Surf park plan makes waves in Middleboro

MIDDLEBORO -- Surfing in Middleboro?

That unlikely sounding concept could become reality.

Developers Clay Rockefeller and Jerry Pucillo hope to build an outdoor surf park on 20 acres of a former dairy farm on 177 East Grove St.

The developers brought their proposal before the Select Board Monday, June 29. The presentation was strictly informational, Select Board Chair Teresa Farley said, and the board was seeing the formal plans for the first time.

A standing room only audience of residents attended to hear the presentation, ask questions and offer comments.

The park would use technology from Wavegarden to create waves of varying sizes to accommodate surfers of different skill levels. Rockefeller said he hoped the park would be “fun and engaging.’’

The project would also include a restaurant, bar and 35 cottage-style facilities that people could rent for overnight stays.

Rockefeller said the location in Middleboro, which is not generally a community one associates with surfing, was selected in part because of its proximity to Boston and Providence and access to public transportation.

Pucillo said the project would add to “blue health’’ culture, which states that proximity to water lowers stress and improves physical and mental health.

Residents raised concerns about traffic impacts, potential noise issues and water use the facility would need.

The facility would use about 30,000 gallons of water per day, Select Board member Brian Giovanoni estimated based on his work in municipal engineering. The town has the capacity to accommodate that amount, Department of Public Works Director Chris Peck said.

Daily traffic was estimated at 750 cars in and 750 cars out, which Jeff Nichols, who lives near the project, described as a “significant amount of vehicles in one day.’’

The historic nature of the site also raised some concerns.

The property includes “a number of historic and archeological resources of significance,’’ according to a letter from the Middleboro Historical Commission signed by Chair Michael Maddigan.

These include the Andrew W. Miller House, the remains of the Fall Brook Furnace, a Colonial-era saw mill and several stone walls dating from the 19th century development of the farm, the letter states.

A “reported though undocumented grave and marker stone’’ is also on the site, commission members wrote, with further burials possible, including that of  Feb Wicket, one of the last of the Nemasket tribe, who may be buried in a corner of the farm.

“It’s important for developers coming in to understand there is a lot of history here,’’ Select Board member Tracie Craig-McGee said.

Rockefeller said he understood people’s attachment to the land and noted that the house in question will not be on the property they are looking to purchase. Maintaining the stone walls is a possibility, he said.

The project is estimated to generate $500,000 in annual tax income to the town, and the developers said they do not anticipate seeking a tax break.

Rockefeller said he plans to reach out to Middleboro High School Principal Paul Branagan about ways to involve the school community, including the possibility of a surf team.

“We will work hard to be good community members,’’ Rockefeller said.

The project still needs to be vetted by various town entities, including the Planning Board.

Rockefeller had originally planned to open the park in fall 2028, but he said that date now “feels pretty ambitious. There are thousands of ways this could go sideways.’’