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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-27-2025 Planning Board Draft Mins (2) 1 Board Members Stephen Robichaud – Chair Tim O’Neill - Vice Chair Matthew Teague, Clerk Mary Barry Michael Mecenas Raymond Sexton Paula Schnepp – Town Council Liaison Planning & Development Dept. Staff Support James Kupfer, AICP, Director Kyle Pedicini, Assistant Director - kyle.pedicini@town.barnstable.ma.us Karen Pina – Principal Assistant - karen.pina@town.barnstable.ma.us Town of Barnstable PLANNING BOARD Minutes October 27, 2025 Stephen Robichaud – Chairman Present Tim O’Neill – Vice Chair Present Matthew Teague - Clerk Present Mary Barry Present Michael Mecenas Present Raymond Sexton Present Also in attendance were Planning & Development Staff; James Kupfer, Director, Kyle Pedicini, Assistant Director, and Karen Pina, Principal Assistant Application materials may be accessed through the Planning Board website at: https://www.townofbarnstable.us/boardscommittees/PlanningBoard/default.asp?brd=Planning+Board&brdid=19&y ear=2023 or by contacting Karen.pina@town.barnstable.ma.us or calling 508-862-4064. Notice of Recording The meeting will be televised live via Xfinity Channel 8 or high definition Channel 1072. It may also be accessed via the Government Access Channel live stream on the Town of Barnstable’s website: https://barnstable.cablecast.tv/internetchannel/watch-now The Chair must inquire whether anyone else is taping this meeting and to please make their presence known . Call to Order Introduction of Board Members and Staff General Public Comment Chair Stephen Robichaud asks for any public comment Eric Schwaab in attendance. Growth Incentive Zone (GIZ) has some zoning issues. Reads from phone, comments from Sheila Lyons. Water is a concern. Destroying tourism. Roberta Mauch, Greenwood Ave. Concerns with wetlands. West End area is critically endangered. Does not like the encroachments that town and developer are doing. Residents are important to listen to. Restore Herring Run. Jeff Daluz in attendance. Pleasant Hill Lane concerns. Pumping station concerns. At southern end of north to south flow. Hook’s Creek to Betty’s Pond. Pump is at base of where water meets. Water flows downhill. Dry, no water there now, where he lives. Haven’t seen any sewer proposals. A lot of water taken out of the aquifer. Void under the land. A building cannot go there. Town of Barnstable www.town.barnstable.ma.us/PlanningBoard 2 John Kennedy, Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) Administrator in attendance Explains what CCRTA does. Transit challenges in the area. Downtown area – can provide the mobility. Starting in January is entirely free, fixed route service. Also provide DART system, will go to the door for pick ups. Flat $3 and $1.50 for seniors and disabled. Smart Dart system, $3, flat fee, greater Hyannis area. Barnstable, Yarmouth and Dennis. Can do through your phone. Boston hospital buses and trollies as well. Anywhere, can get the services. Would like to partner with community. Transit is a driver of the economy. Has worked with staff recently. Can look at additional ways. Mary Barry, didn’t realize the Boston transport, round trip is $30. Confirms the fee and service. John Kennedy, we also do 12 different medical centers in Boston. Coordinate with others. Have worked with towns to make sure hitting the appropriate spots. Bob Schulte in attendance. Ad Hoc Committee President. Recommendations that were considered over a 9 month period. Many hours reviewing the town code. Met with many. Downtown Hyannis Zoning. Since 2023, new long term populations. Cape Cod Times regarding population on Cape Cod. DEIR report. Barnstable population is expected to decline. State data. Inclusionary housing percentage. Recommend Town Council (TC) items as proposed. Chair Stephen Robichaud notes all correspondence that was received for comment. William Headley Smith in attendance. What is the 75 year plan? How will this look? How can proceed if we don’t know what we want it to look like. Treated like a city. Make a moratorium that works for all. Ray Sexton – Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP), is an attempt by the citizens that has crafted what it is supposed to look like here. This is done and is in place. Recommend take a look at that. Zoning Amendments – (moved out of order when heard) TC Item No. 2026-003 - Proposal to Amend the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III District Regulations, Section 240-24.1.5 Standards for all Districts to Modify the Required Parking for Residential or Artist Live/Work and Establish a Parking Space Dimensional Standard – continued from September 22, 2025 Public hearing is open for TC Item No. 2026-003. Bob Schulte. CCRTA does not go to Sandwich, not a practical source for a daily basis. Good resource. John Kennedy replies. These are 30 minute windows, traffic pattern. Pick up window can vary, the appointment time is what we focus on. 96% on time performance for drop offs. Jim Kupfer, reads 2a accessory parking, table 1 to table 2. Accessible spaces are in addition to. Dimensional requirements a min of 9 x 18 ft. Review of both tables. Refers to Staff Report – typical parking spaces. 