I wasn't here. Okay. So, you can recording in progress. Uh, good evening and welcome to the October 15th, 2025 Yarmouth Planning Board meeting. I am Joan Crowley, chair. The public is welcome to attend our meeting in person or via alternative public access provided on the county
Yarmouth website. Our meetings are generally held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, but additional meetings are added when needed. I will begin by taking roll call. Susan Brida, present. Dear Gaquin, here remotely. Thank you. Will Rubenstein,
I'm here. Peter Slovac, here. Ken Smith. Joanne Crowley, present. See, we have a quorum. I will now call the meeting to order. Uh, please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Thank you. First item on our agenda this evening uh
is the final almost final draft of our local comprehensive plan. In our packets for this meeting, Kathy had put together uh her planner memo outlining where the uh LCP edits had taken place,
including some redline edits and some some summary of the public hearing comments. We also will be discussing um information that came to us just yesterday um with regard to uh uh a
possible other amend uh change to the LC morning this morning. This morning, sorry, was this morning the 15th. Um and we're trying to be as nimble as we can and listen as as hard as we can. So um we will be considering that as well. So Kathy, why don't I turn
it over to you uh to walk us through what was in our packets and then what what you received this morning. Sure. Great work everybody. We're at the finish line. We can actually see it. It's right there in front of us. Um the changes that uh have been made to the local comprehensive plan aren't that extensive. We did make some general
clarification grammar things and stuff like that. Um which I didn't go into any detail on um Oh, thanks Will. Uh the cover just got changed a little bit um to 2025 Yarmouth local comprehensive plan kind of eliminating that plan Yarmouth part which was more of a like a
a logo and then putting in the final draft of October 2025. Um we did take a look at like I said some of the formatting. We tried to make some of the um the graphics more legible. Uh and then we did try and um and then there were some extra spaces and stuff like
that uh in the matrix. We tried to eliminate that. One thing a snafu that kind of came up was related to the maps. I think we were hoping not to have the aerial as the background. They seemed there seemed to be an issue with lost data um and would take um significant amount of time I think to try and recreate those in a different way. We
didn't really get any comments that people had issues with the maps. So I think at this juncture I would um I would just go with the maps that are in the plan now and not not require any additional work effort to Are they available online somewhere? The maps? Yeah. Oh, they're in the they're in the
they're in here. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean in in in another in various other places on the town website. Some of them are like the zoning bylaw and things like that and there's a bunch of things that are in the open space and recreation plan. Yeah. Okay. Correct. Madam chair. Just as a quick followup to that to the map.
Yes. Issue is if it's possible I'm assuming that Jeff in the digital version of the LCP those maps will be clickable enlargeable linked links to zoom in. So for people looking at the digital version, Madam Chair, it'll be much more easy, I think, to
Yes. to zoom in to what you want to look at or not get bogged down or distracted on the digital version. I think it's the printed version where it it's less legible in the printed version. Exactly. Okay. Thank you for the clarification. Yeah. And especially the my favorite one which is all the development on Route 28.
Yes. I literally took out a magnifying glass. They changed the text. I wasn't sure if I could open it. It's so big and also um it's really a horizontal map and not a vertical one, right? Which is part of the problem too because it crunches down. Yeah, they did turn it to landscape.
That's what I mean. But even even then it gets a little crunched and they did change the text from the white text to a black text which I think is better. It's definitely better when you print it out. Um so that that's helpful. Sorry to interrupt. Oh no, that's okay. I think some of the more um substantial substantial or
notable changes were related to um like and we'll go through them in more detail. The red line edits that are attached and I'll go through those specifically. We also did some edits to the appendices that we decided to include in the appendices all of the summaries of the public engagement
aspects and then to include the abbreviations and the glossery within the bulk of the report itself. I think most people are going to be looking at the bulk of the report and then we can kind of print out some extra copies maybe that the full appendices if somebody's interested in that or we can have them obviously uh available to
click on uh online. It just takes a nice nimble 155 u to a 294 document if you include all the appendices. So um having it um the clickable version on the online version is nice because if people want to continue further and dig in a little bit deeper um they can do that uh
by clicking on the links. Um, so I think a lot of the edits that were made to the actions and or existing conditions, we're really updating things that have happened since we started this process. Um, we have hired an energy manager and she was brought online in September of 2025. So she's actively working on
energy projects. Um, again in the action items just referencing it instead of hiring that person, you know, with the recent hiring of the grant funded municipal energy manager, the town shall develop and then kind of all the things that she's going to be working on uh for the town. And again, that gets changed in the
implementation matrix. It's like when you change it one place, it's it's ends up being multiple places that needs to be. Yeah. Can I just make a comment? There's a minor um and I don't know if this is just a printing error, but on the climate mitigation page where it says manage energy usage. I think there's two
E's at the end of usage. Should there be Oh, there is. Thank you. I appreciate that. I hate those kind of things. Kathy, where does where does that person fall under who's resp? actually falls under the engineering department. Good question.
And this um this part is in the um waste management which is actually this up a little bit more is representing the fact that um the plastic reduction bylaw task force did come up with regulations and they um have been um
it says adopted but they've been approved by the board of health at their September 15th meeting because they've adopted those outside of a general bylaw their their board of health I think regulations then um they would be asking for to resend the original bylaw in 2023
that was so problematic with regard to implementation. I think it was a good effort. A lot of people worked together to get something that kind of met the original intent of the by general bylaw that passed but also was something that uh could actually be implemented easily and um for consumers as well as for
businesses. Okay. So that kind of turned around and did the same thing with regard to the action item just notifi um noting that it's the new regulations and that we're going to be working with the food establishments to implement it uh and then rescending the bylaw
again did it in the implementation matrix as well. One one place I did we hadn't really talked about that but I did um make an edit is the targeted action plan. and it lists all the things that are supposed to be included in the targeted action plan and one of them is developing that meeting schedule to update the commission staff on the LCP.
We've included that actually in the implementation matrix at the beginning and I just noted that at the end that that's where the additional information. So, it's a good per place to put this because then people know that there's more information in the implementation matrix, but that's also where we're going to be talking about the end. Madam Chair, can I ask a question about that? Certainly. Um, are those meetings
supposed to take place outside of, let's say, a planning board meeting or a select board meeting or do we invite them in to meet with us twice a year or four times? I think it might just be um a kind of a memo, an update memo. I don't know
whether it necessarily needs to be meeting with them. They just want to know as mainly are we making a lot of progress or some progress with regard to the regulatory or um bylaw. So, it's more about us as a planning board making sure that we're sending updates to the
Cape Cod Commission on some sort of basis, which we have not yet established, but it says in here we will. No, we've established it in the implementation matrix with annual pro progress reviews. Okay. Well, it just says meeting schedule. So, when I see that, I just,
you know, I'm never looking for more more reasons to have meetings and I'm looking for reasons to be efficient. I'm just following on what I see in written. So, I'm glad to hear that it may not take the form of an actual meeting. Yeah, I think I think we can do exactly what you said, too. We can certainly
invite them when we update the select board and then they can come to that meeting, but any documentation that we provide to the select board will also copy that. Of course, as long as it doesn't involve a separate meeting, I am all I will make a motion to approve it. Thank you, Madam Chair. I hear you. Um, so the thing that came
in this morning, um, was a really good letter from the Fisherman's Alliance, and there's a lot of great information in here, and you guys have a copy of it, but it's really touting, you know, all the benefits of commercial fishing, including shell fishing and aquaculture, and it's being a real economic driver and just looking to have some uh,
elements in the LCP that kind of documents and codifies that and different ways that we might be able to, making sure keeping it in the forefront of of enhancing it and promoting it and and being sure that um, that's something that we can continue in the future. I wish they had given it a little bit
earlier and we might have been able to include a little bit more information in the existing conditions portion of it because they provide a lot of great information in here which is very helpful. Um but one of the things they sent out was like maybe because it is kind of the 11th hour here is maybe we can make um an addition to the economy
section and add an action item to protect and enhance commercial fishing, shell fishing and aquaculture industries. that can encompass a lot of different projects. It could be, you know, whether we're enhancing a boat launch, uh maybe we're providing additional shellfish upwellers or or a bunch of different things. Uh the
implementation matrix would also have to be modified and the time frame would kind of be ongoing. That's something that we would be trying to look at all the time because there's no specific project uh right now. responsible parties could be the DNR, the DPW and then the funding could be um town
meeting uh NRCS, the Cape Cod Conservation District, CZM has been providing some funding and CPA have been finding funding um for the improvements are being asked to provide funding for the improvements at the Packet Landing Marina. Um so there's an opportunity to do that and we also have an action six
in the freshwater and saltwater section that talks about recreational shell fishing. I think we can also modify that by including commercial and recreational shell fishing. Okay. Um
comments or additional um uh information for Kathy on this because we'd like to take a vote tonight on the article that's going to present this. Um, so I want to separate the Fisherman's Alliance from the a little bit from what
Kathy had prepared on the Redline edits. Um, any other any concerns on those? Okay. No. And with regard to her suggested language, um, with regard to the note from the Fisherman's Alliance,
um, any any comments or, um, embellishments that we would like to make there? It looks like we're going to add an action item and we're going to modify an action item. If I have that correct, Kath, correct? Yep. Madam chair. Yes. So, if I see this correctly, then on
page 96, there'll be a 17th action under economy, right? That will become the 17th action. We might not put it at the end. I mean, I'm just saying it will make 17. We'll have 17 total actions, which Mr. What page you want on?
