Wareham Village may look significantly different in the future, As the Wareham Redevelopment Authority has proposed some zoning changes with the aim of making the village more attractive to businesses, and privately funded “mixed-use development.”. 

The Wareham Redevelopment Authority has invited Wareham residents, Wareham Village Property owners, and Wareham Village business owners to attend a presentation on the new zoning proposal. 

The workshop will cover motivation, justification, and specific zoning regulation changes the  redevelopment authority believes will help encourage investment in the Wareham Village district.

The most substantial potential change would be to the Wareham Village district. The zoning changes would only apply to “Wareham Village 1”, which covers Main Street and Merchants Way from Besse Park to the intersection with Elm Street. 

Mixed use zoning allows a variety of uses, including retail, residential, office, entertainment, and culture to fit together in a single environment. Outdoor space including plazas and parks are also incorporated.

Often, mixed-use zoning includes retail or restaurants on the ground floor with offices and apartments above.

The two meetings will be held via zoom. The first will be on Thursday, July 30 at noon. The second will be on Thursday, August 6 at 5:30 p.m.

According to a press release from the redevelopment authority, the goal of the zoom meetings is to “solicit as much input and feedback as we can, so we can adjust and tune this proposal to best represent the desires of the town. “

The redevelopment authority aims to submit  a zoning article for approval at the 2020 Fall Town Meeting. 

Any zoning changes would need to be approved by ⅔ of voters at the Town Meeting. 

For a link to the zoom meetings, go to: https://tinyurl.com/WRA-WV1-WORKSHOP