Every step, in one place.

We’re happy to share some positive news about Ferns.

Following productive meetings with the Select Board and Town Administrator, we now have the coordination and a clear path to move forward with the Town Center wastewater feasibility study. To maintain that momentum and allow the engineering work to begin immediately, we have decided to privately fund the study. We expect to receive initial findings within approximately six to eight weeks.

The study will evaluate a potential phased wastewater connection for Ferns and several other Town Center properties, including the Gleason Public Library, Village Court, Town Hall, Police and Fire. It will examine capacity, infrastructure, costs, and potential grant opportunities.

If the study confirms that there is a viable path forward, the next phase will likely require Town Meeting approval. We expect that decision to come before residents at the November 16 Special Town Meeting, when community participation and support will be incredibly important.

In the meantime, we will continue meeting with the Select Board, MassDEP, School Committee, Historical Commission, Board of Health, Library Trustees and residents to answer questions and work through the process.

We know that pursuing a long-term wastewater solution may sound like a lengthy process. We continue to explore whether any interim options could allow Ferns to reopen sooner while the long-term work moves forward. We are doing everything we can to avoid unnecessary delays, get real answers, and move Ferns toward reopening as quickly and responsibly as possible.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out with thoughtful questions, encouragement, and letters of support. We’re excited to take this next step and will continue sharing updates as we learn more.

We wanted to share an update and sincerely thank everyone for your patience and encouragement over the past several months. Although there hasn't been much visible activity at the property, a great deal of important work has been happening behind the scenes.

We're happy to share that multiple rounds of environmental testing are now complete, with additional monitoring wells currently being installed. Soil, groundwater, and indoor air have all been sampled to better understand the property's historic petroleum impacts. Overall, the results have been very encouraging, and recent meetings with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection have left us feeling optimistic about the path ahead.

At the same time, our engineers have been focused on the biggest challenge to reopening Ferns: wastewater.

From the beginning, our hope was to reopen Ferns using an on-site septic system. It would have been the simplest and quickest solution, and our engineers spent months exploring every reasonable option.

Unfortunately, after months of extensive analysis, our engineers ultimately concluded that they could not identify an approvable on-site wastewater solution because of the physical and regulatory constraints of the site and surrounding Town Center.

The encouraging news is that our engineers have identified an approach to address the property's long-standing wastewater challenges, which involves connecting Ferns to the existing wastewater treatment facility at the Carlisle School. The facility has served the school campus since 2006 and was originally designed with additional capacity, making it a promising option to explore.

We are working with Weston & Sampson, the company that designed and currently services the wastewater system, to conduct a feasibility study. In addition to evaluating this approach for Ferns, the study will also consider whether it could provide a broader benefit to Carlisle Center, including the Gleason Public Library.

After exploring every reasonable alternative, this is the only remaining approach our engineers believe could provide a viable path forward, subject to the results of the feasibility study and any future regulatory review.

While this approach is new for Ferns, the underlying concept isn't. More than a decade ago, Carlisle explored extending wastewater service into Carlisle Center. This feasibility study builds on that earlier concept using updated engineering, current conditions, and the work completed over the past several months.

If you're interested, this 2010 Carlisle Mosquito article provides helpful background.

Next Steps

The next step is working collaboratively with the Town and MassDEP to complete the feasibility study and determine whether the project can advance into design, public review, and permitting.

We are grateful to the Town for engaging thoughtfully with us throughout this process.

We know this process has taken longer than anyone hoped, us included. We also know many of you have been patiently waiting for Ferns to reopen. We always knew bringing back a place as familiar and beloved as Ferns would be a challenge. What we didn't expect was that, after overcoming so many other hurdles, the one challenge that would ultimately determine whether Ferns could reopen would be finding a wastewater solution.

We've continued working through every challenge because we know Ferns is worth it and believe the community deserves to have it back.

We Need Your Help

As we move into this next phase, community support will be more important than ever.