Sorry. Page 97, Madam Chair. Six. 96. Um, I just want to make sure I'm translating this memo into the actual LCP and economy section has 16 action items. This would be in addition to this would be the 17th. Okay. And I
don't know again I don't know how the Cape Cod Commission looks at these things, but this is by far the section that has the most number of actions. And clearly the economy is kind of important. Um, but I have no idea if when they're judging different
LCPs versus other LCPs and how they compare and contrast them, does that seem like it just seems like it's clearly the biggest action section of anything. If I recall from your presentation last time, we were in the 8 to 12 at the most. So, I'm just pointing it out. I'm
certainly not opposed to it, Madam Chair. I just wanted to mention that um it's making a really big section even bigger and I don't assume that that will cause any trouble with our friends at the Cape Cod Commission, but it is a ginormous section. It is ginormous issue.
I I would like to add one piece to that. I think we should add in um into partners um the friends of Bass River on the new action it on the new action item. Um Sure. And I have a small update.
They're out there propagating the river now with with um idea. Yes, they are. And they they are doing it. Yes. And I have an update when we get to the rack committee meeting as well of some of the great things they're doing. I I agree with that, Madam Chair, personally. And then action six in freshwater. Why
don't we go to that page? It is page 80, Madam Chair. I believe Goodwill. You could be my You could be my index. It's almost like I was the clerk once. Um
it is page 80 fresh water. So we will add commercial there. Yeah. Right. That's what she was saying. Yeah. Kathy's because I mean you know the shellfish propagation isn't just you know recreation. Mhm. Everybody
at some point when it reaches scale it it could become commercial. Um but I think they're starting small. Yeah. They have oyster beds that they have to get permission from the select board periodically. I see that through the DNR for their for their uh for their grants. Yep.
Okay. I think you need a comma after Parker's River. Where are we? uh last sentence of modify action six. I just don't know if that's supposed to in your memo, Kathy. Not not I don't
know if this came from the LCP or where's suggested I think it's what what are we talking about? Our last sentence at Parker's River at Long Pond Outlet. Those two separate places, right? It's technically the Parker's River at the Long Pond Outlet.
It is. Okay. Okay. Just a funny it's a funny little It is a funny little way of saying it. Yeah. At the Long Pond outlet. So Parker Rivers, that's what's run behind runs behind the um housing assistant court property then and
connects with Long Pond. Is that okay? So they can Would you take the corner on Long Pond right there? It technically swamp. Yeah, we No, it's technically Parker's River. Technically Parker River. That's my understanding. And Madam
Chair, uh, Deedra has raised her hand, so that might be relevant to what we're talking about. Deedra Gwen, just one little comment in Kathy's memo. I think aquaculture is spelled wrong. That sounds right.
Yes, it is. Thank you, Dra. Okay. Thank you, everybody. Aqua, not not acquisition. It's aquaculture. It's aua, I believe. Yes. Yes. Yes. See, madam chair, you there's another
clerk who's already taken the role of my job. She's a clerk in training. She's far from it. Clerk clerk elected Kathy. Clerk elected. Okay. Uh any other any other comments? Going to I'd like to move this along if we could.
So, I have some language here that Kathy has helped me with. Chair, would you like a motion to encompass all of this or do it separately? Um, I think we're going to do one motion. Kathy has suggested some language. Um, uh, so may I have a motion to recommend
the article to adopt the 2025 Yarmouth local comprehensive plan as presented at the October 15th planning board meeting. Second. I'll make that motion on your behalf, Madam Chair. I'll second. Any discussion?
All in favor? We need to do a roll call. See, you caught yourself. I, Mr. Slobeck. I, Mr. Rubenstein. I, Miss Brida. I, and myself, Joanne. Uh, I as well. Thank you.
All right. Well, before we move on to the next item, Madam Chair, I do think it's worthwhile to take a moment to reach over to your little back shoulder and give yourself a small pat for shephering this for the last two plus years. Not to mention the combination of other
part well not to mention the started with the visioning of 2020, but I also meant but also with the open space and recck plan as well as the housing production plan like all these things are have marched along and here we are. Yep. So congratulations to you and to us as well the job by by everyone
community effort especially our town planner uh and our consultant um we were very we're very pleased with the performance of Jeff um and the BSC group uh they were invaluable to us um and did it with
I what I would call short money in a short time. Exactly. We really we really appreciate that really outstanding work. Um, we hope it gives them uh more opportunities to help other towns. That would be great. A great job that they did, especially on Cape Cod because they kind of know a lot of things about Cape Cod.
