I don't have a word >> recording in progress. >> Evening and welcome to the October 1st, 2025 Yarmouth Planning Board meeting. Uh I am Joanne Crowley, the chair. The public is welcome to attend our meetings in person or by alternative public
access provided on the town of Yarmmouth website. Our meetings are generally held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, but sometimes we have extra ones um uh when needed. Um I'd like to begin by taking roll call. >> Susan Brida, >> Deedra Aquin
>> here, >> Will Rubenstein, >> I'm here. >> Peter Slovak >> here. >> Ken Smith >> here. >> And Joanne Crowley present. Uh seeing that we have a quorum present, I can now call the meeting to order. Um please join me in the pledge of allegiance.
I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Uh the first item on our
agenda this evening uh is our local comprehensive plan public hearing. Um, I'd just like to review for um the uh members of the public who are here and those who might join us remotely uh the protocol for this. Um uh
first of all, I'm going to open the meeting uh officially. Then I read the uh public hearing notice that appeared in the newspaper. Sorry to drag you all through that. Um and then Kathy will have a presentation from us uh for us, a PowerPoint presentation. Um Kathy will
then summarize some of the written comments we've received. Um then we will open it up uh to the public here and those of us those of us joining um those of you joining us remotely. Um there may be some up some updates
Kathy needs to provide to us that have occurred since our last meeting and she'll bring those up to date for us and then we will close the public hearing and then the planning board um will discuss um any uh next steps uh for us. So let me open the public hearing and I
note that it is 5:34 um and I'll read the public notice. Uh, this public notice appeared in the Cape Cod Times on September 17th and the 24th of 2025. The Yarmouth Planning Board will hold a
public hearing on Wednesday, October 1st, at 5:30 p.m. in the hearing room of the Yarmouth Town offices, 1146, Route 28 South Yarmouth, Mass 02664, and via remote uh access
or via telephone uh to re uh to receive public comment on the draft local comprehensive plan for the town of Yarmouth. The local comprehensive plan establishes a long range vision for the town's growth and development over the next 10 years. The plan includes goals
and targeted actions related to environmental resources and open space, community design and land use, transportation, coastal resiliency and sustainability, waste management, capital improvements, community
character and c cultural heritage, the economy, housing, town services and recreation. A copy of the full draft local comprehensive plan is available for review at the planning division Yarmouth town offices 1146 Route 28 South
Yarmouth Massachusetts 02664 during business hours 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through f Friday and on the town of Yarmouth website. Any person interested in or wishing to be heard regarding the draft local
comprehensive plan should appear at the time and place designated. Written comments will be accepted and should be directed to the planning board care of Kathy Williams, town planner, no later than September 30th, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Submitted by Joanne Crowley, uh planning
board chair. So with that, uh we can open up the hearing this evening on the local comprehensive plan. and Kathy has a presentation for us um on its contents, a summary uh and I'd like to turn the meeting over to her at this point. >> Thank you, Joanne. And welcome
everybody. Uh we are in the final stretches. We are at the final draft of local comprehensive plan and we're in good uhstead, I think, to proceed to uh voting on it at special town meeting on November 17th. Um I see some familiar faces. Um we've had a lot of public
input that's been uh taken in in order to develop this plan as well as we received some additional comments during our August uh public review period that we have also incorporated into uh the local comprehensive plan. I apologize it's 150 pages long
um and I will try to summarize that in a reasonable period of time. So what's in the LCP and what's the purpose of it? It's really our 10-year um master plan. What do we want to do in the next 10 years? what's important to our community and how do we want to start investing and spending our
resources. So, the LCP is broken down into these eight different chapters. The first one's the community vision and growth policy, which I'll go over. The different community goals, which is kind of the overarching goals for a bunch of different elements within the plan. Chapter three is our biggest section. You'll notice um it has a lot of great
information in it. Each element has a bunch of information on existing conditions and some trends and some data. It also identifies the key issues and needs within our community and talks about recent actions that um the town and other entities have undertaken to try and address some of these issues.
And then that leads right into chapter four which is our targeted action plan. So knowing what the key issues and needs are helps us to identify what we need to do in the future in order to address those issues. Chapter five is our housing section. We have a recently completed 2024 housing production plan and that section heavily relies on that.
Um, and then chapter six is our capital infrastructure and facilities. So, we're going to need to make some infrastructure improvements to allow for this managed growth that we're talking about in the local comprehensive plan. Chapter 7 goes over all the different public engagement opportunities that we've done, kind of starting with our visioning plan back in 2021. And then
the real heart of the document is chapter eight, which is the implementation matrix. that identifies the different actions, who's responsible for making it happen, what's the time frame for making it happen, and then what are some of the potential funding sources to help make that action happen. So, as I mentioned, we're looking to get
an adopted plan uh at fall special town meeting and we would be seeking this winter certification from the Cape Cod Commission. There's different benefits for getting certification with the Cape Cod Commission and our plan has been developed to be um in consistent with the regional policy plan for Cape Cod as
well. So our vision, you know, we really want a community that's a great place to live, work, play, and learn. We want to have an attractive and an affordable and inclusive community. We want to be sure that we have a clean and healthy and sustainable environment. It's important to all of us. We want a strong and
diverse economy so people can actually afford to live here. We want to have a bunch of great places where we can recreate and leisure. And then we're looking for educational excellence as well. So the next part is the growth policy. Where do we want to do this managed growth within our community? and what do
we want to protect within our community. So, this helps identify um the areas within town where we are interested in seeing economic uh growth. Obviously, we were interested in doing it through um places where we have the municipal sewers. We certainly don't want to be e aggravating our environmental impact uh
our environmental resource issues. We also want to make sure that it's aesthetically pleasing. So, we care about what it looks like and the design standards. Um, we're looking for mixeduse or commercial development along Route 28 and redeveloping uh some of our hotel properties along Southshore Drive. And then there's other different segments along Route 28, which we're
kind of concentrating on as being good places for future growth and redevelopment. Other areas we're looking at is a potential enhancing our village centers on Route 6A uh through the village center um improvement project that we're working on right now. and also the uh
town-owned former Madakis Middle School property offers a great deal of opportunity to address a bunch of different community needs. Um, and that's a project that's currently uh ongoing right now to identify those potential uses to present to the community. And we want to do this all while we're protecting our historic and
cultural resources. We want to be sure that we're doing it resiliently and with sustainability. We really want to be sure we're stewarding all of our valuable water and environmental resources. Uh one of the things with the regional policy plan is being consistent with that plan and they have identified these eight place types up here. So in
our growth policy we're kind of required to reference those the different areas where we think we're going to be doing development. So we're lot doing a lot of suburban commercial development along route 28 and we have some activity centers along in the south Yarmouth village and then of course our historical and natural areas.