Recent events in our community have reminded us how important it is for people to speak up in support of the places and organizations they value. Community voices make a difference, and we hope you'll consider sharing yours.

If you'd like to see Ferns reopen, we'd be incredibly grateful for your support.

Please consider writing a letter in support of reopening Ferns and encouraging the Town to give this proposed solution a fair and thoughtful review. We'd love for you to share why Ferns matters to you and what reopening Ferns would mean to you and the community.

Please email your letter to hello@fernscarlisle.com. With your permission, we'll include your comments as part of our presentation to the Town. You're also welcome to send your thoughts directly to the Town.

Every voice helps demonstrate how much Ferns means to our community.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, we encourage you to visit Commune and Turnpike Market in Billerica for a glimpse of the kind of welcoming, community-centered market and gathering place that inspires our vision for Ferns.

Thank you again for your continued encouragement and support. We remain incredibly excited about bringing Ferns back as a market, café, and gathering place for Carlisle, and we look forward to sharing more as this work progresses.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

We know it’s been a little while since our last update, and we wanted to share some of the progress continuing behind the scenes at Ferns.

Over the past several weeks, environmental testing has been in progress at the property, including groundwater testing, well testing, and indoor air sampling. We also have a perc test scheduled with our septic engineer in June as we continue working toward a long-term septic solution for the site.

In addition, we are in the process of scheduling a follow-up meeting with MassDEP to continue discussing remediation planning, next steps, and the path toward eventual transfer of ownership. We’ve also been meeting and working closely with the Town Administrator, Planning Board, and other town departments as permitting and infrastructure discussions continue moving forward.

We know many people are wondering both why this process takes so long and why so much testing is happening now if Ferns operated for many years previously. The property has been under environmental monitoring for a long time due to its history as a former gas station, but a transfer of ownership triggers a much more extensive review process under current DEP regulations, especially because the site carries an existing DEP lien.

These projects involve multiple agencies, engineers, consultants, testing phases, and approvals that all build on one another. As frustrating as the pace can be, we also understand why these reviews and approvals are important before a property like this can reopen under new ownership. While some updates are admittedly less exciting than others, every step gets us closer to the finish line, and we wanted to continue sharing the process openly as things progress.

More than anything, we’re excited for the day Ferns can finally become part of everyday life in Carlisle again. It’s been a long process, but slowly and surely, we’re getting there.

While we wait for Ferns to reopen, our future operators at Turnpike Market have officially opened their patio for the season and have also generously offered to deliver to Carlisle through their app and/or DoorDash. If you’d like a little preview of the kind of fresh food we’re working toward bringing to Ferns, we definitely recommend checking them out!

Thank you again for all of the patience, encouragement, and support along the way. We can’t wait to bring Ferns back to life and finally open the doors.

The DEP Meeting & What We're Dealing With

We met with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in early January, and while the conversation was long and technical, it was also productive and reassuring. Every issue on the table is solvable, but each one must be addressed carefully, in the correct order, and in compliance with current regulations.

Because Ferns is under active DEP review, the property cannot change hands until the required environmental work is completed, as the DEP maintains regulatory authority and holds the associated liens over the site.

Based on DEP inspections, reports, and ongoing oversight, Ferns is dealing with multiple overlapping environmental and infrastructure challenges, including:

• Ground contamination requiring further investigation and remediation
• Water quality issues tied to the well, including:
  • Past coliform and E. coli detections
  • Ongoing PFAS detections in the well above current state guidelines
  • Required upgrades to disinfection systems approved by DEP but never completed by prior operators.
• Well constraints including:
  • A well located within a tightly constrained Zone I protection area that includes the building, parking lot, road, and septic
  • A wellhead configuration that DEP has flagged for potential contamination risk and requires modification or replacement
• Septic limitations, which remain the single biggest hurdle:
  • The existing system cannot support expansion
  • The site does not have sufficient space for a traditional enlarged septic system
  • This will require either a specialized chamber system or relocating the septic off-site, both of which require extensive permitting and approvals

All of these issues are documented in formal DEP Sanitary Survey reports and Notices of Noncompliance issued prior to our involvement. Some date back many decades and were never fully resolved.