So, now they do. Now they do. Um, the second item on our agenda this evening is uh our zoning amendment articles for the 2025 special town meeting. Uh, the first article, article number one, draft one,
sale of uh retail sale of live lobsters. We voted to recommend that on September 17th. So that one is done. The only thing we would need to do is to pick someone to move ex recommend and explain it at town meeting. Okay. Right. I I would volunteer, Madam Chair, if
you're looking for a volunteer. All right. So, uh move and explain. Sure. Great. On the second article number two, draft number three, uh dated
September 18th, 2025. Uh, in our packets is the October 8th planning memo from Cathy summarizing the select board comments from the October 7th meeting we had with them um about the zoning articles. Uh, at one of our previous
meetings, we discussed extending the exception, meaning that period from April to November to year round for those properties. We we discussed it um where a boat cannot be physically located to the side or rear of a
building. As it stands now, the language in the in the article has the seasonality clause in it. Um and the review from the select board, Kathy, why don't you just run through a quick summary of select board comments with
regard to this? I think Mark Forest was in favor of eliminating the seasonality. I think he was talking about, you know, the enforcement burdens potentially of the building department. If somebody leaves it there in the winter, then that's another thing that they might need to
chase uh as well. Um he did he also commented that we didn't he didn't identify any other communities that actually have anything that restricts where you can park your boats. A little bit unique in that way. um he did appreciate um express appreciation for this for the board to take it up. I
think they acknowledged that we were heavy in the LCP and they bringing this on was another extra workload. Um I think he did also understand that the seasonality clause was in there because we thought it might help pass it meeting. Dorcasers was in favor of removing um the seasonality clause due
to the undue burden on the building department and noted that people do use their boats in the offseason would might want access to it all year round. Um Joyce was also in favor in favor of year round noting the lack of off-site storage locations and then reducing that extra policing by the building
department. They don't really do policing. Um we don't have the staff to do policing but they do do enforcement when they become aware of a problem. Um Liz Argo actually inquired as to whether the special permit had a time limit um as taking out the seasonality clause would mean rundown boats could be stored
in front of a house all year round. And I think that was um her main concern. We did note that um the boat and the trailer did need to be registered. So the idea was that it's something that's in use. It's not something that's just sitting there because you're spending the money to get it registered. Uh Tracy Post um really hasn't changed her
position. She's she's very much I think against it. understands that the billing department is busy, but maybe they just need more resources. Um, and she expressed concerns about the number of eyes in our town right now and also a lot of times people are coming to the select board asking for some type of nuisance bylaws because they're
concerned with how um some areas of town are looking. She also expressed concerns that RVs might be next. Um, and she would prefer to be more restrictive. Regardless of all that, she felt that the article does belong uh in front of town meeting to let the residents vote
on what they want for our community. So discussion, who wants to start? I I think there's Mr. Slobe I think there there's I mean there's mention of their concern that there's going to be an overburden of enforcement, you know, but I think it go the other way, too. Once boats get
abandoned or need to be confirmed as registered boats, they're going to be just as busy, you know. So, that's how I feel about that. I think Tracy's right on with her. Thank you. Yeah. I also think Tracy's concerned about RVs being next is a valid concern,
right? When you look at the number of RVs been before because people are going to say, "If you did it for votes, why can't you do it for RVs?" Um, so that was I thought of a point I hadn't thought about, but I think that's a I think it's a very valid point. Um, I'm in favor of of course retaining the seasonality. I think if we want have
this any chance of passing, I think the more restrictive it is, the the better the chances of passing it. Moving to outright parking in your driveways is a huge leap, I think, for this community. And I think Tracy speaks for a lot of people when a lot of I mean I I did my
in you know my totally unscience survey talking to my neighbors and they are very much in favor of you know the more restrictive the better the chance it has of of passing. Um and then the comment about you know the enforcement I I think it's dangerous um
to start considering zoning amendments based on how well they can be enforced. I think Tracy was right about that. Um, that's a very slippery slope to start thinking about zoning amendments and they go to bed depending on whether they can be enforced or not. Regardless of whether they're needed or not, the
enforcement should not be the issue. The question should be what does it do for the neighborhood? Um, so I thought that was a good point also on Tracy's part that, you know, she said she understands Mark has over has a has a big job on his hands and and Peter, you
know, reaffirmed that. But I don't think that's a reason that we should be recommending zoning to I don't think that's a reason to to recommend such a drastic zoning change. So my position is I think we should retain the seasonality. Okay, Madam Chair,
Mr. room. Um, I've been thinking a little bit about this and I was sort of thinking about the work that we did for 18 months with the ADU amendment um, in the sense that we worked really hard to get something
in front of the town voters and we also at the same time like we did with both of these amendments. Sorry. Yeah. Um, we also tried to listen in real time uh to what people were thinking and saying. And I guess I come back to what I said a
couple of months ago is we were presented with a concern and are we actually now that we're finally at the finish line to recommend this to the select board? Two things come to mind. One is are we actually doing what we thought we were doing when we started this six months ago now that we're
actually in October. And the second one is when we were talking about ADUs, we were concerned with would it overwhelm anybody? Would it overwhelm the building department? Would it overwhelm the ZBA? Would it open up the proverbial flood floodgates? Now, of course, we only have
one year of data, and of course, the state of Massachusetts has decided to sideswipe us um on the ADU issue, but if I recall, it didn't anecdotally, Kathy, it didn't seem like with the ADU concerns, and we did mitigate with
through the special permit process after much conversation, um it didn't feel like there the floodgates had opened even before the state stepped in. Correct. Now, I maybe I'm maybe this is apples and oranges, but at the same time, we're still here flying a little higher off the ground and trying to be respectful
of the town resources. I totally agree with where Susan is coming from on not having that um you know, the cart driving the horse or the horse driving. It's a policy. Yeah, I I totally get that. And so, um, I
guess the other part of all this is, um, again, are we are we actually going to put forth something to the select board to then recommend to for them to decide whether to recommend a town meeting that actually solves the issue. And the issue is of all the nice people in our town
that have a lot that's too small that also own a boat. And when you take when you start when you start making that circle smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller, um I personally don't know enough factually to say this, but I have to go with my gut instinct, which we all
have to rely on every day, which is I don't feel like there's going to be a huge amount of people going through this process to go to the ZBA. That's just what I'm predicting. I don't feel like it's going to be dozens and dozens and dozens of people. I could be wrong. At the same time, I am really happy that we
do have the process that we got to where we are making this a ZBA process and a special permit process because it seems very reasonable that that would be something much like with the RVs that have come up in different kinds of circumstances at the ZBA. Neighbors need have a right to know and should know and
be a part of the process of that decision- making at the ZBA level. So, I guess what I'm coming down to is um I' I'd be disappointed for all the nice people, whether it's a small circle like I think or even a slightly bigger one,
who can't park their boat in front of their house because their lot's too small. I'd be sorry if we did this whole process and got to town meeting and it just got completely rejected because of um the lack of a seasonality
requirement. And so, I'm almost done. Um, so I I'd almost rather I'd rather see this go forward with the seasonal requirement on it and see how it goes. That's just my opinion.
Um, and then maybe through further processes down the road this could be amended or changed or even, you know, repealed. I don't know. But to just start with you can have it in your front yard all year round when that is not what is true for the people who do
have a lot that is big enough to park their boat doesn't seem inherently right to me. So that's my personal position. Madam Chair, I believe the seasonal requirement should stay in. Um and certainly it's open to further discussion as we continue. Joan, can I make a comment? I think uh will you touched on a good point in the
fact that we really don't have a lot of data. We really don't know what the universe is here. And um so it's hard to go one way or another because you know whether we're talking about 5,000 people or 300 and it makes it or 30 or 30. Exactly. And we're making
we're making a a significant zoning change in residential neighborhoods. Um you know I said it last time and I'll say it again. You know they I think residential neighborhoods are under siege. Um you know we've got the the child care centers. We've got adult daycare centers. We're now selling
lobsters. My personal favorite is ADUs. And we had worked so hard for 18 months to come up with something we thought was perfect for our community. And that got, you know, shunted aside. Uh you have people that can have home offices. Um we now just off, you know, we now
supporting lobsters. Uh at some point, when does your residential neighborhood stop being residential and convert to some sort of amalgam of stuff? Um, and how do we attract people to buy into a residential neighborhood? Um, when we
when we should be sort of, you know, like equal protection under the law, we should be protecting their investment also as well as people that do own boats and, you know, with reasonable accommodation. We try to to help people. Um there was some talk about, you know,
this sort of being like spot zoning because if people have a hobby, we're having a boat and we're changing a zoning uh requirement to take care of a hobby. Um that's a real dangerous I mean we we should be protecting and and
the residential that's what zoning is for. If we look up the reason why you do zoning protect value and residential in you know residential in investment. Uh so you know I agree with Will. I think you know let's leave it in and see what happens. Someone could offer an amendment that night to strip it and we would have you know we would have
another vote but let's start with what we thought was a good I we thought met the the problem as best we knew it and let's see what happens. Madam Chair, may I follow up one last thing? Uh certainly and then I would like to go to Of course. How about we do that first?
