We're working
to bring
Ferns back.

Over the past year, we have worked with engineers, environmental consultants, MassDEP, and Town officials to understand what it would take to safely reopen Ferns. As part of our effort to purchase the property, which remains subject to an environmental lien held by MassDEP, the site has undergone a more comprehensive engineering and regulatory review than prior operations required.

That review confirmed that the existing wastewater system is substantially undersized for commercial use. Under Title 5, a restaurant with even one seat must be designed for a minimum of 1,000 gallons per day, while Ferns' existing system is approved for only 970 gallons per day. The previous operation was able to function only under special variances and significant restrictions, including composting toilets and limits intended to reduce wastewater generation. MassDEP has emphasized that our plans require a long-term wastewater solution.

Wastewater is the largest challenge, but it is not the only one: the property also requires continued environmental remediation, including groundwater cleanup as part of its long-term restoration. We have continued investing in this work because we believe the property can be responsibly restored for future generations.

Four engineering firms evaluated conventional septic systems, neighboring land, advanced treatment technologies, tight tanks, and other potential approaches. None identified an on-site wastewater solution they believed could be approved for our project.

We wish it were that simple. Those who read our previous update may remember that we were exploring a potential wastewater solution at Center Park. While we were hopeful, additional engineering and environmental review ultimately determined that it was not a viable solution.

Ferns sits on a very small parcel within a Zone I Wellhead Protection Area, surrounded by similarly constrained properties. Because of the site's location, every option had to protect the public drinking water supply while meeting stringent environmental requirements.

Without a sewer connection, wastewater in the Town Center is treated by individual septic systems and released through the soil back into the same groundwater system that supplies nearby drinking-water wells. That connection is why septic use is so tightly constrained here. Under Title 5, Zone II wellhead protection areas are considered nitrogen-sensitive, and new construction is generally limited to 440 gallons of design flow per day per acre. MassDEP's Zone I policy also states that Title 5 systems should be removed from Zone I areas whenever possible.

A market and café of Ferns' size requires approximately 2,145 gallons of wastewater capacity per day, while the existing system is approved for only 970 gallons per day. Engineers also determined that a compliant disposal field would require more land than is available on the property and surrounding parcels while still meeting the required setbacks from nearby drinking-water wells and other protected resources.

Unfortunately, this isn't simply a matter of installing a larger septic system. The combination of wastewater volume, limited available land, and drinking water protection requirements made it impossible for any of the four engineering teams to identify an approvable on-site wastewater solution.

Yes. Multiple engineering firms evaluated conventional and advanced treatment options, composting toilets, tight tanks, restroom trailers, relocating the water supply and the use of neighboring land. The problem is not limited to toilet waste. A market and café also generate commercial wastewater through food preparation, dishwashing, cleaning and other kitchen operations.

None of the on-site alternatives provided a permanent solution that could satisfy the site’s physical and regulatory constraints.

Our engineers have advised that tight tanks are strictly regulated in Massachusetts and generally treated as a last-resort response to an existing failed system that cannot be rebuilt because of lot configuration, soils, or groundwater conditions, not as a permanent way to increase a building's approved design flow. Ferns' current system is functioning but substantially undersized, so a tight tank has not been identified as a permanent solution. MassDEP has, however, indicated that it may evaluate a limited interim wastewater approach if it has a defined end point and is backed by an enforceable commitment to the permanent solution. No specific interim approach has been approved.

After months of evaluating on-site wastewater options, our engineers concluded that a connection to the Carlisle School wastewater treatment facility may be the only viable path for our proposed project. During discussions with MassDEP, the school connection emerged as the most viable remaining long-term approach. The feasibility study has now confirmed sufficient treatment capacity; detailed engineering and the necessary approvals remain ahead.

Put plainly, if a wastewater connection does not move forward, we do not currently see a path for Ferns to reopen as a market and café.

We recognize this may sound like an extraordinary solution for a small country store that has served the community for more than a century. We felt the same way when the idea was first raised. We definitely didn't set out to pursue a sewer connection. That's why we spent months exploring every realistic on-site option first. Four different engineering teams independently evaluated expanding the existing system, neighboring land, advanced wastewater treatment technologies, and other potential approaches before ultimately reaching the same conclusion.

The Town's wastewater treatment facility that currently serves the Carlisle School has existed for decades. The potential connection route is now being evaluated through the feasibility study. In fact, a 2010 Town study identified extending wastewater infrastructure into Carlisle Center as a potential long-term solution for the area's wastewater challenges.

