Town Meeting Approves Simes House Project

Despite passionate debate on several articles and moderate confusion over others, Town Meeting convened and adjourned on the same day, a rarity in Plymouth, where Town Meeting usually meets for two days or more.

Because proponents of two articles had experts available Saturday morning, Town Meeting took two articles out of order - funding for the Simes House in Manomet and funding for weed eradication in Billington Sea.

The Community Preservation Committee dedicated $1.5 million to a single project , the restoration of the Simes House off Manomet Point Road. The plans propose to mix three of the purposes of the Community Perservation Act: Historic preservation, creation of open space and creation of affordable housing.

The state law assesses a surcharge of 1.5 percent on property taxes, an additional $45 a year on the average tax bill in Plymouth. The state provides a partial match to the town.

The town currently owns the deteriorating property. A non-profit organization, the Simes House Foundation, has prepared a plan for the propety and will handle the funds.

After a long presentation, Town Meeting quickly approved the funding.

The project will restore the historic structure, build two units of of affordable housing on the third floor, office space on the second floor, community meeting space on the first floor, and create a landscaped open space on the one-acre property.

The proposal received unanimous support from all the boards that considered it prior to Town Meeting's fall session.

Town Meeting Representative Kevin Doyle, Precinct 6, described himself as a Manometian. Some young residents of the village simply call it "The Met."

"Funds will come out of the CPC which was set up for a project just like this," Doyle said. "It will provide a focal point for the Bohemian, sometimes disjunct village of Manomet."

A fellow Manomet resident, Francis Collins, Precinct 6, objected.

"The Simes House is a white elephant looking for riders," Collins said.

He said he had heard estimates for the completed project of up to $3 million. He said if the non-profit foundation created to complete the project failed, the town would again own the property.

Will Shain, vice-president of the Simes House Foundation, previously addressed the question.

"One-point-five million dollars won't finish this," Shain said. "It will come closer to $2 million. Anything over $1.5 million is ours."

The foundation's business manager and treasurer, Veronica Cooper, said the group planned to not only complete the project, but make it self-sustaining through rental revenue.

Town Meeting Representative Ric Cone, Precinct 3, resides and owns a business downtown.

"It's about time Manomet has a community meeting place," Cone said. "The various meeting places downtown are very important to the people who live downtown."

Barry Wood of Precinct 6 asked for a roll call vote without objection from Town Meeting. The aricle passed 97 in favor, 11 opposed, including the newly -coined "Manometians Collins,  Wood and Paul Francis.

Community Preservation Committee chairman Bill Keohan said the committee has $1.8 million left in its fund.