just don’t know what we’re buying.” She noted that the current estimates are based on conceptual designs, and that without the MOT grant, approximately $370,000 would be available—with $90,000 of that allocated just for engineering design and project management.
Steve Lydon, chair of the Visitor Service Board, emphasized the urgent need: “The business people on the waterfront, the visitors, even the residents complained that there’s not enough bathrooms on the waterfront. The VSB pays to keep the Habermas’s bathrooms open later. The VSB pays for the bathrooms in this building to be open weekends and holidays because there’s a need.”
Everett Malaguti, vice chair of the VSB and member of Advisory and Finance, made the motion to provide full funding at the Finance Committee meeting. He argued that timeline considerations were critical: “If we wait until April town meeting to provide full funding... then we have to wait until July 1st before we can spend any of that money to be used on it. So that’s a stalemate of three months. Secondly, escalation costs in construction, the contingencies and the increases would probably go at least 25, 40% higher within that time frame.”
Malaguti also stressed that delaying would interrupt the tourism season: “We’ll be interrupting the tourism season if we have to comply with the grant at a later date... that’s the only nearest location that you can actually use a rest facility without trying to buy something at a restaurant.”
Board Chair David Golden acknowledged the competing concerns but ultimately sided with moving forward: “I think the most compelling argument here tonight, though, is the one made by Mr. Malaguti about the ever-rising cost of construction. And from the moment I got involved in government here in town, all I’ve heard is how, one, the town has neglected its buildings, and two, how we do so at our own peril because every time a project comes up, it costs us more and more the further we delay.”
After extensive debate, the board voted 3-2 against making a motion at town meeting to reduce the funding to the original $178,518 amount. Golden, Keohan, and Dick Quintal voted against the motion, while Canty and Iaquinto voted in favor. This means town meeting will consider only the Advisory and Finance Committee’s recommendation of $378,513, unless a town meeting member makes a motion to reduce it.
In other significant business, the board addressed the ongoing oath of office compliance issues that have dominated recent meetings. The board approved three separate motions to make retroactive appointments for board and committee members who failed to take their oath within the required 30-day window. The appointments were backdated to September 8, 2025, bringing 43 members who took advantage of an amnesty period into technical compliance with the bylaw. An additional 48 positions that took the oath after 30 days but before amnesty were appointed retroactive to the day before they took their oath.
The board also unanimously approved submitting a governor’s bill to the state legislature to ratify all actions taken by elected and appointed officials since April 11, 2015, notwithstanding that some did not take their oath within 30 days. Board member Kevin Canty, who has led the effort to address the oath issue, stated: “I’m glad that we took the time to fully vet the issue and assess it and come up with a system solution to a systemic problem. I do not think that this is a problem of the current administration or the current town clerk’s office.”
The board engaged in extensive discussion about an Earth Removal Bylaw Review Committee being formed by the Planning Board. The committee will assist in selecting a consulting team and developing revisions to the current earth removal regulations. The Planning Board is delegating three appointments to the Select Board. Discussion centered on membership criteria, with board members debating whether to limit membership to one person per organization and what professional qualifications to prioritize. The board suggested adding a preference for members with climate science, hydrology, and public health experience.
The board approved an alteration of premises for Black Lantern Tavern, which is consolidating its two adjacent restaurants—Black Lantern Tavern and Trails End Bistro—into one business under one license. Manager Sahin Gulsen explained that the bistro will become an overflow and function room for the tavern.
During public comment, Carol Jankowski of Prince Street urged the board to take stronger action against the proposed Pulte 163-unit development in North Plymouth. “I am requesting that the Board of Selectman compile a very detailed list of why you have opposed this 40B proposal, and then I would suggest that this list is shared with all of the boards and commissions and committees involved,” Jankowski said. “In my experience, recent experience, there seems to have been little coordination. There doesn’t seem to be one forceful, unified statement about opposing this.”
Board members responded by adding the Pulte development and public safety concerns to future agendas. Iaquinto stated: “I am really, really concerned about public safety issues. And the traffic and the parking... they are requesting no visitor parking spaces. And to me that just says, well, where are their visitors of the 163 units going to park? They’re going to park on the streets.” The Zoning Board of Appeals has scheduled another meeting specifically for traffic concerns on October 20th.
