A history-making vote occurred in Truro this week. The town has purchased 70 acres of land, which by dint of family inertia has remained almost untouched for 100 years. Ellen Sheil of Tiverton, R.I. said her great-grandfather Maurice Walsh bought the first few acres in 1919. And as neighbors died or moved, he acquired more. Sheil’s father and uncle bought a 62-acre parcel after World War II when it came on the market, she said.

For years, her grandparents, Stephen Valentine “Val” and Elizabeth Walsh, operated a cottage colony on the property. There were no televisions, except for a single black and white with “rabbit ears” on which the family watched astronauts’ first walk on the moon.

The property “is a wonderful, gentle environment,” she said. “We went blueberry picking. There are cranberries, pine trees and it’s very hilly.”

As the years went on, Val and Elizabeth’s grandchildren had children and grandchildren. Today the five heirs of the property, Sheil, her two brothers and two cousins, are spread all across the country. Each has varied emotional attachments to this incredibly rare and valuable Cape Cod commodity. Until the sale to the town, no one could make a decision on what to do with it, Sheil said.

The land had been pursued by some would-be buyers over the years, including the Truro Conservation Trust. Most recently, a solar company offered $5 million for it, Sheil said. But her family was uncomfortable with the thought of clear-cutting and herbicides and they felt pressured. This is how 70 acres of land ended up available to the town.

It’s unclear just how much of it is buildable. But an appraiser hired by the Conservation Trust determined that its “best and highest use,” a phrase referring to the most potentially valuable use of the property, would be development of 30 to 40 single-family homes, said Fred Gaechter, president of the Trust. Given the three-quarter-acre minimum zoning in Truro, it stands to reason there may be at least 40 acres of developable land there.

So, what to do with it? That will be the big question, which a committee to be appointed by the select board next month will consider. The committee must include a broad spectrum of town residents. Ultimately, the committee’s recommendation will end up before town meeting voters. Then history will be made again.

Up until Tuesday’s town election, select board members had been careful to say they have no priority list for the property. They mention open space, recreation and housing as possibilities. They sound particularly careful when they say “housing,” probably because they’re worried about NIMBY and opposition.

But let’s hope Truro’s drums beat much louder for housing now that the purchase has been approved. If we could be at that table, we would recommend housing as the number-one use — for seasonal workers, professional year-rounders, seniors and low-income residents. Open space is important, too, but about 70 percent of Truro is already protected by the Cape Cod National Seashore.


As Wellfleet Housing Authority Chair Elaine McIlroy told the town’s zoning board of appeals last week, “We have to balance losing young people in our community with losing birds and trees.”

Gaechter said the Conservation Trust supports housing on the Walsh land. “We’ve worked on this as a collaborative effort with the Truro Housing Authority,” he said.

With 70 acres there’s room to please many interests. But housing must be front and center. To do that, young people should be on that committee. State Sen. Julian Cyr, a 33-year-old Truro native son, has loudly championed the Walsh property purchase. He says housing is a critical piece of the puzzle. He’s right. We hope others join him in enabling the Walsh property to create happy memories for grandchildren of all income levels.