HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Comment from J Dugas in objectionApril 14, 2025
Town of Barnstable Zoning Board of Appeals
Town of Barnstable
Hyannis, MA. 02601
Re: Appeal Number 2025-010 1185 Falmouth Road LLC et al
Special Permit: The Buttercup Café
3224 Main Street
Barnstable, MA. 02630
Assessors Map 299 parcel 029
Dear Zoning Board of Appeal Members:
Please consider this correspondence and enter it into the formal meeting record on Wednesday April 23, 2025
when you take up the above matter. The applicant is seeking relief from the parking requirements to convert 2
existing parking spaces into an outdoor patio for the restaurant. I can understand that the need for this relief
during the COVID pandemic as it may have been necessary for this business at the time to stay open. However, the
COVID pandemic has now passed.
I would like to express my objection to the issuance of the Special permit that is being sought. First, the parking
situation for the Post Office, General Store and the Buttercup Café is already extremely congested and dangerous.
Everyday there are difficulties with parking that cause this particular plaza to pose a hazard to pedestrians, drivers,
and patrons. There are only 14 parking spaces when the required parking under the ordinance is 35 spaces for a
building/complex of its size.
Secondly, placing tables where patrons eat outside in that parking lot would be an accident just waiting to happen.
There is nothing to shield the patrons from a car, or driver having a medical or mechanical problem and plowing
right into the patrons. Everyday we are seeing more and more of these types of accidents happening. The
approval of such a known danger would be short sighted and negligent.
In addition, the application states that there are 14 existing parking spaces on the property (which is well under the
35 spaces required) and 413 parking spaces located within 300 feet of the property. While that may sound like
those 413 spaces at the County Complex would be utilized by patrons, in reality it would be difficult to enforce and
get patrons to park in the off-sight location. Who is going to monitor the parking to ensure that patrons do not
park in the Post-Office parking spaces but instead drive to an off-sight location? We have many elderly, and
disabled people that need to have equal access to their Post-Office daily. Anyone who lives in the village knows the
difficulty and fights that occur for the parking spaces that are around those businesses which include Barnstable
Market and Nirvana. It would be short sighted to think that those 413 parking spaces 300 feet away would be
utilized when people tend to want to park near or at the business they are patronizing.
It is my hope that for these reasons and any other negative effects this permit may cause, that the Board of Appeals
will exercise common sense, stand for safety and deny the Special permit being sought.
Sincerely,
Joseph F. Dugas
30 Sunset Lane
Barnstable, MA. 02630