Again, being consistent with the regional policy plan, the Cape Cod Commission's plan has uh been broken down into three different systems. There's natural systems, built systems, and community systems. Uh we're following um the same general idea. We've moved some stuff around to fit Yarmouth a little bit better. Our um
natural systems are water resources, wetlands and wildlife and plant habitat, our open space, but we inserted coastal resiliency here. Our built systems deal with community design and land use. So a lot of zoning uh how how we develop our community, transportation, climate mitigation, waste management and capital
facilities and infrastructure. And then our community systems are really our community character or cultural heritage, our economy. Economy economy, our housing, and then the last two items, town services and recreation aren't required to be in an a local comprehensive plan, but they really rose to the top as being uh key issues for
our community during the visioning project. So we've incorporated that into it. So I'm going to get right into the actual um meat of it which is the action items that we talked about for all these different elements uh we have and it also identifies the goal and then some of the I'll go over very briefly I'll
try the action items with regard to these um different elements. So the wastewater management we have six different actions that really are revolve around continuing with the implementation of our eightphase comprehensive wastewater management plan. We're obviously looking to complete phase one which is under construction right now which is really
um focusing on our route 28 and our southshore commercial corridors as well as the treatment facility. Uh we also need to look at other places where we can get rid of the treated water the affluent discharge locations and get those permitted through mass D. Uh again this is an eightphase process. We've got
phase one down but what are some of these other phases? What does phase two look like and how try to identify the best locations for phase two? Uh we were able to secure $27 million for phase one, but we need to start looking at other funding sources for other phases of the project. We want to keep up with our septage treatment facility. We're
all going to be on uh a lot of us will be on septic for a long time. We want to make sure that people are properly pumping their septic tanks to keep the environment sound. And they want to continue supporting our water resource advisory uh committee's mission, which is really about all water quality, not just estuaries, marine, but freshwater
and drinking water as well. For water supply, we have six actions to assist sustain to develop a sustainable supply of high-quality drinking water. So, we really need to stay on top of new regulations and contaminants. I think we've all heard of PIFAs. Uh recently, we've had to in the last couple years
had to get treatment for the first time uh for PAS within our drinking water resources. So, we want to stay on top of that. We want to make sure that we're making incremental improvements to our water uh infrastructure, developing that capital plan that we need, and then also looking at our assessing our water rates in order to be able to fund that. Want
to continue with water conservation. We've all had been impacted with the droughts that we've been having recently, which seem to be more frequently. We also want to update our water master plan and especially looking at um our future water demands and how making sure that we can uh have sufficient supply for that. and then working regionally um for some type of
mitigation solutions and redundancies to help out help out each other. Fresh and saltwater resources. There's eight actions to preserve, protect and restore the quality and functions of them. Um there are three different title restoration projects that we're looking at. These are really places where the um title flow has been restricted and it's
really impacting the water quality upstream. We're working with the friends of Bass River for one on North Dennis Road and also Weir Road. We're also working with them on Croll Pond where there's a constricting pipe that goes underneath Smuggler's Beach and what we can do in order to open that up a little bit and get some more flushing there.
We're also working on a long pond study to look at the water quality there and come up with some recommendations and future implementation of those. The Cape Cod Commission has done a really good job with their freshwater initiative and they've identified a bunch of different strategies that communities can undertake to protect and improve their
water quality of their freshwater ponds. So we really need to dive into those and look at those and see which ones we can implement which would be suitable uh for the town of Yarmouth. Want to continue working with and supporting the Hyannis Pifos working group looking at POS contamination from the airport and u the
former Barnstable Fire training facility. We want to continue with our storm water projects and different best management practices that we can do for treatment. Want to continue with our recreational shellfish and fisheries. Obviously shellfish also help with water quality as well. uh continue with our
fertilizer education program. Fertilizer can have a lot of nitrogen in it, so we want to be sure that people are applying it properly and at the time that they're applying it and also where they're applying it. And then you see this um last action item in gray. Anything that's in gray is an actual regulatory or zoning change that we're considering.
Um and so we're also looking at maybe um supplementing the storm water regulations to require best management practices for pre-treatment. So wetland resources, we have six actions related to protecting, preserving, and restoring the quality and natural functions of coastal wetlands and their buffers. Uh we're
working with friends of Bass River on a wetland restoration project on the upper reaches of Bass River as part of their title restoration project. Um we're also um ta staff is supporting and participating in the Cape Cod Hospital Bay View Bogs project that's being done. also going to be looking at wetland
regulations and bylaws taking into consideration sea level rise uh and different mapping uh opportunities that are out there now. We also want to look at purchasing or conservation restrictions um to allow for salt marsh and wetland migration as sea levels rise. Um salt marshes need to migrate.
We also want to continue with public education on the regulations. We're finding that a lot of times people are inadvertently damaging environmental resources because they're not fully understanding the re what the resources are and the regulations around them. also want to be sure people know what are some of the best management practices that they as homeowners can
also undertake and then also considering potential for um banning uh herbicides and pesticides near waterways and wetland resources. So with plant and wildlife habitat we have six actions to protect, preserve and restore those habitats and maintain species diversity.
Uh one of them is completing the Chase Brook Park project which has an extensive amount of invasive species management as well as native plant restoration. Uh and then also looking at other town owned properties for invasive species management. We have some projects that are currently uh ongoing. Also doing annual vernal pool
identification. Those are the breeding habitats for a lot of uh w um invertebrates. Uh and also making sure that they get certified and those are on town properties only. Continuing with our great shore uh bird monitoring and protection program. We all love the plvers. Making sure that they're okay.
uh and continuing with our prescribed burn program which is really controlled burns which help provide additional types of habitat for um wildlife and then looking at our zone potential zoning changes with regard to land clearing. Open space is six action items to manage, protect and expand those open
spaces and conservation areas. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. Um that's one of the things that we um are looking at and maybe adopt a a park or adopt a area program that we could um get people in our community to participate in that. We're also looking at approved signage, whether it's uh
interpretive signage or wayfinding signage or signage to nearby uh activities or businesses that people might be interested in open space. Also looking for purchasing of properties or conservation restrictions for open space and also to protect a bunch of the different environmental resources that
we have. Continuing uh with the um printing of our conservation trail maps which tell people where to safely uh park as well as um staying on the trails. Enforcing legal use of our conservation areas. So when people encroach or or there's illegal dumping, we want to make sure that we're addressing that. And then looking at tax
delinquent properties and see whether we might want to purchase those or take those over, not purchase them, but take them over uh as uh open space. Coastal resiliency has nine actions to prevent minimize impacts from storms and flooding and erosion and sea level rise on basically everything, the environment, property, infrastructure,
economy, and all the people. We are currently working on updating our hazard mitigation plan, and I hope to have that out for public review in the next month. So, that'll be another thing you guys can can review and participate in. We also want to be sure that we're maintaining um our eligibility in a bunch of different grant programs. Um
MVP has provided us with a great deal municipal vulnerability program has provided us with a great deal of funding. We want to be sure that we stay up to speed on those. Packet landing resiliency project happening at the marina to raise the um the marina uh the wararfs and the lower level of the
parking lot. That's where all of our harbor master boats are and it's also our commercial um marina. Looking at low-lying roads and culverts. We're going to be completing an assessment of low-lying roads and egress for south of Route 28. There's a lot of low-lying roads there. How are people going to get in and out when we start dealing with
sea level rise and whether we need to start expanding, increasing the size of some of our culverts. Also looking at a future Lewis Bay study for accretion and erosion and sholing uh in in the bay. Want to continue with our dredging program. We have a great 10-year uh
dredging permit for Lewis Bay, Parker's River in the lower part of Bass River, but we're also working with the town of Dennis to get a 10-year uh dredging permit for for north the northern part of the upper reaches of the Basser River, which I don't believe has ever been dredged before. Um we also want to
be sure that we're including resilient design within all the town projects that we're working on. We're also looking for mechanism for coastal infrastructure funding. We have a lot of reetment walls and things like that. There's not a lot of grants available for those types of programs. And the Cape Cod Commission has a uh a model flood plane overlay by
bylaw. So, we'll investigate that and see whether we're interested in incorporating any of that uh into our zoning and other regulatory documents. So, moving on to the built systems, community design and land use. As I mentioned, it's mostly related to um