My apologies. I um I agree. I think we should leave it in. I think it uh if if only to increase its likelihood of passing. Yeah. Um and and I think take it and see where
it goes. Thank you. Uh yes, I would just I would just say I actually am okay with the fact that there's there's a little dynamic tension between the planning board and the select board here. I mean clearly a few of the plan of the select board members don't agree with at least a couple of
the expressed sentiments here and even within our own within our own group and I don't I don't think that's a bad thing. I I I don't um I think there are definitely times and it's been shown in many other circumstances where there's um you know a lot of uh a lot of
I guess we're in sync with the planning with the select board. Um, but I also feel like this is not an issue that is very this is there's not so much black and white here. And yet we are still trying to help the nice people who own boats but live on lots that are too
small to adhere to the current zoning. So um I think there's I think it's okay that there might be one by the time we get to the uh special town meeting and people hear what the recommendation votes are or not recommendation votes are depending on how it goes. I happen to think that that's a result of some very healthy debate over the last six
months. Thank you, Madam Chair. And actually, if the select board listens to our dialogue tonight, I don't think they focused at all on the issue of having it pass. You know, we we heard from the community and there were actually a couple of letters, I think, from from residents concerned about the
proliferation of all these exemptions um that we were aware of that the board of select is not aware of. Um so, we were concerned about getting something passed. Um, I don't think that was a concern that they recognized at the meeting when they were talking about removing seasonality because I think
that helps it get passed. Mr. Slobe, you were going to Well, no. I mean, I just think, you know, the the mention of the additional policing that might be required and I think it's going to go the other way. You know, I think there going to be people saying, "Oh, this is a 30- foot boat. It's not a 28 foot boat. It's not
registered. It's not licensed. it, you know, and I think it Mark may have more call outs because I think people are are not happy. People on smaller lots are not happy. I I did talk to Mark a little bit about that today and he thinks just all the attention that's been brought to boats
will probably result in more enforcement. Anytime you put something in a zoning bylaw, there's going to be people who don't adhere to it and that's going to require enforcement. So either it's free free range and everything goes and you don't have to worry about enforcement or you you set up your community rules and you do the best you
can to enforce it. Um the building department does obviously put um the higher uh emphasis on life safety, you know, the building code and things like that, making sure that people are safe. Uh but they certainly do an extensive amount of um
investigation into alleged enforcement issues because lots of times they'll go out and it will technically not be an enforcement issue. It'll be oh that's fine. People just didn't know it was okay. Madam chair, you know, we're we're also Yarmouth is still the mostly most densely populated town. Right.
Right. Kath with I think Dennis is above us. Yeah. I thinkable I I think I don't I mean the last census I think we were over a thousand people per square mile. Yeah. Right. So last time I looked at it when we were looking at ADUs, Dennis had just nudged us out. So I think some I mean I think the
decisions that need to be made going forward sometimes need to you know consider the fact that you know Yarmouth is is packed in and when certain selectment want to look to other towns and go oh nobody else does it well you know why we're us you know we're not all these other towns and I think decisions
need to be made based upon our town's characteristics you know. Absolutely. Absolutely. Um I have I have a couple of comments. Um one um I just want to um make a a comment with regard to Mr. Rubenstein
and your analogy to our all of our efforts on ADUs. Um visav this um ADUs are sort of invisible. You drive by a house, you can't tell if there's an ADU ADU or not. But with
this, you can drive by the house and you're gonna see it. I I went so far as to wanting to take photographs of all of the boats that I see that are improperly stored right now throughout the town and
use them as examples to say either these people are ignoring the regulation as it sits or they have no idea. So public communication is going to have to improve because this is out there now. This is going to be something that the
voters and others are going to pay attention to. And I'm hoping that we know who pays excise taxes on their votes. We have the list and they get a bill from us. Um, and I think it would behoove the town to include in the next
round of bills a copy of the regulations so everybody can't say nobody told me. Right. Excellent suggestion. did the nobody told me part is I think really true um for many and then there are the
others who do know but I think we with this and the public um the public hearings we've had and the um the the various uh participants who are living in neighborhoods where this is um
important to them um are are need to know what the rules are um and if this successfully passes, this would be an opportunity for us to get to also I'm not looking to publicize it, but I do think we need to be better at
understanding that this is not storage. This is parking. Um and um uh so that that in in in line with that that's um I um I think I think that they're just to
me they're one is very visible and the other is somewhat um invisible. The other piece and I almost commented when we met with the board of uh with the select board was um the comment
by Doris McGurn um the the um is it her? No, sorry. Um was it Joyce Glenn? the might lack of offsite storage but it well the c Kathy captured
kind of the the notes here but I forget which member it was but I thought it was Doris about the expense of owning a boat and this is going to help them um with the expense of owning a boat. Um and I've said this before and I'll say this
again. If you want to be a boat owner, um, you need to know that it's like ripping up $100 bills in the shower, and you need to be able to accommodate whatever the requirements are for storage, parking, and use.
Um, um, I I think we're trying to move this so that there's a a little opening for those who actively use their boats, but I think I agree with Peter. I think this will increase um the number
of enforcements um and we we will have to wait and see if in fact it's successful. Right. Um but I I would like to go forward. I I I join you in some of you in thinking including the seasonality is where we
kind of started and where we wanted to open a a little door for people. Um and we'll see how it goes at town meeting. I also liked the comment that um the chair of the select board made this this belongs in front of the town meeting for sure. For sure.
You know, I think this belongs in front of town meeting. Uh so so with that, I don't think we have any changes to suggest to the the article as it's written. Uh do we? No. This is what it looks like. So
okay, it wasn't. Well, I meant I meant about the seasonality. Deedra, any other any other questions? No, I don't think so. Okay. Um, so may I have a motion to recommend zoning article 2, boat parking, as presented in draft number
three, dated September 18th, 2025. I would Okay, I will second. Any who made the motion? Susan Susan. Thank you. Any further discussion? Uh, we'll take a vote. Uh, Deedra
I Mr. Mr. Slovac Hi, Mr. Hi, Miss Broom. I and myself. I thank you. Who Who wants to um move, recommend, and explain this one?
Is that why you volunteered so quickly for the first one, Will? May, maybe. No, I'll be happy to do I serve at the pleasure of the chair, but I Do we need to make that decision tonight, Kathy? I need to get a letter of the written to Oh, the town moderator.
Yeah. Is that when is that due? Um I typically do it right after you guys vote and then it gets kind of included in the um information that goes to Well, um because I was thinking Mr. Smith. Oh, Ken might want
penalty for being absent. Oh, but he's also he's a voter. Is um Yeah, he might be really good. Um we can always we can always change it out, right? So, why don't you why don't you put my name in and then you can speak privately. We can we can Yeah,
I think the town moderator would allow us. I don't think he's going to We'll make a motion from the floor. So funny because Susan um moved and seconded the motion for the zoning and you seconded it for the other zoning article too. Here we go.
It makes my my copy paste much easier. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you all for all the work um and time and effort we spent on this. This was not easy. Um when is the Sorry, just as a point of order, when is the next convers coming
up? Tuesday is the conversation at the select board and they'll have their discussion and their recommendation or their dis their vote. I'm assuming that they're going to vote to recommend all the whatever whatever the vote will be will be next Tuesday. Yes. Okay. Sometimes they delay it and they they vote right before the meeting, but I
don't see why they would do that because they always have a special meeting right before the town meeting. Right. Um this I would just send a really short memo saying you guys discussed it, deliberated, and decided to and considered we did consider the select board's comments. Well, yeah, I I will explain that.
Um, no, it's been a thoughtful deliberation all along. I think people have been really trying to, like you say, solve the problem. Well, and also the, as Madam Chair, just a very quick thing, the the warrant is quite robust for a special town meeting and it covers
I haven't I haven't paid attention. Well, it covers a lot of territory from schools to health regulations to our zoning amendments to other budgetary things that have to be done on a nonApril or May uh town meeting. It will be very fascinating to see where the
articles are positioned in the warrant and how that affects the attendance and the discussion because you have school issues. There's a potential feasibility study vote for the school building committee, sorry, for the school district. So, there's a lot of uh different
constituencies u that are being brought to bear and I don't know who's going to be in the room by the time we get to article 15. The invect is actually the the last article. And there you go. I guess we're all going to be there on this planning board till the very end. We always are. Okay.
