An aerial view of the proposed new waterfront building and dock at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The building and grounds—known formally as the Complex for Waterfront Access to Exploration and Research—was granted preliminary approval by the Falmouth Planning Board this week.
An aerial view of the proposed new waterfront building and dock at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The building and grounds—known formally as the Complex for Waterfront Access to Exploration and Research—was granted preliminary approval by the Falmouth Planning Board this week.
The Falmouth Planning Board this week got a glimpse of plans for a cutting-edge marine research complex and, perhaps, into design innovations that will allow future waterfront Cape Cod buildings to withstand storms and sea level rise.
The three-story complex, which will serve as a waterfront hub for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s marine exploration and research, will replace several “suboptimal buildings” that have outlived their usefulness at the WHOI campus, said Robert S.C. Munier, vice president of marine facilities and operations.
WHOI is seeking site plan approval and a special permit from the planning board. The board gave preliminary approval at its meeting on Tuesday, October 11, after listening to an hourlong presentation by WHOI representatives. No date was set for final approval.
The project includes a huge new dock to replace the 50-year-old Iselin Dock. The new structure will be a steel pipe, pile-supported platform with a concrete deck. The new dock will be at least 2.5 feet higher and will be designed to allow another 1.5 feet of height to be added to accommodate sea level rise for 70 to 80 years.
The new dock and its apron will serve the same functions as the Iselin Dock—providing dockage for three oceangoing research vessels; enabling small boat access; providing a robotic vehicle port; enabling equipment testing and loading; and facilitating dive operations.
The complex will be equipped with new high bays—with big garage doors, high ceilings, overhead cranes and other equipment that can facilitate placing large items on ships or into the water, Mr. Munier said.
The three-story research building itself will be outfitted with “world-class” laboratories, workshops with high bays, a real-time ocean observing system, public event spaces and an observatory, among many other features, according to the WHOI website.
The building will be outfitted with innovations to withstand climate change such as elevated power and mechanical systems, watertight utility shafts, a flood-resistant ground floor that can be raised an additional 1.5 feet, if needed.
“The facility also has a new shipboard scientific systems group (SSSG) test lab, ship support and expanded scientific diving operation,” the website says.
A spokeswoman for WHOI said after the meeting that although the project has not yet been put out to bid, the institution expects to put more than $100 million into the project. The money will be a mixture of federal, state and philanthropic funding sources.
“This demonstrates WHOI’s commitment to Woods Hole village as well as to continuing to be a leader in global oceanography far into the 21st century,” the spokeswoman said.
WHOI representatives could not give a start date for the project because, they said, many more permits and permissions must be obtained from local, state and federal regulators.
A WHOI spokeswoman said after the meeting, however, that once the permits—and funding—are in place, the building and dock construction is expected to take 32 to 36 months to complete.
The planning board members, who had also taken a tour of the WHOI campus, seemed excited and pleased about the project.
“This is the best presentation I have seen,” said planning board vice chairwoman Patricia Kerfoot, who was chairing the meeting.
Eliza Z. Cox, WHOI’s attorney for the project, told the planning board that elements of the project will slightly exceed town building height limitations but said it falls within the state’s Dover Amendment. The amendment allows educational uses to be exempted from some zoning laws.
WHOI has been meeting regularly with Woods Hole Village neighbors over the past several months to keep them apprised about the project and to work out any concerns, Mr. Munier said.
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
An e-newsletter with Bourne news sent each Wednesday.
Receive notices of breaking news for the Upper Cape.
A podcast e-newsletter featuring the Enterprise's newest podcast, Upper Cape Catch.
An e-newsletter with Falmouth news sent each Tuesday.
A Monday morning e-newsletter with stories that readers might have overlooked in Friday's editions and a roundup of the stories that attracted the most attention on the Enterprise's website during the past week.
An e-newsletter with Mashpee news sent each Wednesday.
An e-newsletter with Sandwich news sent each Wednesday.
An e-newsletter sent on Thursdays highlighting local entertainment for the coming week.
A good news e-newsletter delivered every Saturday morning.
A Friday e-newsletter with headlines from all four Upper Cape towns.
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.