20 ft. standard aisle width. ADA review. Chair Stephen Robichaud asks for any public comment. Roberta Mauch in attendance. Unhappy with what is going on in Hyannis. Chair Stephen Robichaud closes public hearing, seconded by Matt Teague, 3 Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry - aye Ray Sexton - aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud - aye Chair Stephen Robichaud reviews parking space and how many per unit would be needed. 1.25, thinks a good number. Michael Mecenas, thinks should have 2 per unit. Mary Barry, yes, thinks the same. CCRTA info was helpful, but not enough. Most coupled people are both working and have two vehicles. Chair Stephen Robichaud, a higher parking requirement takes up any area for housing. Ray Sexton, density, but also vacant lots is a concern. Important to balance both. Lean toward 1.25 Matt Teague, thinks 2 spaces is better. Favor as written. Tim O’Neill, thinks 2 spaces is reasonable, but parking hard to find one size fits all. Studio and others. Market rate 2 spaces seems reasonable. A way to amend possibly. Different circumstances. Discussion regarding how many spaces. Spaces per unit. Dimensional standards. ADA compliance. Jim Kupfer, dimensional standards, potentially if more spaces and/or bigger would not be able to fit as many uses. Chair Stephen Robichaud moves to recommend TC Item No. 2026-003 to Town Council as written, for 1.5 parking spaces, as written, seconded by Ray Sexton, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas – aye Mary Barry – nay Ray Sexton - aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud - aye TC Item No. 2026-005 – Proposal to Amend the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, chapter 240 Zoning, Article III District Regulations to Modify Building Height Requirements in the Downtown Main Street District and Downton Village District – continued from September 22, 2025 Town Councilor Charles Bloom thanks the Planning Board for the compromise. Jim Kupfer, pg. 2 of Staff Report, building height definitions. Review of definitions of height. Downtown Main Street up to 4 stories. Ceiling heights. Pitch roofs. This is for a reduction to 3 to 3.5. Chair Stephen Robichaud clarifies what is in place currently. Proposal is to build a 3.5 story building, would have to be stepped back. Net change? Jim Kupfer, really half a story. 4 Tim O’Neill, half story definitions are difficult to define and regulate. Form based code already has. Definition of a half story. Reads in the definition. Pitched roof. Need to get the actual definitions. Chair Stephen Robichaud, the step back floor visually. Discussion regarding heights with step back and what is actually considered. Matt Teague, definition under a sloped roof. Are the concerns ridge height? Let’s set a ridge height. This would be an industrial look and doesn’t change the canyon effect. Grade plane. Zoning by laws need to be written in a way that is clear. Need to get a straight number. Chair Stephen Robichaud, possibly a graph. Matt Teague, aesthetics as well is critiqued by Hyannis Main Street Waterfront District Commission (HHDC) for the look. Average grade plane. Chair Stephen Robichaud opens up Public Comment Bob Schulte in attendance. 4 stories, less than 13% are 4 story buildings. Concerns about the overall height. Mary Barry, some buildings look better than others. Motion made by Matt Teague to continue TC Item No. 2026-005 to November 24, 2025, seconded by Ray Sexton, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry - aye Ray Sexton - aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud - aye TC Item No. 2026-006 – Proposal to Amend the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 240 Zoning to Repeal the Downtown Village District and Amend the Zoning Map to Replace the Downtown Village District with Downtown Neighborhood Zoning District – continued from September 22, 2025 Jim Kupfer explains Downtown Main Street area – Downtown Village (DV) to Downtown neighborhood. (DN). Review of setbacks, heights and set backs. How many units. Expansion area. East End area. Map shown. Discussion regarding extending and restrictions. From DV to DN. Jim Kupfer, in DN reviews what are allowed uses. Max of up to 3 stories. Chair Stephen Robichaud, DV has similar zoning to Downtown Medical (DMS)? Jim Kupfer, yes. Public comment Bob Schulte in attendance. Extends commercial into residential. Transition to the neighborhoods to keep fully residential. 