We are always I'm surprised we weren't last last with zoning because it's always last. Oh, you mean sorry you said the LCP, but the zoning articles as well. The LCP is last, but not necessarily the zoning articles. They're sec. They're right before. Oh, they're second last three articles are you guys. I see.
Oh, so there you go. Always last. If you just think about the demographics of those different constituencies. There's also going to be a school vote before all the nice people who may be waiting to talk about boats and lobsters. So be a lot of interesting dynamics at play. Madam Chair, there could be different people at town
meeting. It's welcomed. Boats and lobsters. Boats and lobsters. Schools. Oh my. Sorry. Sorry, Kathy. You can I was thinking the same thing. Moving on. Uh next on our agenda are uh
seasonal communities. In our packets this evening um is a draft of regulations for CMR 76.00 seasonal communities which are out for public comment through the end of this month, October 31st.
Kathy has provided a September 11th uh PowerPoint presentation from the seasonal communities advisory council um on the draft regulation update and yesterday she provided and gave us another copy today um her comments with
regard to the regulations. Uh Kathy, you want to run through um your um uh comments on this and then I'll see some comments from the board. Sure. Just for maybe the public who may not know, um Yarmouth was not formally designated a seasonal community um
because we didn't quite meet the percentage of housing units that are seasonal. That's right. Um we're at 32 and I think it was 35. Um our legislators are looking at seeing if they can't get um all of the towns in Birkshire County and Barnstable County
to be seasonal communities. To be a seasonal community, you you kind of get that designation, but you have to accept it at town meetings. So, it's not something that's put on you. You have to formally um decide to accept it. So, even though these regulations don't apply to us now, but they may apply to
us eventually uh in the future. Um I didn't have a ton of particular comments. There wasn't anything where I was like, "Oh, we got to comment on that." But one of the a couple things that I did note when I was looking through is there's there's just a lot of tracking and keeping track of all these different types of housing um that they're putting talking about artist
housing, attainable housing, essential public employee housing. Um, all of them require some type of tracking system and regulations and again enforcement and if somebody's not doing something that they're supposed to do. Um, but one of the things that they did include for the artists and the public employee housing
units is that shall not violate state and federal fair housing laws. M and I'm not overly familiar with the federal regs, but I'm wondering if it's even possible to meet them um when you want to do exclusively rent to artists or exclusively rent to employees because
your occupation is not a protected class. Um so I don't there might be a comment of that of saying is this actually obtainable to meet the fair the federal fair housing regulations and have it be designated just for a certain occupation. Um, I think you could I don't think it necessarily applies to
the current state fair housing regulations, but that's something they could probably modify in order to do so. up by saying the state and the federal. I don't know whether they've kind of done a dloop here where they can't even meet their own regulations with that because we are interested I think in some ways of the public employee housing
because that's something that came up as part of the madakis um the h housing land use team actually wanted to have like six housing units that were for for employees. Oh, I thought you meant teachers. My bad. It could be it could municipal employees. It could be teachers. It
could be firefighters. it could be, you know, initially when you first get here and before you get established and that type of thing. There's a lot of details that would need to be worked out for that, but this actually gave us a bit of a mechanism to do it. Um, you know, the devil's always in the details with regard to the definitions. I mean, the
artist housing, I think, is kind of loose. Just one person who by vocation produces or supports literary activities. I don't know. That seems like it could be almost anybody. Um, I mean, if I have a I have a library card, right? I mean, I'm sorry. I just when I read
that I felt the same way. Support literary activities. I do. I have a library card. Madam chair. I'm sure you do too. I do. So I guess we're going to qualify then. Yeah. Where I make soaps and I sell them at you know craft fairs. Is that I attend a craft fair. Does that have to have a booth?
Yeah. You are support you're supporting literary activities. I'm sorry. I apologize. I just thought it was a little loosey goosey. I don't know why they have it that way. And the same thing actually applied for state and municipal employee definitions. It's those who serve on a full, regular, part-time, or intermittent basis with or without
compensation. Yeah. And intermittent not defined. No. So, it's like, is that solving the problem that we're looking for where we really want to have, you know, housings for our full-time, regular, maybe seasonal, part-time might be an option.
But we're looking for vol, you guys are volunteering here today, so you're eligible for municipal employee housing. Um, so I I knew that the next the next bullet point I knew was going to make Susan very excited. Which one? With the tiny houses. Yeah.
Well, that I mean I'm I was excited that that the state somehow in their wisdom singled out Bonable County. Why Bonable County on the cape? There must be a reason for that. Um, I don't know what it is, but there must be a reason for that. And Birkshire County. Bonable
County. I'm thinking, hm, why Bible County? Why isn't this is such a great idea? Why doesn't it apply to all of the cake? That's of course I think the idea is tragic, but um and I think I read the narrative. I have not read the PowerPoint, but I did read the the narrative stuff. I
I think Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are already seasonal. Oh yeah. Yeah. So it they are included already right in in the seasonal in the seasonal def. But that's a very different market. No, no, I'm I'm saying those two counties
have been in all, you know, they have to opt in. Yeah. Um they have to vote to be their town meetings have to vote to accept that determination. So, we'll see what happens. But regardless, um if they it's sort of like the 90,000 foot level. Um I read this
and of course I keep in context what we've done here, what we're trying to do in Yamoth. And honestly, I didn't see first of all, I saw no benefit quite frankly for the town of Yamoth. Um I don't know about the rest of certainly the town of Yamoth, going back to Peter's comment about us being extremely dense. This
like triples the opportunity to triple the density. That's number one. And um the the other thing is the some of the issues in here we are currently addressing like we we have that special you know those special permits for those motels along Route 28 for our summer
employees. So we make we took a giant step in trying to address that particular problem. It was brought to us numerous times and we we addressed it and the and the zoning board. So that was our concern. That was our Yammen's concern you know initially um was the
summer employees and we addressed that. Um I haven't heard any you know cry from the residents about artists or you know artist housing or or any of these definitions. Um,
I don't think they built a case other than the state wants more housing. Um, and they think principal is the county they're going to dump it into or use us to take care of every everyone else on on the Cape. Um, but I overall I didn't see any benefit quite frankly for the
town of Yamoth. I was thrilled that we didn't meet the first definition for seasonal housing. We were off by a few percentage points because I just didn't think the town would benefit from from that designation. And then now that I've read this and some of the issues that they've raised, I think we've done a good job addressing those. So again,
what's I hate to say, but you know, what's in it for us? Quite frankly, I didn't see anything that would be would benefit our town quite frankly to a to a degree that we would open this up to all sorts of all sorts of housing. But again, I haven't I'll go back and read it again. I'll read the
PowerPoint. My initial cut is thanks but no thanks. Madam Chair, could I just Kathy maybe could talk about it as the last bullet point, but I we haven't talked about it as a town, the residential tax exemption. I think we're going to be
well that's what I I guess that's what I was hoping you could just shed a little light on which I do think in small contrast to Miss Brida I do think that there is a benefit here but we haven't even had the residential tax exemption conversation at all as a and now you
know the state's waving this little red this little red flag and we're supposed to be the bull to run towards to say oh would you like 50%. right instead of 35. And we haven't even had a conversation at any committee level as far as I'm cons as far as I'm aware or the select board level about an RTE. So
could you just talk about that for a second in terms of how the town sees it as a benefit and where any further discussion might come and where those discussions would live if we ever decided to do that? I think it or is that a home rule petition? Is that the thing I was thinking of? Maybe I'm thinking about
presidential tax exemption. I think that's that's something that came out of um that's the when I heard about it was from the stakeholder interviews with the finance committee and basically what it is is if you're a full-time resident and you have a median
you know an average cost home you would see a reduction in your property taxes and that that reduction would then be charged to a non-resident property would be increased when you if you happen to own a particularly expensive home in the town of Yarmouth that may not really benefit you but it takes off a certain
percentage of your assessed value 35 50% um both and then applies the tax to that. So I think that's something that's being discussed as ways of kind of easing the burden of taxes maybe for some full-time residents here and and but maintaining the same amount of
revenue coming into the town and other towns on the Cape are also having that discussion. I think is Orleans I I think I saw the chart I think Barnstable does it. I think there are definitely other communities um reliance has moved I think down the tracks on it.