zoning and uh subdivision regulations. So, we have five actions to promote the creation of village areas. We want to have walkable neighborhoods. We we want to be sure that we're having growth in the right places that has adequate infrastructure and minimizing adverse impacts um to the environment. So, we're looking at revising our design
standards. Some of them are not clear enough and others are too too specific and it makes it difficult not only um for developers to implement but also for us to to regulate. Uh we have the Madakis utilization project that's going on and depending on the usage that the
community decides they want to see there, we may need to be looking at some zoning amendments related to that. We also want to take a very comprehensive look at our zoning bylaw and see what we can do to simplify it, rewrite it um to provide that managed growth in the right locations. also looking at updating our
growth incentive zone which is related to projects thresholds for projects that need to go to the Cape Cod Commission for developments of regional impact. That can be a very ti uh timely time consuming and costly endeavor. So there's some parcels in town that currently have elevated thresholds. And
then we want to update our subdivision uh regulations. We don't have a lot of land left for subdivisions but we we need to update those regulations. Next item in built systems is related to transportation and connectivity and we have 15 actions items there to maintain a safe and accessible and efficient
network. Um again it's a route 6A village center and completing that project. It's currently in the pre-25% design uh phase with mass DOT. Uh we also want to be sure that we're coordinating with the mass DOT bass river bridge and four corner project which is going to be starting next month. Uh and then also the other mass
DOT route 28 corridor projects. um the one that's being done and I think it's about 75% design from Parker's River all the way into Barnstable to Yarmouth Road and that includes um bike lanes and it also includes a shared use pathway on the south side that's going to improve the transportation connectivity along
that section of route 28. We do want to improve bike and pedestrian connectivity. We have a lot of gaps in our sidewalks and connectivity. We also want to look at um becoming a complete streets community which allows another potential funding source that we could tap into. The Cape Cod Commission is
working on a Route 6A vision study uh for the entire corridor to see if they can work with the communities and kind of identify some standard uh improvements that might be able to be done throughout the um various sections of of Route 6A. We're also looking at enhancing our coordination with the Cape
Cod Gateway Airport as they continue uh implementing of their master plan, including additional solar speed signs and trailers to help remind people to slow down. Speed was another issue that had been identified. looking at other permanent uh bus shelter locations, maybe at Shaws, so people aren't
standing out in the rain waiting for the regional transit. We want to be sure that we're supporting the canal bridges replacement because if we don't replace them, we're essentially going to become an island and we don't want that to happen. We also want to investigate uh seasonal trail trolley along route 28
with the Cape um with the regional transit and the local chamber and the hotels and see whether that's something that um would make some sense and then again evaluate whether we want to have some traffic um information and mitigation required as within our zoning
bylaw for larger larger projects. climate mitigation and energy. We have eight actions that we're really looking to promote renewable energy initiatives, energy conservation and efficiencies to reduce consumption and then reduce the production of greenhouse gases. Um so we
actually had an action item to use a grant that we received to hire a municipal energy manager, but we've actually hired this person. So they're actually on the books right now. Uh and then also looking at um the potential of developing a climate action plan to identify different ways of of reducing greenhouse gases. Continuing to
participate in the green communities projects supporting the energy committee and this is something that came uh a modification that came out of the comments from the August review period. We included their um updating of their five-year vision plan which includes objectives and strategies as well as
performance standards for energy uh resiliency. We want to look at green uh green infrastructure within our municipal projects that you know solar uh level three charging stations, geothermal uh and all these things that we can do to minimize greenhouse gas
emissions but also trying to do it in a cost-effective way. um in encouraging our community to participate and our residents to participate in Mass Save and Cape Save with the with the home evaluations and the different energy u programs that can be done and also looking at whether we want to be
converting to battery operated um leaf blowers and and mowers. I think that might also help reduce some of the chronic noise we all experience in our neighborhoods uh during certain times of the year. And then also looking at uh zoning amendments to address ground mounted solar and then canopy mount
canopy solar over parking lot areas. Waste management. There's seven actions to promote a sustainable solid waste management system in Yarmouth in the region. Um the plastic foods container and utensils. That was a bylaw that was passed and the plastic advisory committee. I can't remember
what their name is, but they're working on modifications to that bylaw to make it more implementable. it was a little too strict and and different businesses were having difficulty actually being able to accommodate it. We want to be sure that we're continuing to support the recycling solid waste um advisory committee. We need to start looking at
some regional waste options, not just for um solid waste, which is our garbage uh or composting, but also um sludge wastes from things like our our treatment facility coming up. Um, and we also want to start looking at different ways that we can take a waste product
like an organic and turn it into energy or fuel opportunities. Again, that might be something that we can look at regionally. Looking at having a license plate reader at the transfer station, make that a little bit easier for all of us to use the transfer station. Continuing with our annual cleanup community cleanup day. And one of the
ways of of reducing the amount of waste that we have is by giving things to other people, donating them, or repairing things that we have. So identifying a list of places that will take different types of donations and places where you might be able to get some things repaired might be helpful for the community. And again the chapter
on the capital infrastructure and facilities this really is um major large scale key capital facilities improvements that we are looking at that are really meant for anticipated future growth and development. Um and all of these things that are mentioned in the capital improvement or infrastructure and facilities are also incorporated
into action items throughout the different elements within the local comprehensive plan. community systems, community character and cultural heritage. Looking at eight actions to protect, preserve our significant cultural, historic, and archaeological resources and foster a
strong sense of our community. We're looking at having a historic Yarmouth initiative, really promoting all of uh what Yarmouth has to offer as a tourism thing. with regard to all of our historic sites, uh, as well as including more interpretive signage on different historic elements. Uh, completion of the
Revolutionary War monument that's being, um, planned for the playground on Route 6A, evaluating a town common across the street here at Simpkins School. Uh, looking at ways of incorporating public art on town properties, uh, completion of an archaeological survey that the
historical commission received CPA funding for. Uh also looking at the Baxter Grismill building um in in West Yarmouth. They did a lot of great work on the on the property and the dam itself, but the building building needs some additional work. And then supporting all the great arts and
educational opportunities that we have from so many different places, whether it's the cultural center or the the historic society of old Yarmouth. The economy um the economy has the largest number of action items. there's 16 and we're really looking to pro promote a thriving year-round economy with a lot
of different types of jobs. We also want to continue to support our hospitality and tourism industry which is important. We really want to see how what we can do to become more businessfriendly to development but also being sure that we're taking into consideration all of those environmental and infrastructure concerns. Uh so the first action item is
related to what can we do and we're we're working on it now. We're learning as we go along. What can we do to help the businesses during the construction, the construction of the sewer, the construction improvements when mast comes through? What can we do to help them? Developing um a market stud doing conducting a market study to identify
what type of uses and markets do we want to draw to the town of Yarmouth and what might we need to do from a zoning standpoint to to attract those. We're also looking at promoting mixed use. We want to maintain our commercial corridor, but we also know that we do need residential uh housing within the
town. We all madakis provides a lot of opportunities for many different elements within the plan. Uh but it also provides an opportunity for economic development uh as they move forward. They're also looking at indoor and outdoor recreation facility. Again, that may play into Madakis as a potential
option for economic development there. Looking at expanding enhancing our marketing, looking to add a little bit more horsepower for economic development by adding more staff to that area. want to be sure that we're investigating different incentive programs that the state might have with regard to economic development and tapping into those.
Consider a de um developing a community development corporation or or redevelopment authority which could be a much more nimble than the town can be if a particular property comes comes up for sale. Want to be sure that we have u competitive high-speed internet throughout our community. We want to support the community and economic
development committee uh which is currently kind of being reconstituted. Um, and then the Cape Cod Commission also did a comprehensive economic development strategies plan and just going through that and seeing what strategies we might be able to to take out of that and incorporate here into
the town of Yarmouth. Um, we need to look at sewer allocation regulations. The buildout in the comprehensive wastewater management plan allowed for 725,000 gallons per day of additional new growth within our community. And how do we want that to be distributed and allocated throughout the community?
