New Town Bandshell An Elusive Goal

FALMOUTH- Falmouth Town Band Director Linda D. Whitehead is trying to stay optimistic about the long-awaited renovation to the town’s bandshell, but it is getting more and more difficult.
The Oscar Wolf Band Shell at Bigelow Marine Park on Scranton Avenue is badly in need of refurbishment. Earlier this summer, the structure was found to be rotting and was briefly condemned before the top half was dismantled. Falmouth selectmen first approved a new bandshell about 10 years ago, but the project has been postponed numerous times.
Among the challenges is that a new structure must meet strict hurricane building codes, since the project is next to the water.
Two weeks ago, Ms. Whitehead got her first look at a preliminary drawing for a new bandshell by Falmouth architect John J. Keenan of the firm Kennan & Kenny Architects. But after looking briefly at the drawings, she said she is concerned that the project has become too large and unwieldy.
“I’m unhappy with it. I don’t think the people of the community will like it,” she said.
The plans were shown when Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and State Representative Eric T. Turkington (D-Falmouth) met with town officials at the bandshell to announce the release of $173,000 in state funds for the project.
Town Meeting approved $300,000 for the project several years ago, so the budget is now at $473,000.
But with prices for materials and labor increasing daily, Ms. Whitehead said Assistant Town Manager Heather B. Harper told her that there might need to be fundraising in order to get the project done.
Mr. Turkington said that the state funds will not be held indefinitely and so there is also a time factor for completing the project.
Ms. Whitehead said she is concerned that the project is moving along quickly now but without proper input. She said she only needed an extra two feet on either end of the stage, so that the structure would be the right size for the 100-piece Falmouth Town Band. But the proposed new structure, she said, is almost twice the size of the existing structure.
She also said she feels the look of the structure, with its large overhang, is not in keeping with the small-town character of Falmouth.
Mr. Keenan said that his drawings reflect what he was tasked to do, which is to design a bandshell suitable for the town.
He said the proposed bandshell is about 30 to 40 percent larger and includes handicapped-access ramps that increase the size of the structure.
The roof covering the entire structure is for acoustics, he said.
“It’s definitely not the same old bandshell. It’s a real music center,” Mr. Keenan said.
Mr. Turkington said the more grandiose plans may put the project on an untenable course. He said he agreed with Ms. Whitehead that “this thing’s bigger than any one had in mind.”
He said in order to get the project finished on budget, the town may want to consider very different options. For example, he pointed out that the temporary stage installed for the POPS Goes The Summer concert this weekend at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds on Route 151 is very attractive. Perhaps, he said, a permanent foundation could be installed and a temporary canvas tent could be erected for the weekly summer performances.
“There are a lot of options here that may be should be explored,” Mr. Turkington said. “If a permanent structure has to be hurricane-proof, frankly maybe that’s an argument against a permanent structure.”
He said that while the architects pointed out how good the acoustics are, perhaps perfect acoustics are not really needed. “It’s a summer band concert. We don’t need $600,000 worth of perfect acoustics,” Mr. Turkington said.
Mr. Turkington said of the preliminary drawings, “It looked like the Boston Convention Center with a big swooping roof. It might be more than we need in Bigelow Marine Park.”
Mr. Keenan said he has not yet gone through the process to price out his plans, but he said one thing that has been done is a geotechnical survey of the soils on the site. That study determined “it’s lousy soil,” Mr. Keenan said, since the site is basically a marshland that was filled in to create Falmouth Inner Harbor more than 100 years ago.
That bad soil means that the footings would have to go in twice as deep, eight feet instead of four feet, which would also increase the cost. He also added that since it is a public construction project, costs are higher.
Mr. Keenan said he has structural, electrical, and acoustical engineers working on the project. He said he has not heard any negative feedback about it, from town officials.