I don't recall it being a major discussion um at the select board. I do know that somebody had um written a a very detailed letter about it to them. I think it was when Senator Seir came in, there was a conversation about some home there was a whole there was a general
conversation about home rule petitions and how towns I think it had to do with a tax% on over maybe a million dollar. I'm sorry that I'm confusing the issues. They're somewhat interrelated in the sense that we're trying to provide some
revenue to the town as well as some tax relief at the same time. Thank you, Susan. Yeah, that would provide um it's not the issue. Okay. Hi, Susan. I told you. Okay, Susan. All right. Yeah, that idea is like you'd pick a dollar, you know, a mil like when you sell a home that's worth like a million
dollars on something, there would be a certain percentage 0.5 to up I think up to 2% be paid by the purchaser and go housing. Well, then I apologize, Madam Chair, if I just made this more confusing, but I was fast just in, you know, I appreciate what Miss Ba said,
but I do feel like some again, I don't work in the in in the in the industry like Peter does, but is this an actual benefit? I'm not saying is it enough to actually want to pass the entire thing. I just was curious. I Where's that burden going to be
shifted to the non-resident going somewhere and you're going to how you going to track that? What's I don't even I haven't read I don't know. Okay. The impact either. Couldn't even guess one. Yeah. Okay. I don't think it's enough though. I I my belly button says it wasn't sir. My belly button
My belly button says it wasn't enough to it wasn't enough to invalidate all the concerns we have in the three bullet points at the beginning of the memo. Madam Chair, but um and I don't want to take away Mr. Slove's opportunity. Peter, any any comments? No, I I don't
um I I hope we don't get bogged down with this for the next x next x number of meetings batting this around. You you don't have to comment on it. Um this is just a case of I know that we commented on the ADU regulations very different. Yeah, because that was something that we were definitely going to be dealing with and
I do think that they made changes to the U regulations based on comments that you guys made. I'm sure they were a lot of other people made them, but I think it did make a difference here. I'm I'm I'm I think I'm less I see less value in in commenting unless you wanted to talk
about in a generic sense about the definitions and then federal fair housing. Um just to finish out um if you become a seasonal community, you are required to have these particular zoning changes implemented within 18 months of
your formally accepting the designation. And they include allowing for year-round tiny homes by right and a tiny home is 400 square feet or less. in in all residential zoning districts, but it must comply with the state building code, which is good. Um, they do have a separate regulations to provide a
definition for movable tiny homes, which I appreciate, on a chassis. Um, and allows a seasonal community the option to prohibit movable tiny homes. So, I think you're not going to end up with a lot of they're basically, you know, RV
trailers that would then be um in people's yards in the back. Um, I don't know if that's what the community wants, but I I'm glad that they didn't force you to have a movable tiny home uh um bylaw in your community. There's also a requirement um regarding undersized lots. I think our non-conforming section
is pretty liberal and we actually catch a lot of those. Um they call it um undersized lots, but they're non-conforming lots. We have a lot of legally nonp pre-existing non-conforming lots. Um but this may you know make a couple um a few few lots that were
non-buildable for various reasons usually related to common ownership it might make them buildable. Madam chair can I ask a timeline question? So we didn't initially get the designation because we were 3% under. So we didn't get automatically designated at the beginning. So now there's a
pathway through our elected officials. There's always a pathway. I mean, if we wanted it, we could have actually petitioned kind of for it because all the criteria, I think we would have been able to say we we're very strong in all this criteria, but they're not requirements. They were only requirements for the initial designation.
People were initially designated and I'm assuming they had to accept it, but we were not through a vote of some kind for town meeting vote. Okay. Yes. So, we would need a town meeting vote even if they say, "Okay, we're going to let all Barnstable County towns you." Right. So if if the so this isn't has
nothing to do this wouldn't come to the select board for how long I mean is this something we should be is on our radar for spring 2026 town meeting or is this spring 2027 town meeting? I have no idea. I have no idea. I guess I I guess that's why I'm I'm I'm I just
want to piggyback on what Peter's saying is I think we should do literally nothing here, Madam Chair, when it doesn't sound like there's any imminent concern in terms of the practical in, you know, acceptance or even much less a discussion about this at the select board level. Thank you,
Dearra. I uh was very um I I really don't fully understand what it would benefit us. So I think that's one thing I'd like to better understand. And about the designation
uh I I found it in intriguing that we came in underneath and I looked at the way the def the way the uh definition was implemented and have all sorts of questions about that. But that's neither here nor there. Another thing that I
paid attention to is the artists because over the years I've done a lot of contracts with the National Endowment for the Arts on how to define artists and their connection to the workforce. So that that's something that I could certainly get involved in if we ever get
designated and need to do it. Uh but I and I share all the other hesitations and interests that people have mentioned. I really don't know. Uh I I think it's I don't think we need to comment on anything at this point if if
uh given that we don't have the designation and we don't know where it's going. This is just going to become the rules that if we become designated that we would have to live. Yeah. Could this change with a new governor in 12 months?
Right. I mean just I mean as well as other elected officials who may change. Um I I also agree. I don't want to take any time and I don't want to burden you, Kathy, with having to put together a response. Yeah. Uh my view view of this is that this is
like a um um a piece of candy that's got a nut in the middle of it that they want to get through. There are two things that they want. Tiny homes and undersized lots. And they wrapped around it
pages of pages of definitions. pages of what a trust is. A regional trust, um, pages about who the occupants are. Zoning should, you know, zoning is about the land use, the use of the land, not
necessarily all the time about who occupies it. We went through this when we went through our ADU discussions where we thought that you know the the the the use of the property and and helping all get additional housing. We
were limiting it with having the affordable restrictions. These restrictions are 30-year restrictions. Um you can still have short-term rentals for six months. Um, I I just think they wrapped this around
public employees and artists and you it goes page after page, residential exemptions, housing needs assessment, and the reporting. I picked up on the reporting, not a reporting, the reporting on things like
um recordkeeping on yearround housing occupancy restrictions. we would have to keep track of that and re and report it out. Um, and their definitions are I I think are really not very well done. Um, they keep using
housing unit and there's no definition of housing unit. We commonly refer to that as a dwelling unit which does have a definition. Um, they even they even do that with the definition of tiny homes. I mean, they're calling it a housing unit. There's no definition. It's really
a dwelling unit, which has a a real difference in terms of what the requirements are for a dwelling unit. Anyway, so they want two I think they just want two more things. They want tiny homes and they want lots that are big but not subdividable and they want
to get um housing onto those lots and they wrap a big piece of chocolate around it with all of this other stuff. I mean, I'm I You all love chocolate, Madam Chair. I hear you. You don't have to quote me on all of that, Kathy. I think that's funny. But it doesn't sound like, Madam Chair,
if if you're asking, do we need to comment, are you are you suggesting that we should comment with the chocolate analogy or No. Okay. Well, I don't know. No, I'm not I I'm not suggesting that. Um I I'm fine with not commenting on it. There was nothing here that was so
obviously egregious that you'd want to get. So, if our elected officials, Let me just make sure I understand this right. So if in Boston our representatives for the town of Yarmouth get a bill passed that says we want to we we want Yarmouth to be
designated a seasonal community. It would then come to the special town it would come to a town meeting in the future. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It would come to the select board and I guess they would decide what Yeah. They come down the mountain with the tablets and they say do you want this? And then there'll be a discussion and
then potentially a vote. Perfect. And it doesn't feel like given the timeline that is happening anytime terribly soon. I have no idea. Okay. Or even better, but I don't think it's I haven't heard anybody talking about it other than elected officials. The the the legislators want to get at
least it automatically designated. I haven't heard anything at the local level about anything gone before the select board on this. Not to my knowledge. I haven't seen anything on the agendas. which elected officials have come talk to the town of Yarmouth and asked its residents if this is something that we actually want.
