One would anticipate that for every major construction project, before starting the construction work, and clearly before applying for and getting the designs approved and permits issued, all the details of what is required would be established on paper. This is clearly not the case with the Steamship Authority (SSA) construction in Woods Hole.
An early Steamship Authority justification for the location of its new ticket building in Woods Hole was that it had to be installed in a specific association with the floodwater drainage system to contain water runoff so it would not go onto land around its property. Although the SSA could not explain this rationale, it appeared to be a gross error, because this location has made it difficult, if not impossible, to use the original curb cuts for trucks and cars to access Railroad Avenue in Woods Hole.
The SSA always told the public that the architectural plans met all basic safety and other requirements, including easy and safe access to and exit from the SSA property, without the need for any entrance or exit changes. However, for years residents had countered that this was not possible if the plans were as shown on paper.
Now that the major construction has been completed, we have learned that the SSA’s architect and project manager BIA.studio was more shooting from the hip than relying on carefully designed architectural plans. As a result, the SSA has recently had to make requests for curb cuts that violate town of Falmouth regulations.
Without the curb cuts, the SSA must rely on its fallback plan, which is to have SSA personnel guide the traffic through a complex maze of overlapping traffic circulations. BIA.studio and Bob Davis, former SSA general manager and current senior advisor of the SSA, must accept full responsibility for the gross negligence that led to this problem.
The new SSA general manager, Alex Kryska, cannot undo what Davis has done. Nevertheless, the new GM and SSA senior staff, many of whom had supported Davis’ misguided strategy for the terminal, must now find a legal way to operate while abiding by all rules and regulations.
For decades, Woods Hole and Falmouth residents have suffered nonstop abuse at the hands of the SSA. Virtually regardless of the nature or severity of the complaints, the SSA has ignored them and done whatever it wanted, with disregard for the well-being of Falmouth residents, as well as often of its own customers.
Before the massive new construction project in Woods Hole began, the SSA knew precisely where its boundaries lay, and that its entire completed project had to be designed to lie entirely within its property boundaries and without violating any town or state ordinances. BIA.studio and the SSA had years to perform all the studies they needed before starting construction.
It is now time for the SSA to figure out how to make its operations work within existing laws and the town’s legal boundaries, and without variances. Sadly, this is the price it must pay for its decades of lack of concern and disrespect toward Falmouth residents.
The town of Falmouth has so far rejected the SSA’s requests for new curb cuts at the intersection of Luscombe and Railroad in Woods Hole. However, the SSA is now reapplying to the Falmouth department of public works for a new version of curb cuts. If a variance or variances are granted, such concessions will show that, without ever expressing concern for the communities on which they have a negative impact, the SSA is still operating on the principle that it can intentionally create serious problems and then expect others to solve them by making concessions, without giving anything in return, and not even an apology.
The town of Falmouth must stand its ground and enforce its existing laws, including those related to new curb cuts and drainage regulations, which the SSA knew about but chose to ignore.
There should be no new curb cuts, no allocation of Falmouth land, and no variances should be given that allow the SSA to create new property access and exit points only for its own benefit and to the detriment of the port community. The SSA must start abiding by town of Falmouth laws and regulations, show respect for the port community it relies on for its operations, and live within its financial and space constraints.
Damien Kuffler is a resident of Woods Hole.