Board members also identified several priorities for future agendas, including addressing public safety staffing shortages in both police and fire departments, beginning a feasibility study for a police headquarters and/or unified public safety complex, developing a staffing model for the Planning and Development Department amid significant retirements, and reviewing the chip-sealing road treatment program that has generated numerous complaints from residents.
Town Manager Derek Brindisi provided updates on several initiatives: the fifth edition of Plymouth on the Move magazine has been released; a security gate has been installed at the Full Sale parking lot on St. Charles Avenue and drainage work will begin next week; the community health assessment survey has received over 1,000 responses; construction has started on the Route 80 sidewalk project; and the new “Stop and Swap” program at the transfer station has attracted over 100 participants in its first two Saturdays of operation.
The meeting, which began at 5:00 p.m., included an executive session to discuss a lease extension for 132 Warren Avenue (Sandy’s Restaurant) and concluded after 8:40 p.m.
Why It Matters
The Visitor Center debate represents a broader challenge Plymouth faces: how to address decades of deferred maintenance on public buildings while managing fiscal uncertainty and competing demands on limited resources. The waterfront facility serves as a critical first point of contact for thousands of tourists who generate revenue for local businesses, but it also highlights the difficulty of making major capital decisions when funding sources remain uncertain. The board’s decision to defer to Advisory and Finance’s recommendation means town meeting members will make the final decision about whether to authorize spending that could proceed with or without state grant funding. For residents and businesses along the waterfront, the outcome will determine whether accessible public restrooms and visitor services receive needed improvements or remain in their current inadequate state. The broader implications extend to how Plymouth addresses its aging infrastructure and whether the town will continue to delay projects until costs escalate beyond what would have been affordable with earlier action.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Enter Executive Session to discuss lease extension for 132 Warren Ave (Sandy’s Restaurant). Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 15:14)
Motion: Approve alteration of premises for Black Lantern Tavern (consolidating two restaurants). Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:18:29)
Motion: Approve one-day wine and malt license, common victualer license, and Eversource utility petition as a group. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:19:16)
Motion: Approve six administrative notes as a group. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:19:51)
Motion: Approve updates to Plymouth Affordable Housing Trust policy. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:22:07)
Motion: Make a motion at town meeting to reduce Visitor Center funding from $378,513 to $178,518. Outcome: Defeated. Vote: 2-3 (Canty and Iaquinto voted yes; Golden, Keohan, and Quintal voted no). (Timestamp: 2:05:30)
Motion: Appoint 43 board/committee members from “group one” (amnesty recipients) effective September 8, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:17:50)
Motion: Appoint 48 board/committee members from “group two” (late oath-takers) retroactive to day before oath. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:18:59)
Motion: Appoint select board members to their committee assignments effective September 8, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:19:49)
Motion: Approve governor’s bill language for oath of office ratification and authorize town counsel to approve amendments. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:25:29)
Motion: Adjourn meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 3:43:28)
Public Comment
Carol Jankowski of Prince Street urged stronger, coordinated opposition to the proposed Pulte 163-unit development in North Plymouth, calling the traffic study “totally illogical” and requesting the Select Board compile a detailed list of objections to share with all involved boards and committees. She emphasized concerns about infrastructure inadequacy, particularly roads, utilities, and schools. Steve Lydon of Precinct 17 announced that traffic light installation has begun at Long Pond Road and Halfway Pond Road. Matt Tavares, Chair of the Committee of Precinct Chairs, expressed disappointment that the Earth Removal Bylaw Committee process was moving forward without sufficient consultation with COPC, noting that the committee felt left out of collaborative discussions between the Planning Board and Select Board.
What’s Next
The Visitor Center renovation funding will be presented to town meeting on October 18, 2025, with Advisory and Finance Committee recommending $378,513. Unless a town meeting member makes a motion to reduce the amount, that will be the figure voted on. The governor’s bill addressing oath of office issues will be submitted to the state legislature with signatures from the Select Board chair and the full state delegation. The Earth Removal Bylaw Review Committee charge will be reviewed by the Planning Board on October 8, 2025, with applications for committee positions expected to open shortly thereafter. The Select Board will discuss the Pulte development and public safety concerns at a future meeting, potentially following the Zoning Board of Appeals traffic meeting on October 20, 2025. Future agendas will address public safety staffing, police headquarters feasibility study, Planning Department staffing model, chip-sealing program review, and neighborhood “On the Road” meetings. A community energy forum is scheduled for November 10, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the Great Hall.
Full meeting available via local scene cable access channels Comcast 9 or Verizon 47.