I think Kip Diggs was was asking some questions with regard to um to it with the town administrator. I think the idea was that what he wanted to do was add more cookies in the sense that if you
are a seasonal community, maybe you get an extra point or or something on some of these one-stop grants that come to different communities. Um, so different ways of kind of monetizing it to give us better access to funding, which I thought was a good idea. I
mean, so that might be a benefit that maybe drop a few points off that 10% maybe. Huh. % affordable housing. Oh, that okay. Sorry. Any any further um discussion on this? Okay. Um next on our agenda, Madaki's
project, Kathy. Yes. Madaki's muck committee was had a very productive meeting on October 9th and they kind of um they had a final report which I need to get posted on the town website from catalyst architects
giving some ideas of costs associated with rehabilitation um and different uses talking about the mad he's building itself rehabilitation yeah don't worry okay because we did that in 2017 mad madam chair with this is a case where I think you kind of need to confirm I see.
Um u but obviously the the keeping the gym in the auditorium is something that the community was interested. So what what's the cost to kind of bring that up to snuff and it's quite significant. Um so so that report was presented to them and then they also um BSC group
presented six different uh kind of bubble diagrams that showed different types of land uses and general generic blocks kind of thing of how it might be laid out uh on the site. And then the muck actually went through and made some preliminary
prelim preliminary recommendations that they're going to be presenting to the select board at the November 4th meeting. Um some of the things that they they um made a determination on was demoing the school portion of the Madakis building. Um was that a yay or a nay?
Definitely gone. It's they voted the gym and the auditorium. Correct. The school wings. Um and then they did vote to demolish the gym and auditorium provided at least one of the three scenarios has um a place for town
recreation. Um and then they also um had a vote with regard to um should one of the it's kind of ironic because the next one they asked was should one of the scenarios include a recreation building for the town and of course they voted for that because that's what they were interested
uh in there. Um, and then they also voted um to recommend that housing of some sort be included in all three conceptual site plans, but that wasn't unanimous. It was 52. I think there were some people who were didn't want to be hamstrung by having to
require housing in all three. Um, but that that one ended up passing. And I think it's going to be different levels of housing in diff in different scenarios. Um and they did vote to have one or more of the options include some type of regional sports facility.
Uh and then including Emmy small obviously in one of the scenarios making sure that that's included and then they did vote to not move municipal services to the site in any way shape or form. So I'm sorry was it last? Municipal services like town hall and not not move it
not not to go to medication any municipal services recreation's different. Yeah, I mean like town hall. Um but but Peter just mentioned and need fire station like a fire station. Okay. You can't the fire the problem with the fire station is it needs to be in your
service area and there's no you know the service area for um South Yarmouth is not in West Yarmouth and it's too close to the fire station 3. So they're doing a study on that right now actually the fire department on trying to identify um you know what their service needs are
and where. How did they decide or conclude that that wouldn't be a good place for a town hall? How did they sort of just Is that what you're saying? Yeah. Yeah. They just said it's not a good place for a town hall. No, I think they basically thought that the amount of work that would need to go into making that building or portions of
that building uh habitable for offices was too. We weren't I don't think Peter was advocating for bu for retrofitting medic. He was talking about from scratch sites on part of that. Oh, no. They didn't they didn't have recommend that at all.
Interesting. Because there was some talk early on. I remember Bill Scott talking about this building being in a really great location and it could be perhaps retrofitted um for a fire station.
Yeah, I think the idea was to move the fire station here and then build a whole new You'd have to have the base and then maybe move the um DNR over there. Um, so when you move everybody around, the only building that that gets left is the one with the DNR and recreation in it that
you could sell and that's like valued at $1.7 million. But you'd have to build a whole new town hall in order to accommodate all of that moving around. Yeah, it's quite a location though and scroll and 28. Yeah, I I just
I think one of the things that they were trying to do is look at different ways of um obviously meeting some of the demands that were clearly identified um with regard to the sports complex, recreation and housing. Um but in different ways it might not cost the town the money, you
know. So maybe it's a case where it's a sports complex and it becomes like some type of public private partnership where we get access to a gym on a regular basis of some defined amount through an RFP or memorandum of agreement or something along those lines.
Bill Scott had mentioned that I think there was a grant or he was pursuing something for the sewer the some is that still he was not I don't think he was able to put that application in. We did receive u a mass development grant for $200,000,
but it's really kind of to continue with the next uh step with regard to evaluating a market study for the um a sports complex in more detail and also additional work for BSC group to do get more information with regard to the traffic implications. What are some of
the mitigation? surveying the site, actually defining where the some of those wetlands are, you know, getting it on a map, um, and furthering those endeavors, and even looking at, you know, what zoning might need changes might need to be made in order to accommodate all of that. Well, could I just follow up on Peter's question? And I I apologize because I haven't been
watching a lot of the muck the mucking around, Madam Chair, but has there been a discussion about the sewer and about what whatever goes into that Madakis location, how it can Okay, so they're very clear that like, hello, we can't do
this without sewer. Yeah, I think the only thing that would might be manageable without sewer would be obviously the Emmy small school and then if we had a small a small town recreation facility with a couple gyms in it or something. There's a lot of assumptions in that assumption. Number one being that there
will still be a school at Emmy Small in 5 years. Correct. Which I would argue is tenuous. Um which is good based on my work and experience. But I could be wrong. Yeah. I'm Well, you would be more in the no. But I could be wrong. I just I'm just glad to hear that the word sewer was mentioned because
Oh, definitely. Definitely. Yep. If you have any development with housing on it, you're going to need to have sewers. Sports complex, you're going to need to have sewers, right? Yep. We need to protect our wells. We can't even think of doing something like that without that. So, again, well, I guess it'll be
interesting to see where phase two of I'm hoping that that's that's on the radar screen with regard to to phase two. And then you might have the potential of getting some grants to help with the design of that um through, you know, economic development and housing being provided there. So
I would think they're just throwing money at you to for more housing. So hopefully they'll throw it our way. Uh moving on. Dearra, did you have any comments on this one? Uh no comments. Okay. Thank you. Um I have a tendency to
forget when people are remote. Well, I was looking for a hand and I didn't see one, Madam Chair, but I I appreciate that. Thank you. We can't see your smiling face. It's her choice. I can't make my camera work. I don't Okay. Sorry, dear. I apologize. I I thought you just didn't want to see Do you want us to see you?
Um, we have minutes to accept. Um, may I have a motion to accept the minutes of July 16th? So moved. Um, all in favor? I have to do roll call. Second. Second. Mr. Rubenstein. Oh, I Mr. Slovak. I
um Miss Gquin I and myself to win. Uh approved. I may have a motion to accept the minutes of October 1st. So moved. Second. Any discussion? Um uh Deedra
I. Deer I. Will I? Joanne I. So everybody Okay. Excellent. Committee updates. Yes, Madam Chair. I do have one, if I may, please.
Um, the rack met on October 6th. Um, there were a couple of highlights. Uh, the facility is continuing to motor along. And I believe the DPW has put up, much like they did with the Parker's River Landing project, they've put up
some drone videos so you can see the progress. Um, it's not an incredibly sexy view right now. Um, because they haven't actually started building any buildings yet or building large holes in the ground as you can imagine, Madam Chair, given the
nature of the of the actual building itself. Um, let's see. Uh, just a small tweak just because people are maybe wondering about timelines. um the the the the facility will not be done until
January of 2028. So that's a few months later than was originally projected at the beginning. It's not uncommon for a project of this size for it to slide a few months. Um so again, just to kind of get people in the mindset of
there's no building there's no facility to flush the toilet into until January of 2028. And even then, once the building is constructed, it has to be brought online, which is a several month process to actually be able to receive what it needs to receive. So, um I think
we're looking at the middle of 2028 at the earliest until anybody is going to be flushing a toilet that will go into that system, uh into that building. Um speaking of which, there still is the work going on at the golf course. Um and they're making lots of progress at D.
