HomeMy WebLinkAboutOSRP Staff Comments (Sections 3 & 4)Draft Open Space & Recreation Plan
Initial Comments
03 Community Setting
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Replace “Barnstable Municipal Airport” with “Cape Cod Gateway Airport”
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Replace “Hyannis Intermodal Transportation Center” with “Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority”
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Barnstable is made up of seven villages: Barnstable, West Barnstable, Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, and Osterville.
Each of these villages has distinct needs for preservation and growth management.
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The Town is also part of Cape Cod’s regional trail and recreation network. The Cape Cod Rail Trail, Cape Cod Pathways, and other
long-distance trail initiatives link Barnstable with neighboring communities. The Cape Cod Pathways and the Cape Cod Rail Trail
(CCRT) which is currently under construction link Barnstable with neighboring communities.
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Barnstable has a population density of 821.5 people per square mile, with development patterns that vary between dense village
centers, suburban neighborhoods, and rural coastal areas. and compact development in areas supported by infrastructure
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In and around Hyannis, higher concentrations of multi-family and renter-occupied housing – approximately 25% of all units in Town
– create reliance on public parks …
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Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
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In Barnstable, 12 of the 38 block groups (31.6%) meet EJ criteria, with nearly one-third of residents (32.4%) living in these EJ
neighborhoods.
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Bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including the Cape Cod Rail Trail extension currently under construction, and locally managed trail
networks, already provide key connections but remain fragmented.
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Continued population growth, combined with Rising demand for housing and economic activity, will place additional strain on water
resources, open space and recreation lands.
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In response, the town’s long-term planning emphasizes strategically guiding growth toward appropriate locations, areas with existing
infrastructure and services, such as village centers, while protecting resource-sensitive lands through conservation zoning, overlay
districts, and strategic land acquisition.
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A central strategy is to promote compact, mixed-use infill development that complements Barnstable’s historic village fabric and
community character encourage growth in areas in town with adequate infrastructure and discourage development in
environmentally sensitive areas. Concentrating growth in village centers and designated activity nodes reduces pressure on rural and
environmentally sensitive areas while enhancing walkability, transit access, and proximity to open space . This development strategy
is further defined in the Town’s recently adopted Local Comprehensive Plan.
04 Environmental Inventory & Analysis
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Together, these natural and built characteristics form the foundation for protecting open space and guiding sustainable land use in the
face of development pressures and climate change. (Add period)
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These soils have high seasonal water tables and are unsuitable for septic systems, making them more vulnerable to flooding, nutrient
loading, and habitat disturbance and unsuitable for septic systems.
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Street and park trees are important to Barnstable’s village character and quality of life.
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In Hyannis and other developed areas, efforts are underway to maintain and expand canopy cover, consistent with the Department of
Conservation and Recreation’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, to enhance livability and resilience against climate change.
In 2023 the Town received a grant through the State’s Greening the Gateway Cities Grant program to increase tree canopy by
planting 1,300 trees within Environmental Justice neighborhoods predominately located in Hyannis. All properties within the
defined Planting Zone are eligible for free trees. At time of writing, more than 600 trees have been planted.
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Table 4-1: Plant Species of Conservation Concern (Continued)
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Work with BSC Group to add further language to define BioMap and the various categories.
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Birds are especially abundant, with coastal shorebirds such as piping plover and least tern nesting along sandy beaches, while and
osprey which have returned in greater numbers due to conservation efforts.
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The town contains two local historic districts and multiple National Register properties and local historic districts, particularly along
Route 6A and in the seven historic villages, each with unique architecture and landscapes.
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Subscript 10 needs formatting adjustment