HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic comment from P Jones in opposition8/8/2026
Dear Ms. Brigham,
I received the notice for the zoning appeal No. 2026-016
I am an abutter and I request that the appeal be denied for the following reasons:
FIRST: Little River Road is a small side street located between Old Post Rd. and Putnam
Ave. It is narrow, with no painted line down the middle. If a line were to be painted, it
would be clear that the lanes are not wide enough for 2 cars to safely pass at 30mph (the
posted speed limit). Unfortunately Little River Road serves as a popular cut thru between
Old Post Rd and Putnam Ave. Even school buses use this street as a cut through. The
volume of traffic and the speed at which cars travel has become a safety issue, and an
annoyance, especially given the quantity of people that walk on Little River Road, often
with their dogs.
Reviewing the homes on this stretch of Little River, 7 of the 16 single family homes have
structures which could conceivably be modified and permitted as ADUs. If several owners
were to follow the lead of #205, the residential occupancy could be substantially increased
by as much as 44%. An increase in this residency volume would obviously carry adverse
traffic impact. The current traffic volume has already significantly impacted quality of life
on this side street.
SECOND: Increasing the number of occupants on the street will increase the local septic
loading. Isn’t there a nitrogen loading concern?
THIRD:. ADU usage restrictions that can be found on-line for Barnstable have conflicts in
terms of owner occupancy of the ADU and the primary residence, resident count, rental
duration, and enforcement. As abutters, I am concerned about not only traffic density, but
also transient noise, parking and property care.
For the above reasons, I oppose the permitting of an oversize ADU, not just for its size, but
because of the potential neighborhood impacts on traffic and noise as well as the
increased environmental impact.
Respectfully,
Philip Jones
218 Little River Rd