Obviously, the largest section of it is in our commercial commercial corridors. Um, but identifying that so that we can make sure that we're monitoring who's being developed, what's the waste water flow because that we ultimately have a cap on that. Um, we also want to understand that those mass DOT projects
are going to be enhancing our streetscapes. So, having those types of public investment really help foster um some private investment around there. We're looking at simplifying the entertainment licensing and then also looking at temporary seasonal workforce housing. We have some measures in our bylaw right now, but we need to get a
better handle on if there's any additional need and whether there's going to be any additional modifications that we need to make within the zoning bylaw to accommodate that housing. Um there's eight actions to promote preserve the production of an adequate supply of safe yearround uh home ownership as well as rental housing
for people of all wide range of incomes. Um so the number one action there is implementing the housing production plan. There's a bunch of different strategies that have been incorporated into that. Um so let's we made a plan. Let's work that plan. Uh we also want to be sure that we maintain the funding to the affordable housing trust in support
for the community housing committee. Affordable housing trust has money. So they typically are able to help gener actually generate and um provide funding for housing projects. We want to complete the short-term uh rental study that's currently being done by Ma UMass Donahghue to kind of see whether our
short-term rentals impacting our seasonal uh rental our our seasonal housing uh issues and our and whether we need to make any modifications to our zoning bylaw andor general bylaws in order to to address those issues. Again, housing is another opportunity for
MADAKs as we're looking at that. Uh the 2024 affordable homes act had a lot of different funding that came along with it. So investigating that funding and see where we might be able to tap into some of that for Yarmouth, continue with the de uh collaborations that we do with a lot of developers to kind of help them
through the permitting process here in the town of Yarmouth and make the best projects that we can. Uh and then also continuing with housing counseling, um home repairs and and rental assistance. Um town services, as I mentioned, this isn't mandatory um for local
comprehensive plan, but we did incorporate that in there. uh with regard to the government, public safety, health, the library, senior services and education and learning. So, we really want to improve our communications between everyone as well as the interaction
between um the community and the government as well as um public participation in events like this evening and and town meeting. We're also looking at different ways of attracting and retaining town employees. As businesses in town are having difficulty finding employees, so is so is um the municipalities. looking at uh the
potential for a residential tax exemption, which gives lower tax uh taxes for people who are actual residents and live here year round versus people who might be second homeowners or commercial investors. Um going to look at um municipal facilities capital plans, develop those plans as
well as maintenance plans because we want to be sure that we're not waiting too long on our maintenance so it becomes a capital project. Fire has a great strategic plan. Let them work that plan. The police are working on updating their strategic plan and both police and fire are working on a comprehensive emergency management plan update.
They're also working towards regional dispatch continuing with that. They work very hard to leverage a bunch of different grants and fundings for training equipment and personnel, but those types of funding sources are drying up or they're only temporary. Um, and then we also need to look at fire station feasibility studies for fire
station number one and fire station which is on Old Main Street and fire station 2 which is on route 6A. taking a look at the uh emergency EMT services and ambulance receipts. How can we maybe balance that better to get paid for the services that we are providing to our
community? Um continuing with our human services grants. We only have like $60,000 a year that we do in human services grants, but we might want to be able to expand those. and continuing with the uh Yarmas substance awareness uh committee. The library building, they're looking at a new library,
continuing with the design and development of that and building support for that through the community and then looking at potential identifying funding sources for that. And then the library also has a strategic plan and continuing with working that particular plan. senior center facilities may need some improvements at their particular um
facilities, but they also continuing with a lot of the great services that they have, intergenerational, um technology classes, um taxes, uh all kinds of services that they provide. Also promoting senior fitness, uh and the age friendly community team.
And then dealing with our education DY uh school system, you know, working them with them to develop their capital plan, working with them earlier in our budget season, uh and also periodically looking at our um intermunicipal agreement as well as also um supporting the Cape Cod
Tech, which is a great school. And then I'm sure as many of you have heard that we have been um accepted into the school build Massachusetts school building association and we are going to be looking at a feasibility study next year with regard to the Emmy small elementary school
and then recreation. There's nine actions to really promote year-round active recreational opportunities. Uh let's just complete a lot of our great ongoing projects. We're almost complete with the Parker River Landing uh at 669 Route 28. that should be completed this fall and includes um a kayak launch uh a
boardwalk a beautiful boardwalk um as as well as areas for public art in a big central event space area for periodic events. Um complete the field study that the recreation commission is doing right now to identify what fields we need in town and where we might be
able to provide them. Again, recreation at Madakis is an opportunity that's being investigated. um really looking at that year-round recreation since Madaki's school has closed. The recreation department has heavily used that gym and and really exploded with all the great programming for all ages
that they've been able to do that with access to an indoor gym. Evaluating different places for pickle ball, taking into consideration that we want to be cognizant of the potential noise issues. Um complete the ways to water uh assessment and improvements u for town ways to water. making sure that we're
doing handicap accessibility with regard to our recreation facilities and then of course expanding uh programs for all ages and I think the recreation department is actually doing a fabulous job with that especially in the last year. Um and then just continuing with public publicity and communication so people are fully aware of all the great
programs that we have going on. So when I mentioned that the implementation matrix is a is the heart of the document. This just gives you an example of on the left there you it states the goal for that particular element and then all the different actions but then the time frame responsible parties and then the funding sources and this is
something that the planning board is going to be evaluating on an annual basis and being providing an update to the select board and also to the Cape Cod Commission because this doesn't make any sense to have this sit on a shelf. We need to be sure that we're um seeing what progress we continue to make in town.
community engagement. Um there's been an extensive amount of community engagement. I' like I said, I've seen some familiar faces here, been involved throughout throughout our process and it's very much appreciated. This can't happen without you guys and in the community. Uh we also did a lot of stakeholder interviews with town staff,
different boards and committees who have their kind of their areas of expertise. We met with the DUI regional school district, civic associations, business owners and chambers. So, we had a lot of great information from from uh um all these different communities. uh uh committees within town. And so what's
our next steps? Um um we're going to have our finish our public hearing tonight, but then October 15th, the planning board will discuss any comments that they received tonight and whether they need any changes need to be made uh based on that and then to vote to recommend it to the select board. And then we're going to meet with them on
October 21st to update them and again hopefully uh gain approval at the November 17th special town meeting. and then sometime this winter that we would continue to seek uh Cape Cod Commission certification. >> Thank you, Kathy Jet. >> Wow.
>> Madam Chair, I move that Kathy get a glass of water. >> I'd be happy to provide it. >> Oh my goodness. Thank you so much, Kathy. That was great. Um did you want to do written comments now? >> I think that would be good. We didn't get very many written comments. Um, we did get something from Christine
Marzigliano with regard to concerns about maintenance of our passive parks and she specifically mentioned Chase Brook Park and she really hopes that um to preserve the natural beauty of our open spaces, we need to asssure that the funds necessary to preserve these
passive parks are included in each year's DPW budget. Very good point. Um, received a comment from John Gullet. Um he had provided originally comments about undergrounding utilities and I directed him to the location where we did add an action item uh where we would
look at undergrounding utilities as part of road projects is on a project by project basis. We heard from Tom Holus um he his comment was just on the length of the plan. He thought the 10 years might not be sufficient. Um but that's pretty
standard for local comprehensive plan. I can't imagine we could look into the crystal ball more than 10 years. We'll probably be um changing things as we go along. And that's why you need those annual reviews, see what needs to be modified. Um I did uh get another uh email correspondence with DJ Zerbal
regarding a cell tower at King's Way. Um, and I have reached out to Jeff Colby, the DPW director, who's going to reach out to our different cell carriers that we we work with um with the cell tower antennas on top of our water tanks to
see whether they could reach out to Kingsway in order to um see if anyone might be interested in a cell tower at Kingsway because that is an area that does have a um a gap for sure. Um, and I also included there was some recent um, article in the Cape Cod
Chronicle about our legis legislators reaching out to the different cell phone companies saying we have a lot of gaps and we need some help with these gaps. Um, and then I just included in for your reference that I responded to the energy committee. uh they provided us a lovely
letter and I just wanted to be sure that they uh understood what changes we did make to the to the plan to accommodate those. >> Okay. Thank you, Kathy. Um so, uh now I'd like to open it up to any members of
the public who would like to comment or ask questions. Um uh please step up to the microphone and identify yourself and uh where you live. Go ahead. >> Hi, I'm uh Greg Bizikian from 100 Warf
Lane. I have two separate questions. One on the Route 6A uh redevelopment. One would be is the Cape Cod Commission uh report you talked about separate from the redevelopment of the business district?
