The Steamship Authority has finally come up with a design for the new Woods Hole terminal that appears to satisfy most of its critics, and that’s good news.

Less good news is that the several redesigns and change orders will cost the boat line more than $3 million more, an amount that might have been smaller had the authority started listening to its constituencies a bit earlier in the process.

The new design is now one story instead of two, addressing neighbors’ concerns that the building would block views of the waterfront, and includes solar panels, which could provide up to fifty per cent of the terminal’s energy needs over the long haul.

After approving the new design this week, the SSA’s board of governors also approved a new mission statement pledging its commitment to “sustainability, accessibility, our port communities, and public engagement.”

Perhaps a lesson has been learned.