Weston & Sampson's feasibility work has now confirmed that the facility has sufficient treatment capacity for the proposed Ferns connection while protecting the school's current and future needs. The facility is permitted for approximately 13,500 gallons per day, current heavier-use flows are approximately 3,000–4,000 gallons per day, and Ferns' whole-building design flow is 2,145 gallons per day. Engineering of the route, pumping, permitting, operations, and final design still remain.

Capacity confirmation is an important milestone, but the project still requires detailed engineering, permitting, regulatory review, funding, and Town approval before construction can move forward.

Conveying commercial wastewater from one of the most environmentally constrained properties in Carlisle to an existing wastewater treatment facility would represent a fundamentally different approach to protecting Carlisle's public drinking water supply while allowing Ferns to reopen responsibly.

Not yet. On November 16, residents will be asked to vote on funding for design and permitting. Construction would require a separate Town vote, expected in early 2027.

The complete project is currently estimated at $685,000–$1.4 million: $225,000–$300,000 for design and permitting, plus $460,000–$1.1 million for construction. The $1.1 million high-end estimate has been described as the absolute worst-case construction scenario. No work can proceed without the required Town authorization, engineering, permits, and regulatory review.

We privately funded the current feasibility study. Ferns would also pay for its private connection to the shared main. Any project would still require Town approval, detailed engineering, agreements, permits, and MassDEP approval. The feasibility study has confirmed sufficient treatment capacity for the proposed connection.

No. Our experience with MassDEP has been overwhelmingly positive. They have spent countless hours working with us, our engineers, and our environmental consultants to understand the site's challenges and evaluate every reasonable path forward. Throughout this process, they have been collaborative and genuinely interested in helping identify a safe, long-term solution that protects Carlisle's public drinking water supply while returning the property to productive use.

The wastewater limitations at Ferns are long-standing and predate our involvement with the property. MassDEP has consistently worked with our engineers and environmental consultants as different concepts have been explored. Their role has been to help evaluate whether interim and permanent approaches could meet applicable public-health and environmental requirements. That review has clarified that the existing wastewater system is substantially undersized and that any interim approach would need to be tied to a firm, enforceable commitment to a permanent wastewater solution.

Potentially, yes. Although our immediate goal is simply reopening Ferns, the engineering work has highlighted broader infrastructure challenges within Carlisle Center. If future studies determine additional wastewater infrastructure is feasible, it could provide long-term benefits beyond a single property.

Because we believe the community deserves to have Ferns reopened. If this were a financial decision, we wouldn't still be here.

Over the past year, we've invested significant time and resources into engineering, environmental investigation, and planning because we believe Ferns is an important part of Carlisle. We feel a responsibility to explore every realistic path before giving up.

What has kept us moving forward is that the environmental investigation has been encouraging. Groundwater petroleum concentrations have generally declined over time, indoor-air testing found no solvents or degreasers, and the detected compounds were well below applicable health-based thresholds. While additional work remains, those results gave us confidence that the property's environmental challenges can be responsibly addressed.

We don't know whether Ferns will ultimately reopen, but as long as there is one potential path forward, we believe it's worth continuing to explore every opportunity to make it happen.

The next public step is the November 16 Special Town Meeting vote on funding detailed design and permitting. If that work advances and the Town later commits to construction, MassDEP has indicated it will consider an interim operating approach while the permanent connection is completed.

Our hope is that restoration of the building could begin once there is a clear, approved path for permanent wastewater, rather than waiting until every portion of the wastewater infrastructure has been constructed. MassDEP indicated they would be willing to evaluate interim wastewater approaches if there is a firm, enforceable commitment to a permanent wastewater solution. Any interim approach would still require additional review and approvals from the Town, but it could provide a path for Ferns to reopen while the permanent infrastructure is being completed.

Hopefully soon. We know the community is eager to get back to talking about coffee, sandwiches, and seeing neighbors again. We are too.

The feasibility study has confirmed treatment capacity, public discussions are continuing, and we are working to establish both a responsible interim framework and a clear permanent path.

Our hope is that the permanent wastewater infrastructure does not need to be fully constructed before restoring Ferns. Rather, we need confidence that there is a clear and durable path forward before investing millions of dollars into the building itself.

Once that path is established, we hope restoration of Ferns can move forward while the permanent wastewater solution continues through construction.

Community support truly makes a difference.

If you want to see Ferns return, please consider submitting a letter of support. A strong showing from the community will help demonstrate to Town officials how important Ferns is to the community and the vitality of Carlisle Center.

As important decisions are made in the months ahead, we hope the community’s support, and the value of restoring Ferns as a local gathering place, market, and community asset, will be given serious consideration.