What Happens Next: Testing → Plan → Permanent Solution

The next major step is comprehensive 2026 testing of the ground, water, and air. This work will be conducted by Cushing, Jammallo & Wheeler, Inc., the Licensed Site Professional (LSP) company who has overseen Ferns for more than 20 years and knows the site’s full history.

We hope to receive the results within the next 30 days. From there we will:

• Work together to formulate a plan to move forward with the transaction
• Work towards a planned “Permanent Solution,” meaning:
  • Full remediation of the ground contamination
  • A long-term, DEP-approved approach for the well, septic, and drinking water
  • Addressing any air-quality concerns tied to historic site use

After receiving sign-off from the appropriate departments, we’ll be able to make informed construction decisions and begin the permitting process, with timelines becoming clearer at that point.

Title & Legal Updates

• Our title search is complete and, while heavily encumbered, we believe the issues are resolvable.
• Because DEP review and title matters cannot move in parallel as quickly as anyone would like, we formally exercised our purchase extension, a provision we intentionally built into the original agreement knowing the complexity of this site

This is a complex but expected part of working through a property with a long history and active regulatory oversight.

How We're Funding This

After a lot of thought, we’ve decided not to pursue public fundraising for the environmental remediation work.

Instead, we’re personally funding the remediation so it can be done once, done right, and without cutting corners.

For the interior renovations needed to bring Ferns back in the way it truly deserves, we’ve had strong interest and early commitments from a small group of like-minded partners who believe in the long-term vision for the space.

Between our own investment and this private support, we’re confident in the path forward and fully committed to seeing Ferns through - safely, compliantly, and in a way that serves the community for decades to come.

And as always, if you’re excited about Ferns and would like to be involved or learn more, we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out.

The Good News, & Why We’re Taking Our Time

There’s a lot to be excited about. Sam and Kinnari Patel from Turnpike Market in Billerica are eager and preparing to operate Ferns as a grocery, market, café, bakery, liquor store, and dining destination, and the response has been incredible. Their recent announcement on Facebook reached over 1,000,000 people, and every conversation we’ve had locally with neighbors, families, and town officials has been positive, supportive, and encouraging.

And again, while the DEP meeting was extremely technical and detailed, it went better than we could have hoped. Every issue on the table is solvable, and we left the meeting feeling confident about the path forward, even if it’s a long one.

We know this process feels slow, and we truly wish it could be done faster. The reality is that Ferns is a property with just about every issue under the sun, and when it’s under DEP review, we’re ultimately subject to regulatory timelines. We’re moving forward carefully by the book, with the goal of fixing these issues once, properly, and for good.

Our focus is on making sure Ferns operates safely, legally, and confidently, not just for opening day, but for decades to come. We truly believe the end result will be worth the wait, and we’re grateful for the patience and support we’ve felt from the community.

Thank you for sticking with us!

Quick FAQs

When will Ferns open?

Our intention is to open in 2026, and that’s very much what we’re gunning for. That said, this project has already proven to be more complex than originally anticipated, so we want to be careful not to over-promise on timing. As things become clearer, we’ll continue to share updates along the way.

How soon can construction begin after site testing is complete?

That depends on a few important gates, including DEP sign-off and approval of the remediation plan. The exact timing is hard to predict, but we’re hopeful this phase will take one to two months once testing is complete.

How long will construction last?

Construction timing will depend on final approvals and the scope of work, but we expect renovations to be phased over the course of the year. Once permitting is in place, we anticipate active construction to take roughly three to five months.

What permits will be required for renovations?

