The Community and Economic Development Authority is putting together its next state grant application, and officials want to know what projects you think will improve the quality of life for Wareham residents.

Downtown bump-outs and affordable housing were hot topics at CEDA's public meeting on the topic on Wednesday.

Wareham could receive up to $900,000 in funding from the grant. The deadline for the application is in December.

Melissa Pechey, owner of The Matrix Spa in downtown Wareham, hoped that any further updates to Main Street would not include the bump-out brick curbing that was installed during the first phase of the "Streetscape" beautification project, completed last summer.

Pechey was particularly concerned about cars having a place to pull over for emergency vehicles.

CEDA Director Salvador Pina stressed that the bump-outs are for pedestrian safety, and are intended to slow traffic down.

The bump-outs are only about six inches wider than a car, and parked cars would present the same problem, he noted.

"I know there are some downsides" to bump-outs, Pina said, "but I think the notion of those is, pedestrian safety first on the sidewalks."

Howard Smith, who has been on the Wareham Fire Department for nearly 50 years, also expressed concerns.

"I will tell you that within the last year that this has been done, I have been scared to drive a piece of fire apparatus down that street," said Smith. He stressed that he was speaking only for himself, not on behalf of Wareham Fire.

Pechey suggested that an alternative might work.

"Could there be a raised crosswalk instead," Pechey asked, which would alert drivers of pedestrians while still allowing cars to pull over in the event of an emergency.

Pina agreed that there may be alternatives, and said he'll be exploring them.

"I assure you, I will take [ideas] to the engineers," Pina stressed.

Claire Smith, who serves as town moderator, wondered if CEDA could help the town secure more affordable housing for its senior citizens. Smith noted that the closest assisted living homes are in Dartmouth.

Pina explained that the grant cannot be spent on constructing new buildings, but perhaps CEDA could help a developer if one was interested in renovating or rehabilitating an existing building for that purpose.

Barbara Sullivan, unit director for the Boys & Girls Club in Wareham, hoped that CEDA could help fund programming for young adults.

"One segment of the population that creates tremendous problems for everyone is that element that is beyond high school. They're not ready to go on to any higher education, and I'm thinking specifically, the criminal element," she explained, suggesting that the town needs some kind of intervention services.

"It seems to me that the only attention it gets is when [young adults] are caught and they're in the paper," Sullivan said.

Pina said that CEDA might be able to help if an organization were to develop a program, as the grant itself could not fund the development of a program.

All the comments during the public meeting will be discussed among Pina, the CEDA Board of Directors, and CEDA advisory boards to determine how to proceed when writing the grant. CEDA will then present its recommendations to the Board of Selectmen.

Have a suggestion for CEDA? Pick up information and surveys at the CEDA office, located in Town Hall at 54 Marion Road. The surveys are also available to download below this story — just drop them off with CEDA!