>> Yes, we we were actually ahead of them in the sense that we had a lot of those community meetings and heard a lot of that feedback um that I think they're actually hearing right now. And as you know, it took us a long time to build that consensus even just for that short section. And I think um I think we're
actually in a really good place now. and separately the police and fire and emergency work. Will the uh new bridges be included in their reports? The fact that we need to get over back and forth with the new bridge, the new Sagamore bridges, will that be included in how
they would access Cape Cod for any emergencies? >> Are local police involved? I mean, just if you had to move someone from Boston to Boston to a hospital uh for any reason, would the bridges be included in the fact we need them? We need the
bridges and bridge support from a town would be important. >> Hi, my name is Jerry Oonnell. Kathy, great job. Wow. um on the dis dispensing of treated water from the wastewater treatment
facility uh that's to be built. Is there a plan or are there ideas to use town owned cranberry bogs for that? >> No, >> no, not the >> Okay. >> Um that Hi. >> Yep. >> Um I serve on the Oh, sorry. Go ahead,
>> Madam Chair. I apologize. No, that's all right. Uh Mr. Rubenstein serves on the water resources advisory committee. He's our duty expert on this. >> I should have waited for you. That's okay. >> You said you said duty. Anyway, um I just couldn't leave it. Um >> right now they're contemplating using
the golf courses. >> Yep. >> Um but I agree that it's a good point that there could be an opportunity. >> Uh well, I'm not suggesting it. >> Are you asking Are you suggesting that we should consider it at the water resources advisory? >> I'm asking is it being considered?
>> Well, no. Sorry. Let me be clear. At this point, it hasn't come up because the focus has been on using golf because golf can take hundreds of thousands of gallons. And right now, our permit, unfortunately, from the state of Massachusetts is only for 375,000 gallons at the treatment plant. >> And our needs are well over a million
gallons, even just in phase one. So, so in the short term to bridge us between the current permit and the needs of phase one, there's going to be extensive uh, you know, water opportunities at the golf courses. Um, but I do agree that there we should be exploring lots of
different places, not just golf. >> Okay. Um, architecture. As I've driven around the country as a as a truck driver when I did that trade, I used to see towns being remod, you know, remodeled and all kinds of construction. And the architecture of
these towns was just blah. you know, and we kind of see it around southeast of Massachusetts. When we do when we remodel or go do an um construction on Route 28, are we considering that the architecture be similar to what Yamoth
has had over the last 200 years? I mean, I look at the West Yamoth Library and even this building. I mean, these buildings, they just look like Cape Cod, especially like the West Yamoth Library, John Simpkins School, you know, on the other side. It just looks it looks good.
Are the new buildings we're going to get going to look like the Yamoth Commons building or these these new stick framed, you know, just throw it up as cheap as you can type um buildings because I think the architecture, you know, people come here and they want to
see Cape Cod, not this the place that they had left. Um, you know, they want to come here to see the quaintness of the Cape. I'm going to ask Kathy to uh uh share her knowledge of the architectural standards that we do have and how we try
really hard. Um but our hands are tied in some cases. Um but go ahead Kathy, why don't you >> I guess I would disagree a little bit with regard to Yarmouth Commons. I do think that that is a very well done building and it was not a cheapest stick built building. You can tell by the
thickness of the corner boards and all of the cornising that they used, the different uh roof th um types that they've used as well as the different modulations in the buildings. All of that is required by us and all of that costs money because we want to see some type of architectural interest. We don't
want it to look blah either. But I think what we're looking at is things like Yarmouth Commons, not brick buildings like Lawrence Bard. >> I know there's a cost with brick. There's also a cost with brick veneeria
that's a little bit less and a little more appealing. Um but okay, thank you. Um I looked at I heard rising sea levels. If the sea levels are really rising, why was the Pockets River Bridge built at the same elevation as the old one? Swan River Bridge in Dennis is
another example. Um I don't really buy into the big sea level rising thing because when I was a kid, the rock I stood on down at the Seagull Beach jetty at high tide is still there at high tide. It's not underwater. Um
so how much are sea levels rising that we have to um reconfigure a lot of things. I understand for instance there's a road down by Englewood Beach that goes around a corner that you know that's been underwater at um during high tides for for years
but is it that big of an issue? I mean what what are we going to spend on this sea level rising thing >> with regard to the Parker's River? That was a case where extensive amount of hydro geologic uh analysis was done in order to identify
what was the appropriate amount of flushing that was needed to improve water quality but without sending too much water into the surrounding areas because it's developed around there and you want to address that. So making too much modifications, making that opening bigger would have been a problem, but also if you raised it up a lot, it also
would have expanded out the project a lot further and made it more difficult to get access to the different abuing property owners. And again, extending the project increases the cost significantly. >> Um, fire departments and EMS services. I know the fire department, the the
buildings are outdated. um they're growing, but if we can't find a good location to put the new fire departments, is there a way to do like a substation for EMS services? Do they actually have to be in the same building or can we think outside the box a little
bit and just maybe a substation somewhere where there could be just a EMS services? Cuz I understand them guys are making, you know, three 400 calls a month sometimes. They're I guess they're really overworked, but do they have to be in the same spot? Um
>> I think that right now they're actually doing a the fire department's doing a study, but you need to be within a certain distance, a certain amount of time for that emergency, whether it's a fire truck or an ambulance to get to different parts of the community. So they need to be in generally to it's
probably more cost-effective to have them together, you know, in in one particular building because then the resources are all there for admin and that type of thing, but they can't be significantly far apart because you need to you're basically covering a certain area and you want to continue to cover that area.
>> And and and some of them are firefighters and EMTs. >> Um and and I think uh many of them are firefighters and EMTs. Yes, >> Madam Chair. Can I touch on that for a second? Um, sir, how you doing? Uh, I'm
on the capital budget committee of the town of Yarmouth and the town has engaged a fire service study. It's going to start after the first of the year to where is the best place to have our stations. Is Old Main Street still the right spot? What? The one on Buck Island
and the one in Yammerport? They are going to look at all that based on need and call times. So, that study is starting as of January 1. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Anyone else?
>> Yes, please. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Christine Putts and I'm uh on Pine Grove Road and um this LCP I really like seeing this because I was part of the project last fall or whatever the case may be and uh
I think it's a great plan and it's a great step forward. To my dismay though, I'm seeing more and more residential property on Route 28, which is our commercial corridor. And I just keep seeing that happening over and over. And I've also read that there's two more
properties that are proposed for p for residential properties and once again non-commercial. So that's my major concern is that we're I know we need homes. I know we need residential property, but I know at one point there was discussion of um mixeduse housing,
and I'll take the laundromat as an example that that was going to be mixeduse housing, and all of a sudden they trying to put up three buildings, three stories high. Um so that's just, you know, one example. Uh but I just don't know where the residential piece
on 28 is going to end and put our commercial and get commercial back there which is brings in more people and more revenue for the town as well as um more tourists coming into the town to you know to see what's available there. Thank you. I appreciate that. I think
the the balance that we're trying to reach here is that um there are developers who like Habitat for Humanity. I'll give you an example. Um is in the process of a a very small project. Eight eight units, Kathy.
