HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Comment from Duran in SupportDate: June 4, 2026
Subject: Public Comment Submission: 460 West Main Street Shelter Appeal (Hearing
Date: June 10, 2026)
Chairman Dewey and Members of the Board
Zoning Board of Appeals
Town of Barnstable
367 Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Attn: Anna Brigham, Principal Planner
To the Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals,
I know this board cannot rule based on emotion or personal preference but must instead
follow rigorous statutory criteria. However, when dealing with affordable housing and
emergency shelters, you have the fiexibility—and allow me to say, the civic duty—to use
existing special regulations in favor of the underprivileged, under the principle that when
they win, our entire society wins.
For that reason, what must remain at the center of the discussion is how well we all
respond to and understand the concepts of human dignity, compassion, and charity under
the mandates of the law.
The people being served at the shelter should not be simply called homeless, but rather
marginalized, because homelessness is only one of their struggles, and social rejection is
often the cruelest.
Opponents claim the shelter is too close to vulnerable areas, roughly a football fleld away
from Hyannis West Elementary. Yet, this town routinely permits commercial operations like
breweries and liquor stores closer to schools—uses that proflt off substance distribution
and have zero control over customers once they leave. Targeting a highly supervised, 24/7
non-proflt facility while permitting unmonitored commercial alcohol sales is classic “Not In
My Backyard” type of argumentation. For the sake of brevity, I will not reiterate the speciflc
operational metrics or data already provided by the shelter’s operators. They clearly defeat
the opponents' claims as inaccurate or speculative. Their objections are, therefore, not
reasons to deny a permit; at most, some of them are reasons to request that the shelter's
operational management remains sound, which the Dover Amendment allows you to
regulate reasonably, but not prohibit.
I understand that the shelter's operators are already working in that direction. By utilizing
this new additional space for life skills, job training, and daily rehabilitation programming,
they will substantially reduce daytime loitering while providing life-saving help.
I am a Barnstable resident, and I am connected to West Main Street since I live nearby and
shop there frequently, especially at the flsh market and Hyannis Country Garden. I also go
there for groceries and breakfast. As a customer, I ask those businesses on West Main
Street to partner with the shelter rather than flght it. A well-managed facility is a triumph for
all of us. Supporting our community’s recovery will build immense local loyalty. Conversely,
a public campaign based on rejecting and marginalizing vulnerable people will alienate
local shoppers like me. In a competitive market, we have plenty of other options, and we
prefer to spend our money where our values are refiected.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Bernardo Duran de la Torre
94 Settlers ln, Hyannis, MA