The project will require coordination with multiple local and state departments, including environmental, building, health, and historical approvals. We’re not yet in the permitting phase, but we fully expect to work closely with all of the appropriate boards and agencies to ensure everything is done properly and by the book.

First, thank you, truly, to everyone who took the time to fill out our community survey. We’ve received over 500 responses, and the feedback has been incredible. It’s clear that Ferns still holds a special place in everyone’s hearts, and your input is helping shape what comes next.

What We Heard

• You all miss Ferns deeply! Not just for the coffee and sandwiches, but as a place where you could bump into friends, grab essentials, and feel connected to the community.
• Most of you visited several times a month, and loved picking up coffee, breakfast sandwiches, or quick lunches on the go.
• Nearly everyone wants Ferns to return as a “grab-and-go” market, a café/restaurant with cozy places to sit, and a place to grab a drink. There’s strong interest in fresh food, high-quality coffee, smoothies, breakfast options, sandwiches, healthy lunches like salads and bowls, and great pizza.
• You see Ferns as a community hub: a spot for fresh, local food, family-friendly meals, cyclist pit stops, and neighborly connection.
• There’s strong enthusiasm for special events like summer BBQs, live music nights, and pizza nights, plus excitement about a grand opening celebration.
• Many expressed interest in supporting Ferns’ reopening through memberships, donations, or volunteering, which means a lot to us!

Project Progress

• We’ve engaged one of the top environmental attorneys in the state and connected with senior officials at the Department of Environmental Protection.
• We are meeting with the DEP to finalize a path forward on the remediation plan, an essential step before construction can begin.
• We’re working with Sam and Kinnari Patel from Turnpike Market in Billerica, MA, who will bring their incredible food and expertise to Ferns.
• We’ve consulted with numerous town groups, former owners Larry and Robin Bearfield, and residents across Carlisle, collecting ideas, feedback, and memories that continue to guide our design.
• Architectural renderings are in progress and should be ready to share by the end of the month.

As we work to finalize the environmental details and next steps, we’ll continue to keep the community updated. We’ve been blown away by the interest and excitement surrounding this project. If you’d like to get involved, share an idea, or lend your expertise, we’d love to hear from you.

Why We Can’t Just “Reopen as It Was”

A few people suggested simply reopening Ferns as it used to be, but unfortunately that’s not possible for a few reasons:

• The site is a DEP 21E location, which means that when there’s a transfer of ownership, additional coordination and oversight with the DEP is required.
• The well currently runs dry and will need to be drilled deeper.
• The groundwater is contaminated. Thanks to the previous operators, Ferns has had a strong filtration system in place, but our goal is to go even further and ensure it’s fully cleaned up for the long term.
• We’ll also need to expand the septic system, add bathrooms, and redesign the floor plan to support the fresh, high-quality food we envision.
• We want to do this once and do it right - to create something that lasts.

Halloween!

We’re excited to continue a beloved Carlisle Halloween tradition! The Gleason Library is collecting candy donations to be distributed to the houses in the town center for trick-or-treaters. The town center needs around 200 bags and we’re only about a third of the way there, so if you’re able, please consider dropping some off at the library. Every little bit helps make Halloween in Carlisle magical.

We’ll also be at Ferns Halloween evening passing out candy. Please stop by to say hello, share your ideas, and chat about what’s ahead!

We’re feeling optimistic, energized, and grateful for this community’s support. Thank you for believing in the future of Ferns. We can’t wait to share what’s next!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As many of you know, for over a century, a general store has been the heart of Carlisle’s town center. Whether you knew it as Daisy’s or Ferns, it’s always been a staple here—a daily touchpoint. When Ferns closed its doors this past May, our whole community felt the loss. As neighbors and local residents, we, Ben and Amy Pirri, along with our close friends Mark and Jill Kushinsky, are coming together to bring Ferns back for everyone to enjoy again.

Our Vision for Ferns

This isn’t just about reopening a store—it’s about creating a place that truly serves Carlisle. Our town needs a Ferns that reflects its spirit, provides everyday convenience, and offers a welcoming spot to gather, connect, and enjoy.