>> Six >> six units. Um and uh we welcome that because they'll be some of them will be affordable. >> Um they they'll all be affordable at Habitat for Humanity. Of course, the particular project you mentioned, the
one um that uh is on the lot where the old laundromat used to be, um I would encourage you to watch our the meeting minutes from our last uh planning board meeting. Um and you can you can hear loud and clear that there was not one
member of this board that was happy with that proposal. Not one. Um, we knew it had come forward years ago as a mixed use and we thought that that was a pretty good a pretty good idea and we endorsed that. Um, but the latest
proposal hands down uh we thought it was quite frankly awful. Um, and and getting back to Mr. Olier, is it >> Okonnell? >> Okonnell. I should know as a Crowley should should remember all the Irish names, I guess. Um but the the original
plan was one that um was you know Cape Codlike and the one that they submitted resubmitted was a boxed structure. Um and we roundly um opposed it. Uh and that that process with them is
continuing. Uh, but I think that looking towards functional mixed use that is um aesthetically pleasant along Route 28 might be a good hybrid. Um, we do have a lot of commercial on 28 right now and
some of those properties are empty um or um underused. Um, and we would love for developers to come in and make a change there. But we're trying to in the in the long-term plan, we're trying to have a vision that we want to protect that economic quarter. It's really important
to us. Um and we're hoping that the plans that come before us will be consistent with the local comprehensive plan. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Could I just add something? >> Sure. Sure, Kathy. >> The laundromat project is being done through Mass General Law Chapter 40B.
So, we don't have a lot of say in that. We do have a very strong zoning board of appeals and they I believe have expressed their concerns as well when they had the uh open their public hearing on September 25th and they've actually continued it to November 13th.
So I would recommend continuing to follow that and participate in that process. >> Thank you. >> Hello. >> Hi, my name is Martha Powers. I live in West Jarmath. This is a very impressive massive amount of information I can't
get my head around, but I appreciate all the work you all can see put in. >> So, I just have a question that's I'm not even sure this is the group to answer it, but um you know that strip mall next to the West Post Office, which is such a horror and has been for so
many years. Is there nothing the town can do about that or what's the what's happening there? There's a big sign about this. Yeah, that's Great Island Plaza. I think we all know what she's talking about. Um that I think uh it was unfortunate
because there was a pretty nice plan there for it was all commercial except for one residential unit and they were going to just really improve. Um and this is the Cape Cod architecture. They just it's an interesting shape building. It's kind of cute and they were just going to fix that. But it would all happened during COVID and then when
construction prices went up and it just the project kind of fell apart. So they had it permitted and everything and it kind of fell apart. I've heard that there's some rumors some people are somewhat interested in it, but that's the the whole idea of having a a community development corporation where that might be something where could the
town purchase something like that and then go out with an RFP and try and get the type of development that we want for it. Um but if it's privately owned, you know, we only have some >> the town can't force them to do something or give them a time frame or something
>> we can only deal with. I mean, if it was like when it's vacant or something, they have to board it up or fence it off like that. I think that building in the back is all fenced off. Those are the types of things that we that we can do. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Thank you.
>> Any other any other comments or questions? >> Okay. Well, again, I want to thank you all for >> Anybody online? >> Oh, thank you, Will. >> You can make the call for online folks to raise their hands. Madam Chair, >> anyone uh uh who's visiting um remotely
have a question or a comment? >> I get no hands. >> If that changes, Madam Chair, I'll let you >> Okay. No hands. >> No virtual hands. >> There we go. Um any any comments from the planning board um related to this that we want we would want to share with
Kathy in terms of any um adjustments or changes that we see? I I think we've gone through this as many times as we can. Kathy's got a >> I just want mention one thing, Madam Chair. If I could >> um if this is the same presentation you're going to make to the select board or a very similar one,
>> some of these slides >> or I'm only going to mention that we just because you're a human being, Kathy. I'm just pointing it out. You missed one. >> It's slide number 12 under housing. There was there's eight actions but only seven listed. And the one that you missed was the was actually one the that
Ms. Powers just brought up. It was I think it's worth mentioning it's in the plan is to identify blighted properties and gray fields. Um so we're certainly right there with you and that particular property madam chair as you know has been on our radar for many years but we
do have some limitations unfortunately about what we can physically and literally do about it. But I just wanted to mention it for your slide presentation in case you do it. >> I hope to not give this again. >> I don't think the select board want to hear it again. >> I I don't know but I just thought you'd want to know. No, I appreciate that because you're absolutely right. There
is the affordable housing trust has money so they can put out an RFP and with an emphasis on underutilized and blighted and gray field or brownfield projects to to fix those up. So very good point will >> thank you. Thank you Will. Um >> Madam Chair, can I follow I had asked
this question earlier about the time frame in the back >> with some of the the um actions action plan >> the matrix >> matrix in the back. So just to be just for me I suppose I mean understanding the time frame is that to the completion
time frame or is that when we should begin this particular action? >> It's really hard to develop the time frame on a lot of these other than things that we know that are absolutely happening right now. Like we know that wastewater is going on it's going to be completed in 2028. So we know that's
zero to three years. But a lot of them are like it may like future phases three to 10 years. We're going to start with the future phases in three years, but I'm trying to give sometimes a range where you can either start sometime within that range, but the idea is that you would finish within that same time period.
So, I don't know how to get more specific with any real accuracy. >> And and the time frame, I'm not I just want to understand what it means though. Time frame is that the completion time frame or start time frame? >> It's meant to be like the start to completion. >> Sounds like both,
>> right? So when something says two to three years, we should be finished within two to three years. >> We should start in two years and be finished in three years. >> Okay. >> I think >> I mean the only way if I could piggyback on this, Madam Chair, the only way to
make that more clear >> and I know it's a little late in the >> is to make another Well, no, no. I'm saying no, no, but I'm just I'm not disagreeing with you, is to make another column. >> Is to make one that says start. I just want to know how we're going to be held accountable to this. You know, this is
10 years. I just want to know we have responsibilities. PB is in here quite a bit. >> So, I want us to be able to develop goals so that we can follow them and stay on track so we can say we completed it within time frame or reposition the priorities if something's one to three
to three to five. >> Yeah. >> I just want to understand what it is. >> Reeval rewrite the zoning bylaw. That probably is not something that's going to start for two years and it's going to probably take us to to the two to five year, you know, the three years to finish. >> So maybe it should just be a completion
time frame. I I don't know. >> I think I need to give the range for the commission. >> I mean, if you want to clarify that that the time frames are kind of like estimated start, estimated completion. >> Yeah. I mean, yeah, the way I understood it back when we first were talking about that is the time frame was determined
based on when we were going to start that particular action item. doesn't mean that as soon as this plan's implemented every action item is going to be done in one to three years it's impossible. It was the way I understood it was when that particular action item
is started it will be 1 to 3 years 1 to two years whatever that particular thing is. >> Well and for instance in transportation and connectivity on page 139 Kathy does designate some of the actions have design and then construction time
frames. So within the time frame column, you are actually charting out some beginning and some ending time frames. It's just a few of them have a 2 to7, right? >> And I think Peter's just trying to clarify >> how is that how does that translate when
it's just 2:7 versus design colon 1:2 construction colon 3 to 5? >> Yeah. >> Is that accurate? >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean there's >> I I I think I'd like to I'd like to make a suggestion in in terms of I I think this is important that we understand you
know what what's what what are the expectations here um but this is our first goound in terms of ever using an implementation matrix I believe sort of >> open space and recck plan has one >> what the open space and w plan has >> but I mean for our local comprehensive
plan >> oh yes yes >> so this is kind of new ground for us and I think our key responsibility in 2026 will be to that meeting or meetings that we have to look at every single action
item and where they are and at that point I think maybe we can refine what those timets are um and whether things are moving forward or not. I mean, this was put together in a very concise
period of time with the best with with I think the best thinking that we could put together in terms of a time frame. I don't think um we're we're being locked in here on in terms of the time frame, but I do think it it is a timetable of
expectations, and that's important. >> Um because these are deliverables not just for the planning board, >> but this is deliverables for the water department and DPW and the fire department. Um and they have to be comfortable with them as well. Um but at
this point I think I'd be reluctant other than to maybe clarify what we mean by time frame in the document. Um because revisiting what these time frames are at this point I think would be very difficult. >> Right. I mean if it's a completion time frame. Yeah. >> That would be a little more clear. Something 3 to five or 1 to three I
would understand that within the next one to three years it would be completed >> versus one to five we got a couple extra years. >> Right. But as I understand it, Kathy, this time frame, as we had talked early on when we
were putting this together, um, is both that it would start and be completed. The start time and completion would occur within that time frame. >> I I didn't get it that way. Okay. >> To be candid with you, I didn't get it
that the start time, it's not about to me, it's not about the completion time. I think that was within the range set on each category. I got it that the start time was going to start when that project started, not the day this is implemented. Okay, this is good to go.