5 Larry Morin in attendance. New definitions and descriptions. Motion made by Matt Teague to close public hearing, seconded by Ray Sexton, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry - aye Ray Sexton - aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud – aye Chair Stephen Robichaud, DV is appropriate but maybe adjust the density. Doesn’t like eliminating DV. North Street, Stevens Street, doesn’t have a neighborhood feel. Maybe find something in the middle, zoning only slightly different. Maybe increase set backs, lot coverage. Parking spaces. Mary Barry, Ad Hoc trying to simplify. Good to have a more graduated requirement outside of the village district. Ray Sexton, clarifies as proposed. Possibly alter? Chair Stephen Robichaud, maybe continue and call a DV with a little bit more setbacks? Matt Teague, North St. – Downtown Village concept would have incentive and create some housing. Gotta do some transition. Wish could incentivize something better. Probably will stay what it is. Tim O’Neill – need a different way. If primary concern is height, lot lines the better way would be to take DV and insert what we like from DN. Impervious/lot coverage. Jim Kupfer clarifies TC brought, Craig Tamash as is written now. TC looking for Planning Board (PB) guidance. Can make a recommendation that this is not the right vehicle. Staff looking at what could be a logical next step. TC doesn’t have to abide by any PB amendments - PB is advisory. If denied at TC, yes it would have to go through waiting period. It could also be withdrawn. Ray Sexton, incorporate into DV – maybe continue? Bob Schulte – glad being discussed at length. Can review with Staff. Motion made by Stephen Robichaud, seconded by Tim O’Neill to continue TC Item No. 2026-006 to November 24, 2025, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry - aye Ray Sexton – aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud - aye TC Item No. 2026-007 – Proposal to Amend the Code of the town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 240 Zoning to Amend the Area in the Downtown Main Street District Where Ground Floor Commercial Space is Required – continued from September 22, 2025 6 Jim Kupfer. Original zoning required on Main Street between Ocean and Sea Streets, this is to extend this to extend to Pleasant Street, required commercial. Chair Stephen Robichaud, map is two block span. With caveat that special permit (SP) process will be in place where can seek relief. Eric Schwaab, SP provision in this case defeats the purpose. This recommendation is to undo some negotiations. Request to not allow the SP amendment in this case. Tim O’Neill, this Board is the Special Permit Granting Authority (SPGA). As it relates to any existing project that is now in place. Jim Kupfer, the property in question was applied for a preliminary subdivision and then a definitive subdivision. They have rights frozen for 8 years per subdivision rules. This does not affect this. Bob Schulte, confirms current zoning, would this be for these two blocks. Jim, there is no SP relief as of now. Ken Alston in attendance. Exceptions can become a habit. Give it a chance to work without exceptions. Consistency is important. William H. Smith, directs to Jim Kupfer, 307 Main Street exception? Jim Kupfer, no exceptions. William Smith, expand that block to Sea Street. Jim Kupfer, if applicant come in between Ocean to Pleasant and apply and not have commercial on first floor and wanted one added in they would apply and have a public hearing, and request for whatever use. William Smith, confirms retail is allowed right now. There is no plan for 75 years and aesthetics. Not just buildings being put in. Would like a response. Roberta Mauch, what is the hurry, you won’t change how you feel about this? Making it more complicated. Don’t give all away to the developers. doesn’t understand the repercussions. Mary Barry, we are here to listen. Jim Kupfer, explains; - she does not understand the commercial space and the use. This is to mandate commercial on first floor from Pleasant Street to Sea Street. This would require commercial on that first floor. From Ocean Street to Pleasant Street. Chair Stephen Robichaud, PB makes advisory recommendations and goes to TC who makes the final decision. This recommendation came from the Ad Hoc Committee. Like the idea of having SP open, sometimes someone may want to do a specific housing or something that makes sense for the Town. Ray Sexton, is it feasible for SP process to apply for entire area or just two blocks? Chair Stephen Robichaud, it can go either way. Areas are different. 