DeCicco family renames land "Bourne Village Heights"

Published on Wednesday, August 04, 2010

On August 4, the DeCicco family of Bourne announced that the land they own located on the Cape side of the Bourne Bridge will again be known as Bourne Village Heights, the highest parcel of land in Bourne Village. In 1963 the Family purchased the 152 acres and adjoining motel “the Panorama Motor Lodge and a horse barn later to become the “Way Station” night club. The DeCicco family had held the properties under the company umbrella “Bourne Village Heights Inc. Longtime Upper Cape residents may recall Panorama Fair Grounds for the Circuses, Carnivals, Horse shows, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and many other community events including Dirt Bike, ATV events and Paintball held on the half-mile horse race track and wooded land adjacent to the Bourne Water Tower, the DeCicco have never charged any group who wanted to use their land to do something good for our town.

Luigi DeCicco said: “We are going back to the old name that the old timers should remember. The “new” name Canalside Commons is done.”

Twelve years ago, the DeCiccos agreed to sell their land to part-time developer and Bourne native Architect Len Cubellis, if, and only if, Cubellis could permit and build a project consistent with then existing MEPA plans. With the DeCicco’s permission, Cubellis became the face of the project and renamed it “Canalside Commons.”

In 2008 after waiting ten years and with no assurances from Cubellis that he was ever going to finish permitting and start construction, the DeCicco’s decided it was time to move on. Cubellis sued the DeCicco family alleging that they breached the contract when they discussed a possible new deal with other parties. That lawsuit ended on July 8, 2010 when the parties signed a written settlement contract.

The settlement completed with the guidance of Doug Cabral of Collins & Cabral and other attorneys entitles the DeCicco’s to utilize all of the land use permits that Mr. Cubellis had obtained or do what ever is the highest and best use for the Owners and the citizens of the Town of Bourne. However, Mr. Cubellis individually will have no role in any project going forward.

The agreement requires the DeCicco family to pay Mr. Cubellis $3,800,000.00 within four years. L. Mark DeCicco also said, “Although I believe the price was a bit too high, our family fully intends to abide by the settlement. Mr. Cubellis will be paid, and “Len’s Canalside Commons will be a memory”.

L. Mark DeCicco Trustee of the DeCicco’s family’s trust and long time volunteer member of the Town of Bourne Finance Committee, affirmed “At no time in the entire period did Mr. Cubellis ever own the land. The land has been in my family for forty years. We are proud of our service to the Bourne Community and the Upper Cape. We WILL get a project built to benefit the entire community. Mark DeCicco looks forward to working with local and regional officials to find the Best project for Bourne!"