HomeMy WebLinkAboutBarnstable_Conservation_View_Corridor_Statement_Monteforte_RevisedStatement to Barnstable Conservation Commission
Regarding 789 South Main Street – Preservation of Established Scenic View
Corridor
Submitted by James & Livia Monteforte, residents at 782 South Main Street, Centerville, MA.
We are writing regarding the property across the street at 789 South Main Street, which is before the
Commission for redevelopment. We respectfully request that the Commission consider conditioning this
project to preserve the existing and historic scenic view corridor to Nantucket Sound, which has existed
through this alignment since the early 1900s.
The property at 789 South Main Street lies within the Craigville Beach District (CBD/DCPC), specifically the
Centerville River North Bank (CRNB) Neighborhood Overlay, and its associated beach parcel is within the
Long/Short Beach (LBSB) Neighborhood Overlay. Both overlays contain clear language requiring the
protection of scenic views and ways to the water:
• Section 240-131.7(D): “Development shall protect and preserve scenic views and vistas and ways to the
water.”
• Section 240-131.7(F): “A minimum 20-foot-wide view corridor shall be maintained free of view-obstructing
buildings, structures, site improvements, or landscaping; only low-growing plantings are permitted.”
• Section 240-131.7(G): “Tree removal or vista pruning shall not interrupt the treeline as viewed from the
south looking northward to the treeline.”
As shown in the attached photos, the open view corridor between the existing house and garage at 789
South Main provides a direct sightline to Nantucket Sound from both the first and second floors of our home,
as well as from the public sidewalk. The proposed project and new tall-tree plantings would completely block
this corridor, eliminating a scenic vista protected under these regulations.
We respectfully request that the Commission condition the approval to:
1. Preserve the existing 20-foot view corridor through this alignment, free of any vegetation or structures over
5 feet in mature height.
2. Require that any replacement plantings in the frontage use only low-growing, salt-tolerant native species
consistent with the CRNB and LBSB overlays.
3. Review and approve the final landscape plan to ensure compliance with these overlay performance
standards.
We appreciate the Commission’s consideration in protecting this scenic coastal vista, which is integral to the
character of this historic Centerville corridor.
Exhibit A – Existing First-Floor View Corridor (782 South Main Street)
Exhibit B – Exterior Frontage of 782 South Main Street
Exhibit C – Second-Floor View Corridor (Center Window)
Exhibit D – Second-Floor View Corridor (Right Window)
Exhibit E – Ocean Vista Through Existing Alignment
Exhibit F – Public Sidewalk View Corridor Along South Main Street
Prepared and submitted by:
James & Livia Monteforte
782 South Main Street
Centerville, MA 02632
Date: November 4, 2025