7 Tim O’Neill, i.e., had something in front of PB, SP application came in for a form based project, duplexes. That was good and for smaller residential. Chair Stephen Robichaud, points out the different areas on Main Street. He’s ok with SP addition. Eric Schwabb, Bradford’s Hardware is now a transitionary area? SP conditions clarification. This is the heart of the Main Street. Heather Swenson, when people come to a seaside community, regardless of what end of Main Street, is made to be our tourism. They don’t come to look at apartment buildings. Makes sense to keep first floor businesses. Motion made by Ray Sexton to close the public hearing, seconded by Matt Teague, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas – aye Mary Barry - aye Ray Sexton - aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud - aye Mary Barry confirms currently you cannot have SP? Jim Kupfer, correct. Not mandated. Mary Barry, the original area you cannot event with a SP. Extend it two more blocks. She would vote for that. Ray Sexton, why is it not a bad idea for the extended area to have SP process in place for the length of Main Street? The whole district should have the same. SP to cover the entire district. The Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP) is a strategic document. Serves to guide TC in what should be appropriated for what and when. Describes how all comes together, this is 10 years out, not 75, but 10 to see what the future would look like. Matt Teague, resilience – stretch engine code. Commercial, downstairs can do whatever. This seems to be a bit of a challenge. Exempt commercial space. Likes the SP for residential use only. How many would we be forgoing for these spaces? Like first floor commercial. Highest trip generators are commercial spaces. Tim O’Neill – makes a lot of sense. SP provision is good. Jim Kupfer, there are four zoning articles tonight. Point out if recommending article or if not recommending. Important how you phrase it. Two year waiting period to come back to TC. Motion made by Mary Barry to move to recommend TC Item No. 2026-007 to Town Council, as written, seconded by Matt Teague, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry - aye Ray Sexton - nay Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - nay Stephen Robichaud – nay Motion does not pass 8 Motion made by Ray Sexton to recommend TC Item No. 2026-007 to Town Council, with the caveat that a Special Permit process be included for the length of Main Street, and to come to Planning Board for over residential as written for Sea Street to Pleasant Street, seconded Stephen Robichaud, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry - nay Matt Teague - nay Ray Sexton - aye Tim O’Neill - nay Stephen Robichaud – nay Motion does not pass Motion made by Tim O’Neill to recommend TC Item No. 2026-007 to Town Council, amended with special permit provision for use on ground floor from Ocean Street to Pleasant Street, seconded by Ray Sexton, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry – nay Matt Teague - aye Ray Sexton - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robicaud - aye Motion passes General Correspondence Chapter 91 Notice 307 Millway Rd., Blish Point Ramp and Channel Dredging – Barnstable Harbor Staff Updates Jim Kupfer, update multi family - on line and report. Kyle Pedicini, Opens Space Committee – draft for public Nov. 19th. Posted on web site too. Will come to Planning Board to get a vote of recommendation and approval. Jim Kupfer, business cards? Were going to do for board members, but maybe not have cell and or emails on business card? Please let us know what would like. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair Approval of Minutes September 22, 2025, Draft Minutes Chair Stephen Robichaud entertains a motion to approve draft minutes of September 22, 2025, moved by Mary Barry, seconded by Michael Mecenas, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry - aye Ray Sexton - aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud - aye Future Meetings: November 10, 2025, and November 24, 2025, @ 7:00 p.m. Adjournment 9 Chair Stephen Robichaud makes a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mary Barry, Roll Call Vote: Michael Mecenas - aye Mary Barry – aye Ray Sexton - aye Matt Teague - aye Tim O’Neill - aye Stephen Robichaud - aye The meeting adjourned at 9:47 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Karen Pina, Principal Assistant, Planning & Development Further detail may be obtained by viewing the video via Channel 18 on demand at http://www.town.barnstable.ma.us