It's got its blessing from the commission and now we get the clock is ticking. I didn't get it that way. >> Okay. I I think things like like the completing of phase one, it's ongoing and we're going to be completed in three years. you know, identifying affluent discharge locations phase one. It's
ongoing and we're going to need to be done in three years. Future phases are three plus 10 years because it's a 40-year plan. Um, locations for future phases. It's ongoing right now and it should be completed in two years. So, I think it's kind of like trying to give you a start and when for some things we
might be able to be completed, but as you get further out in some of these things, I mean, that's an easy one because we know what's happening. Um, but when you get into some of these other ones, I don't know when we're going to get to necessarily some of these, not not just us, but other people like considering banning of herbicides
that might they might start looking that in two years, they might start looking that in four years. It's it's a general time frame to kind of say this is what we're concentrating immediately. This is a little bit later and then this is even further out. These are all in flux. They will change. that will depend on
staffing, workload, whether um and a lot of other things like whether all of a sudden like COVID would have thrown this into the into the waste bin. So, it's very flexible and I think that's why we need to look at it on an annual basis with input from all of our partners, all of these responsible
partners because it's not you guys doing all this stuff, it's everybody in the town doing all this stuff. Uh and kind of getting a better handle on what their time frames might be for these things. So what do we want to say about time frame then? >> I don't want to do anything. Okay.
>> I mean I I explanation from Cath. I just understand Kathy's expectations and because she's the one who put together the time frame. So I just want to >> Okay. >> All right. Good enough. Thank you. Um any other um comments? Uh we we um I'd like to I
think I need to close the public hearing at this point and I'll note the time as 6:35. >> Did did do you want me to talk about the changes that while or in deliberations? We could do it either way. >> We could we could we could do it now after the
>> the only thing that I was talking about is we have all of those great stakeholder changes to this. We have all those great stakeholder interview summaries. Let's put those in the appendicy so people can see all of that and have access to it because we have all the other information. Um and then I just think we need to um fine-tune the
um the action for the municipal energy manager because it says hire that person. They've been hired. So we can just it's a minor modification but it's like as we keep moving forward things are actually getting accomplished and we just kind of need to reflect that a little bit in in the plan.
So, what what Kathy and I talked about was um that kind of minor update in terms of the um energy manager um we could incorporate in into a final draft that would be um October 2025 and that
we could meet that we could vote on it at our next meeting on the 15th as the final draft and that gives us enough time because we're meeting with the select board on the 21st. Right, >> Kathy, would you mind putting the final slide back up just in case if folks are leaving if they're trying to think about
what where we go from here? >> Sorry. >> So, at the 15th, um we would make we would have a vote >> and and then that would be what we uh move along to the select board. >> Okay. >> And you need to vote to to recommend the
article, >> right? And that would happen at the 15th. >> Yep. >> Great. Okay. So now you can >> and madam chair none of the people online rose raised their virtual hand so >> okay >> um
>> so moving on to our second item on the agenda. Do we have any >> the hearing? >> Oh we have a vote of course. May I have a motion to close uh the public hearing regarding the local comprehensive plan? >> So move second. >> All in favor? I
>> I >> thank you Kathy. [Applause] >> Thank you. >> Thank you all for coming. >> Thank you for all your work. >> You're welcome. >> Great. Really great job. >> Thank you.
>> Questionbody and I apologize for taking your time. I'm trying to obviously do something about Do you guys suggest >> are you interested in developing it
yourself or >> Okay. >> I would like to say alternatives. >> Okay. So, you're talking about the laundromat property and I'm sorry, what's the question? Where could we go from here?
>> Yeah, you would need to go to the zoning board of appeals >> and and pro continue to provide written >> the next meeting too. >> Can I hopefully >> if I go to like Julian or anybody at the state
>> because I know you guys can do what you can do. they would have to change Mass General Law Chapter 40B and they're not going to do that before this project gets approved. >> But as an but as an elected official and and you know your representatives, I'm sure they would be open to hearing of
course your concerns about the project itself and I'm sure they will defer to the local zoning board in terms of how it gets adjudicated. But but for sure, I mean, just like anything, they probably want to know how you feel about it, and they won't know unless you tell them. >> And the zoning board of appeals could
deny it. >> Well, >> and or they could approve it, or they could approve it with very specific conditions. So, that's another important thing. If there's certain things that would in your mind would help mitigate your concerns, be very vocal about that and what what are the conditions that you might want to put in there. I think
that's what the planning board was trying to do. That's what was done through site plan review and the community housing committee and those types of things. >> Right. But I also know 40B. >> It's harder with 40, >> right? That is correct. So I'm trying to mitigate you guys, you know, as far as
the town can can only do so much. Put it that way. And I understand all that and the zoning board and all that. >> They have a lot of they they're the people who are who might be able to help. >> Yeah. Trying to see if he'll withdraw his application.
I'm praying every day. Okay. >> Thank you. >> To come. >> I called and >> she said she was on Pine Grove Road. >> Yeah. >> That's the road. >> Right. Sorry. It just struck me. >> She lives right probably right next door. >> Yeah. And we Well, we'll get to that later in the meeting when we have time
for other comments. >> Okay. So, next up on the agenda are uh zoning amendment articles >> for the special town meeting. Um at our uh last meeting um in our packages this evening, Kathy has put together for
article number one, draft number one, the retail sale of live lobsters. We voted to recommend that um article number two, draft number two, um and it's highlighted um in the draft that we have dated August 28th. Um we
took a preliminary vote to recommend um at our last meeting. Um we we did this to give the select board kind of an understanding of where the the board stands as of last meeting, but also to
note um that the planning board in our discussion um wanted to continue considering extending the exception to year round for those properties where a boat cannot physically be located to the side rear of the building.
So, I'd like to suggest that we review the article as written, draft number two, formally with the select board on next Tuesday, and then at our October 15th meeting, we can finalize the article and formally
vote to recommend or not. >> Okay. >> So, that's kind of the process I was thinking. Um Kathy, >> did you want to get input from the I think the way it was was we weren't sure about the time taking that out. I mean that was obviously a lot of the public comment was take that out
>> um of maybe presenting this to the select board and hearing what they had to say. >> Yeah. >> Then voting on it on the >> Yeah. to get just just as another member of the public hearing what they have to say. >> Yes. >> Good. >> That's all. >> Madam Chair.
>> Yes. I wasn't at the meeting, but I did watch it and I am not in favor of taking it out. So, >> okay. >> I think leaving I think having the protection of >> Hi, I just thought of something when you were speaking. Um, can you We're
actually in the meeting. If you could just go to the mic so we can No, no, no. That's okay. >> No, it has to do with gray water. >> Um, is that what you're going to put on the golf course? I live on >> your name. Your name, please. Um, Ellen Pitka Turner Lane. Um,
graywater on the golf courses that would go into Bass River. Did you ever live with gray water? >> Yeah, Madam Chair. Can I Can I comment on that? >> Sure. >> They're not proposing it at Bass River right now. >> Specifically to Bayberry >> was the What's that? >> They're specific to Bayberry
>> and the Graywater will have secondary treatment. So >> yeah, >> it will be to permitted allowable levels to be used as water on the >> corn. Cuz I, you know, I just was curious cuz I lived I lived in the Caribbean and the island had a graywater
system. You know what they did? They they pumped gray water like out. You could use it for your garden. They had the pipes, you know, they they flushed it out that way. They got rid of >> No, this is this is a completely different system that they're proposing. >> That was a dump anyway,
>> right? Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> It was a dump. Thanks. >> Thank you so much. You're welcome. That's okay. >> Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you for your comments. >> Use it for what do they call that? Water. Not portable water when they use the gray water. What's portable is
drinking. >> But that's what they did. They ran it through areas and and um condo developments and stuff and you get to wash your feet. >> True. >> You use it for gardening. >> Thanks for your comment. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I'm glad I got that in.