Um, and we'll be doing some work this fall with leeching manholes and perk tests and all kinds of good things because again the state of Massachusetts decided to give us a permit for 375,000 gallons when what we need is a million and and a half at the very least. But
what can you do? Um, nothing except be uh what I would say flexible which is what our town has been and thanks to the amazing um consultants that work with us to make that happen. All right. collection system east of Parker's
River. You may have heard of it. Um, you may have also realized there's some paving going on. There's some roads that have disturbed. I'll just say it that way. Um, I think having four or five days of rain didn't help. But yeah, as you can see, the crews are out there
and again, everything that was done in contracts 2, three, and four will be paved. It will be paved this fall. And um, I just ask for patience. Um, but the good news is what we'll end up with is everything to Parker's River will be
nice and paved and lovely um by the end of this fall. Yes, Peter. Include Long Pond Drive. Um, that's a good question. It depends on the pump. There's a pump station right there behind the Pancake Man. So, are you talking about that piece of Long Pond or the piece from the from the
Forest Road traffic light to Long Pond? the worst. I would imagine that will be. However, if they haven't finished the pump station and they still have to come in and out of there. Um, but I would I don't know the I don't know for sure and I'm sure Jeff Colby does, I would imagine they would have to re they would be repaving that as well
because that's all in the contract. So, my answer is going to be an official yes, it will and I hope that Jeff Goldby will back me up road either. So, it wouldn't be subject to the opening. It is not. It is not, but it is under it is in the contract clearly because the pump station is there and all the work
they had to do just to get up to Forest because remember Forest eventually is going to run up to the dump and there's all kinds of things going on there. Um, okay. Um, there was some very there was some good news finally after several
months of conversation about contract 6 and the location of the pump station. For the first time ever, Mr. KBY said at our meeting that uh he expects to have in hand an agreement within in the next 30-ish days on a location for the pump
station or an easement in order to get the pump station cited and then get that contract back on track because it may or may not have to be rebid. Right now, the contractor, which happens to be the same one that's building right now, um, has held on to their price for almost a year now
because I think the understanding was if they did get the next contract, which would be contract five, then they would just literally get to keep moving down the road. So, there's I would say the most optimism and the quote I wrote down here is we are getting closer. Um, and we hope to have it in hand in the next 30
days. So, the pump station may yet come to fruition. Hopefully we'll find out something at our next rack meeting which is on Monday, November 3rd, which by the way will include a sitewalk. Um, okay. Last thing and included the friends of Bass River. Madam Chair, I wanted to
mention um congratulations to them. They now have the money in hand for next July to start the culvert replacement and 57 acres of wetlands restoration um at Weir Road and North Dennis Road. And so that is amazing work by our friends um at the
Friends of Bass River. Well, that was very bad English, but you understand where I'm coming from. Um you've done good. And well done by Rick Bishop and all the nice wonderful people who are doing that. Not to mention, I think he I might be misquing, but I think he said a million scallops got was it 100,000 or a
million because it was a really big number and I said number I think it was a million and he said that's not even as much as they could do but they have to start somewhere. It might be hundreds of thousands. I think they're having their symposium next. They are the 24th at two at the cult.
They're having their I mean you probably go to it their annual symposium friends of Bass River um on the 24th I think at 2 at the cultural center and I'm sure they will give more hopefully more accurate information but at the same time what I did say was true which is they are starting next July.
Um, also a tangential but very much related uh part of this is did anybody notice our friends in Dennis have broken ground? Yeah. on their sewer system. And just to be clear, in case you were wondering, um they are building their sewer plant behind or next to the dump which is on
the Smith Road, which means for the next while um it's going to be quite interesting to get in and out of that whole 134 corridor because if you look on their maps on their town website, phase one is right up 134 coming right out of that plant right to 134 and right
in that whole area. So, you know, I like going to that movie theater, Madam Chair, but I may have to leave extra early um for the next, I don't know, three years. Um but I'm very excited for our friends in Dennis and um even though I thought the dream of the trilateral commission to have sewer between our
three towns, including Haritch would have been a nice way to go. It is wonderful to see that progress is being made um across the river. Um I do have some board member items, Madam Chair, but I will wait until that section of the uh agenda. Thank you.
Any other committee reports? Not here. Okay. Um I have one uh I had the CPC committee today. Um and we had a presentation by friends of Bass River
with regard to their work on uh Crawl Run Pond which is down there by Smuggler's Beach um and the Culver um project there uh that will run underneath the parking lot. Um so we we are considering their proposal
uh for the work on the design of that. Phase one was uh is is currently in in um in progress on the feasibility. They've done some hydraological um studies um with Tyen Bond. Um and it
looks like they've got an idea. They've they've done all of the homework to get to this next step of design. Um so that's what their project is right now in front of us. Uh that we will um we will be voting on. That's all I have.
Madam Chair, one board member item if I may. Yes. Unfortunately, Joe Glenn resigned from the Dennis Yarmouth Regional School Committee as a Yarmouth representative. And what that means is that there is an opening and if I remember correctly from the select board meeting, um this is now the period in which to contact the town
administrator's office if you're interested in serving, I believe, the rest of his term, which would go until April or May when whenever the next election is. And I believe there will be meeting candidates at the November 4th select board meeting. Oh, I believe is if I'm pretty sure I
watched that video correctly. Um, but I guess what I'm saying is if you're interested in serving the Denn Dennis Yarmouth Regional School Committee as a Yarmouth resident, there is an opening and we do need someone to fill it because there are many important votes coming. not not the least of which is the feasibility study, not to mention
the budget process which starts has already started and will certainly be in deep budget season starting in January. So, I really do hope that some nice some nice folks who are passionate about the work of the school committee and the schools um will please make themselves
available and to communicate with the town administrator's office. Thank you. Thank you, Kathy. Any staff updates that you need to share? Um just I think I had sent you guys a notice
that um the affordable housing trust had met with the proponents of the chapter 40B um and they were going to be maybe submitting some some revised plans. They submitted a rather rudimentary plan, but they are meeting the affordable housing
trust is meeting tomorrow at 10:30 to kind of talk about that. I don't know if they're going to have any revisions that they're going to be submitting. They're I think they need to submit them by October 31st for their November 13th continued hearing, right? For the ZBA hearing, right?
If there's any plans or something that they do present, I will present them to you guys on November 4th and you can see whether you would like to have any additional comments. Okay, great. Thank you. Meetings. Um our next meeting um
uh will be Tuesday with the select board uh where we will be presenting our three articles for town meeting. Uh Kathy and I will be going and of course all of you are invited to join us. Um November 5th is our regular meeting. At that meeting um we will uh I
would like to complete the committee assignments. Um we've that's been delayed a little bit. So, think again about what committees um you you'd like. I know we had a preliminary discussion, but we're going to finalize that um on the November 5th meeting. Then, of course,
on November 17th, we have our special town meeting. Madam Chair, may I ask a follow-up question? Certainly. Um we do have a meeting scheduled for the 19th. Um I just I mean, it's on the schedule. I'm not saying it will take place. Unfortunately, I will be out of town. Just wanted to make that known in
case something pops up. Um, in terms of having a quorum, it could if we have a mandatory business item that needs to otherwise I wasn't assuming that that meeting was going to take place necessarily, but I just wanted to mention it in the interest of Thank you. our functioning. You're welcome.
Uh, may I have a motion to adjurnn? So moved. Second. Roll call. I'll start with you Dedra. I Peter. Hi. Will I Joanne? I thank you. Thank you Kathy. Thank you.