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Home My WebLink About08-22-2024 Draft Minutes LCPC 1 Local Comprehensive Planning Committee Minutes Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 5:30 PM Call to Order Chair Wendy Northcross calls the meeting to order at 5:32 PM. Member Present Absent Wendy Northcross – Chair X Cheryl Powell X Mark Hansen X Amanda Converse X Sue Rohrbach X Meaghan Mort X Alyssa Chase X Asia Graves X Fran Parks X Katia DaCunha X Lindsey Counsell X Jennifer Williams X Bob Twiss X Avery Revere X Also in attendance is Planning & Development Staff Jim Kupfer, Director; Kate Maldonado, Senior Planner; and Genna Ziino, Administrative Assistant. 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: http://streaming85.townofbarnstable.us/CablecastPublicSite/watch/1?channel=1 In accordance with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A Section 20, the Committee must inquire whether anyone is taping this meeting and to please make their presence known. Approval of Minutes July 25, 2024 – Cheryl Powell makes a motion to approve the minutes. Lindsey Counsell seconds. Vote: Aye: Cheryl Powell, Sue Rohrbach, Asia Graves, Katia DaCunha, Lindsey Counsell, Jennifer Williams, Bob Twiss, Avery Revere Nay: None Abstain: Wendy Northcross, Amanda Converse Public Comment John Crow, Town Councilor for Precinct 5 believes it’s important to have a Zoom option for these meetings. He asks the Committee to take the subject of tonight’s meeting back to their villages and ask what changes the public wants to see and where and how. He says less than half of 1% of residents took part in the village meetings, and there was not a public comment opportunity at those meetings. He believes a better job needs to be done educating the public about what is being proposed, and then listening and incorporating the public will in the LCP. Bob Schulte, Centerville resident and Chair of the ad-hoc Committee to Review and Assess Zoning and Review the Town’s Use of Regulatory Agreements addresses the Committee. He explains that he sees an overlap with regards to this Committee’s review of 2 zoning and the Committee to Review and Assess Zoning and Review the Towns Use of Regulatory Agreements’ and Committee to Assess and Recommend Strategies for Housing Creation Within the Town’s reviews of zoning. He feels it’s important that they not work in silos. He has asked the Planning & Development Department to coordinate a joint meeting. There is public interest in the town’s future land use maps and he asks the Committee to consider rolling out discussions with individual villages through meetings that include public comment opportunities. Topics for Discussion  Mapping exercise to update the Town’s Future Land Use Map Jim Kupfer walks through the agenda for this portion of the meeting. He explains that this is year two of this process; year one was dedicated to developing out existing conditions by going to residents. From there, land use goals and strategies were developed to help the Committee in their deliberations as they look at the current land use map and consider what the future may hold, which is the primary focus of tonight’s meeting. He explains that the current land use map is built off the 2010 land use map, with some updates. Barnstable, while diverse, has a refined land use strategy that’s split into a growth incentive zone in downtown Hyannis, commercial and industrial districts and commercial corridors, and 2-acre single-family zoning. It’s a planning dynamic of growth incentives in some areas, and the protection of resources in others. Hopefully at the end of tonight and subsequent meetings, the Committee can develop out what the future land use map looks like with the help of the public. He explains that there is also an online mapping tool that’s going live tonight for the public that will be available for a month. It will allow members of the public to participate in the conversation. He also adds that regarding the public comments about zoning, that is one part of the action items but is not the sole focus. All future needs for land use must be considered and balanced—zoning is just one tool in that toolbox. He explains that there will be two discussion groups tonight: one covering natural resources and the other covering economic development. The hope is that the public can join and listen in on the conversation. Chair Northcross reiterates that there is a robust public outreach program electronically and digital tools for people to feed information into the land use map. Jeff Davis of Horsley Witten Group walks through a draft land use chapter recap, including what the Committee has done so far, principles of the land use chapter, land use issues, and future land use/strategic planning areas. He asks the Committee to consider the current land use map and whether this map depicts an accurate vision for future land use in Barnstable. He walks through different land types represented on that map: residential and rural areas; regional economic center; downtown Hyannis; village centers; commercial nodes; maritime areas; and the associated issues to consider for each. Avery Revere expresses concern that conservation areas aren’t called out on the maps. Jeff Davis responds that one of the main criticisms of the 2010 map is its lack of refinement, and a primary conversation tonight should be around refining the map. Asia Graves comments that she’s one of the few working-class renters in the room and feels it’s important to include renters in the conversation. Over the past 2 months, she has contacted over 900 renters and what she’s heard is that renters’ needs are not being reflected. She thinks the zoning is cumbersome when it comes to making sure there’s enough housing and the right kind of housing. Jeff Davis thanks Ms. Graves for her perspective and recommends discussing today the areas of town that could be opened to different types of housing. Mr. Davis asks the Committee to think about where change will be implemented, where the town has or should change its policies to implement these strategies, what are the specific places where they want to see certain things, what are the tradeoffs implied in these choices, and are there certain principles or performance strategies that should guide the placing of these strategies. The Committee breaks into two groups at 6:10 PM to discuss the two categories. They reconvene at 7:38 PM and Jim Kupfer reports on the groups’ discussions:  In response to the question of what would be missed the most, it was drinking water and water quality as the top priority  Planning at different scales—right now we’re talking at a high level but what are actions that will impact specific areas, for example examining policy that could go into place to potentially preserve some vacant, wooded lots  An action item involving Centerville village, and considering rephrasing to a historic preservation center or historic village center for preservation rather than activity center or village center 3  Opportunities for new housing: creating a policy limiting short-term rentals to open up year-round housing  Considering policies for the specific area of Route 28 affected by the CWMP, so maybe rephrasing what that commercial corridor is and thinking about a minimal development area when the sewer comes in  Thinking about a master plan and opportunities for planning around Independence Park  Thinking about a master plan and future opportunities for the CCCC area  Concerns for commercial corridors and the traffic they create and how any future developments would impact that  Understanding better the protections in the RPOD and whether 2-acre zoning is appropriate  People want more interactive mapping involved. He will work with Committee leadership to identify how we could involve that more Chair Northcross feels it was a productive conversation between the public and the Committee. General Correspondence Chair Northcross says she received a message from Councilor Kris Clark, who wanted to make sure they were accommodating for municipal water parcels. Next Meeting September 12, 2024 at 5:30 PM to be held in person at the Barnstable Town Hall James H. Crocker Jr. Hearing Room 367 Main Street, Hyannis, MA Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair Adjournment Cheryl Powell makes a motion to adjourn. Lindsey Counsell seconds. Vote: Aye: Wendy Northcross, Amanda Converse, Mark Hansen, Cheryl Powell, Sue Rohrbach, Asia Graves, Katia DaCunha, Lindsey Counsell, Jennifer Williams, Bob Twiss, Avery Revere Nay: None The meeting is adjourned at 7:48 PM. Respectfully submitted, Genna Ziino The list of matters are those reasonably anticipated, which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Further detail may be may be obtained by viewing the video via Channel 18 on demand at http://www.town.barnstable.ma.us