Our goals:

• A modern kitchen bringing you great coffee, breakfast, smoothies, acai bowls, sandwiches, pizzas, and family-friendly meals.
• A true general store, stocked with essentials like milk, butter, eggs, bread (and candy!) so you don’t have to leave town for the basics.
• Fresh, locally grown produce supporting our area farmers and artisans.
• A responsibly run beer and wine store.
• Expanded patios and seating areas designed to be a true gathering place for families, neighbors, and cyclists.

We’re excited to be in conversations with Sam and Kinnari Patel of Turnpike Market in Billerica, who revitalized their own century-old store into a thriving hub of fresh food and community connection. Their ability to modernize while honoring tradition is exactly the kind of expertise we envision for Ferns.

To further bring this vision to life, we’ve also engaged Sousa Design Architects, a design firm known for both their talent and their extensive experience in hospitality and community spaces. They’ll create a setting that will honor Ferns country charm while blending modern comfort with historic character.

What We Found in Our Review — and Why We Can’t Just Reopen Tomorrow

Like you, we would love nothing more than to reopen Ferns doors tomorrow. But doing this right means being honest about what we’ve learned in our careful review of the property. That process revealed several challenges—realities we’ll need to address before Ferns can come back:

• Environmental remediation and site cleanup: The site’s past as a gas station left contamination in the ground. Permanent cleanup is required before safe, sustainable operations can resume.
• Enhanced patios and a parking reorganization are needed.
• Water and well: The existing well cannot safely support food service. A new well and upgraded water system are needed to meet modern health standards.
• Septic, plumbing, electrical, HVAC: Every major system must be replaced to safely handle daily use and keep Ferns reliable for decades to come.
• Kitchen rebuild: The current kitchen setup cannot prepare real food—it’s limited to the most basic offerings. To serve Carlisle properly, the kitchen must be relocated and rebuilt with proper ventilation, equipment, and workflow.

The Culkins family cared for Ferns with love for decades. Simply, the building itself now needs a fresh start. By investing in these updates, we can ensure that Ferns is safe, sustainable, and ready to serve Carlisle well into the future.

Learning from Carlisle’s Playground Project

When our old town playground fell into disrepair, it could have been lost. Instead, Carlisle rallied, raising the funds and rolling up our sleeves to build something extraordinary—not just a playground, but a space that reflects the heart of this community. Ferns now finds itself at a similar crossroads.

The Challenge and Our Commitment

To protect Ferns from being sold to a franchise or outside chain, we are purchasing the property with our own funds. Barbara Culkins will also continue living above Ferns rent-free.

The work ahead is significant. On top of the purchase price, renovations and remediation are expected to exceed $1.4 million. This is far beyond what a small-town general store could ever generate through sales alone, and more than we can fund personally.

Your Ideas, Your Ferns

We believe Ferns can and should move forward—but what it becomes must be shaped by Carlisle. We want to hear your ideas: What should Ferns offer? What would make it most meaningful for you and your family? Some of you may share input on what Ferns should become. Others may pledge to shop here when it reopens. And some may choose to help bridge the renovation/remediation gap with financial support. Every form of participation helps.

While we don’t yet know the exact needs or the specific ways residents can help, we do know this: by listening first, we’ll shape a clear plan together for how the community can bring Ferns back.

Keeping Traditions Alive

This fall, Ferns will once again be part of Carlisle’s Halloween tradition. We’ll decorate, hand out candy, and be there to meet you, hear your thoughts, and answer questions. In the meantime, please take our survey to help shape Ferns future.

Thank you for caring about our town and its heart. Together, we can ensure Ferns doesn’t just reopen, it thrives as a place that strengthens our community, enhances our town center, and creates something we’ll all be proud of for generations.

Sincerely,
Ben and Amy Pirri
Mark and Jill Kushinsky