HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Comment-John Richmond1
Maldonado, Kaitlyn
From:Pedicini, Kyle
Sent:Thursday, November 20, 2025 4:38 PM
To:Maldonado, Kaitlyn
Subject:FW: Public Comment
FYI
Kyle Pedicini
Assistant Director l Planning & Development
Town of Barnstable l 367 Main Street l Hyannis, MA 02601
Kyle.Pedicini@town.barnstable.ma.us
C 774-487-1246
From: John Richmond <jcrichmond51@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2025 4:30 PM
To: Pedicini, Kyle <Kyle.Pedicini@town.barnstable.ma.us>
Subject: Public Comment
I believe my first comment should pertain to Goal 1.1 As outlined it is great. However it should be noted
that under the Housing Initiative, the Planning Board is committed to finding, "underutilized and vacant
properties suitable for housing." Those are the same criteria that should be applied to the search for
open space and parks. We cannot have both.
About parks: Because Hyannis will have a corridor of apartments stretching from the airport rotary to the
West End rotary, green space of any size in Hyannis is now precious, and it will only become more so.
Open Space needs to be considered in an urban context and not in sweeping expanses like old cranberry
bogs.
32 Pleasant Hill Lane is, I believe, the largest green space left in Hyannis. It should have been either
taken by the Town or made available to The Barnstable Land Trust. Instead, it was rezoned to
Commercial space and is now the proposed site for a large and ugly apartment building.
702 Main Street is currently vacant and for sale. It would make a good park for the people expected to live
in the HAC condos at 268 Stevens Street. Parcels like this need to be targeted for open space as well as
for more apartments.
On an immediately feasible level is the Town owned land between the BHA apartments on Old Colony
Way and Pleasant Street. It is currently barren. Grass, a few trees and a couple of benches would
enhance the lives of those who overlook it.
GROUNDWATER PROTECTION
It is particularly distressing that the groundwater protection Map Overlay shows the
Groundwater Protection Zone takes a sharp turn to avoid the area around 268 Stevens Street. That is the
locus of a water system that is larger and less understood than previously thought. It extends up to the
pond behind the Youth Center and contains a plume of PFAS from the Treatment Plant.
I realize that you do not set the rules, but the need should be pointed out.
Thank you for your time and all the hard work that went into the Open Space Plan