>> There you go. All right. >> So, we we left this Kathy. We we'll we'll do the presentation next week to the board. Um and then listen to what they have to say and then come back and >> our discussion here
>> and we will vote to on what the language is and vote to recommend or not recommend. >> Okay. >> May not be unanimous. >> It may not. Yeah. >> And uh and that that is certainly okay.
Uh Madakis project um the Madaks is their next meeting is on October 9th at 6:00 pm in the conference room A. Um we're going to be looking at some additional uh bubble diagrams. When
I say bubble diagrams are just really general blobs kind of showing where different uses might be able to go uh on the site. based on all of the land use, the survey, the the public meeting workshop that we had. Um, and then we also are going to um review the building
reuse report that was done by Catalyst, who's a sub to BSC group. Uh, they have some additional modifications and updates to some of the numbers, and they were looking at, you know, redoing just the building to get it to the bare bones. Maybe if it's offices, maybe if you just did the um updated the gym and
the auditorium, what if you built a new rec center that addressed what the recreation department was looking at? And then what would it cost to reuse the Madakis building for um housing? And then what would it cost to build new just to get an idea of what's the financial implication of trying to
reutilize this building for some of these particular uses and whether it makes any sense or not. It's gonna be very expensive to rehabilitate th that building. And I think that's what they found when they were doing the intermediate school. >> Yeah. That that that's that makes no
financial sense. >> Yeah. >> It didn't make financial sense in 2017. What we were thinking about what to do and it will not make financial sense in 20 insert end date here, whatever date that is. And then they're also going to start
seeing if they can't come up with some findings and preliminary recommendations because with regard to like the building and that type of thing because then they're going to be going to the select board uh for to present their update on November 4th and they'll be going through all of that material with the
select board. Uh once they identifi I think we have five or six bubble diagrams now. Um hopefully they'll they may narrow that down. But ultimately we're going to take um three concepts and develop them more into design development concepts. We showed a little bit more like roads and the buildings
individually versus just the blobs. Um but we really need input from the select board u before we can put a lot of time and effort in that. And then we're going to have obviously a public engagement process uh in January where people can look at that. >> Is are those documents on the website Kathy?
>> Um >> bubble diagrams. The bubble diagrams are not on the website yet because we were still kind of working on them. They're always in the they're in the packet though. They will be in the packet. They're they had some preliminary ones at a um previous meetings. So I try to
include the packet material with the agenda on the agenda center. Um and then once they come up with the ones that they're comfortable with, the muck really hasn't made any decisions on what they're what they want to do. Once they do that, and hopefully they can do that on the 9th, then we can start posting some stuff on the on the website. They
do we do have the summary of the workshop meeting that BSC group that's on the website now too. >> Okay. >> We'll put the the catalyst report on there once it's finalized. >> Uh next on our agenda uh may I have a motion to accept the minutes of
September 17th. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> Thank you Kathy. Those minutes were great by the way. >> One small correction. >> Okay. No, it's just Pinerove Road instead of Pine Grove Street on page
four. >> Okay, >> that's all. >> Thank you. >> Which page? >> Pine Grove Road. >> Page four. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. That helps me. So, we can Should we need to redo it as amended?
>> I don't think for that little correction. >> Okay. All right, >> I forgot the discussion part. >> Gods will forgive us. >> Thank you. >> Uh, >> next up are committee updates. >> Who would like to start?
>> We haven't had any more housing meetings, so >> just capital budget real quick. Uh, we're continuing our our outreach to the departments. Um, a matter of fact, I met with it just prior to our meeting today.
Um, we hope to have all of our outreach meetings done this week. Um, and then the next four or five weeks, it's just full steam ahead with actual interviews and recommendations and all that. So, our goal truly is by, you know, to get
this wrapped up as soon as possible. >> It's a lot. >> Yeah. >> Um, anyone else? Madam Chair, uh the RACK committee meets Monday, but I just wanted to remind folks that if they're interested in not just the current work
that's being done, which we know is comprehensive, um that I expect if not at this meeting, the November meeting, that there'll be start to be conversations about where phase 2 is going to go without I'm not sure that's great English, but you know what I mean.
Um, so for those that are interested in that, I I recommend that they tune in on Zoom. It's the first Monday of every month at 4M. And if they want to be in person, it's at the DPW building in the um >> the break room. >> The muster room. That sounds way better.
>> Um, um, and then tangentially uh, the school building committee finally met. The reason I bring it up is because there there seems to be a push for a special town meeting article on funding the
feasibility study that needs to happen at that location for Emmy Small and there's not a lot of time to make that all happen as you know with the deadlines that we've been working on for months and months and months. Um but I just wanted to put that in the context of the special town meeting just got
more special uh besides our own work here on the planning board. They're just thinking of that now. They must have known. >> Oh, no. I'm just saying but the school building committee hadn't had a formal meeting until last week and let's just say there's work to be done. Madam
Chair, um and later I have another question about a meeting conflict just in terms of the finance committee seems to meet on Wednesday nights certain times of the month when we meet and I was wondering at some point could we take a step could we fly up to 30,000 ft
and just sort of wondering why that is but that's a conversation for another time. >> Okay, >> I don't understand the question. Well, for instance, there's going to be So, for instance, explain it a different way. There's going to be a really important conversation on on the 15th
between the finance committee and the school and the school committee about the fund about everything having to do because of the short time frame of trying to get this article on the warrant. But there's not an agreement right now in terms of some of the underlying data being used to support a
push for a feasibility study and to what we're actually voting on and how much we're asking the town to vote on. The issue is, and this is somewhat selfish, but also for people who are interested in how our town government works. If the finance committee and the planning board meet at the same time, >> and I understand we're limited because
of space, madam chair, in terms of where and when we can meet, and there's only so many days in the week, and we can't meet on Friday nights, even though that is a day of the week. Um, I just it just seems to be a strange conflict, but I'm assuming that's been well vetted through previous planning boards and finance
committees as to how these committees meet and when they meet. >> This room is very limited. It's it's used every other day of the week, but when but Wednesdays, >> right? So that means >> conference room A also it gets very busy and >> okay >> and that I think that's why >> okay
>> they meet there they do meet at 6 and sometimes um when I've had to go to Finn come and I've had here I've asked them to put me on later on the agenda so because they start at 6 and we start at 5:30 >> maybe >> and I apologize for taking up the meeting with
>> we can go super fast >> just struck me that those are two pretty important conversations we're going to be having here while they're having it upstairs. >> But I guess that's the power of uh the recorded meeting. Madam Chair, >> will the back >> cloning one or the other? >> Madam Chair, I have a question for Will.
Did you happen to attend Tuesday's this past Tuesday's meeting? >> I was going to that was the very last thing I was going to bring up. There was a meeting in this very room with uh Jeff Colby and the DPW and the new Kadigga Construction about contract five. Madam Chair, and there was a very big turnout
of many business owners and a few homeowners, more business owners than homeowners, and of course members of the rack as well. And um there are lots of concerns specifically having to do with you know getting around basically that
is the very that is the key issue. Um, and it remains to be seen, um, you know, despite all of the really good effort by the town, and it has been tremendous, um, if the contractor will also be as good and the police and the flagging
will be as good as the town is doing on its own. >> Um, and how those things mesh together, Madam Chair, um, and as we know, this is going west now from Parker's River towards Higgins Croll, right? >> That is going to happen and it starts, I believe, within a week or two. Not to
mention the paving going east to help wrap up the contracts that have already been completed. So, um I just think more vigilance by everybody is going to be needed and more patience, which I know is not the easiest thing for all of us to provide. >> Patience of the business owners from
ones that I've spoken with and residents is starting to wear. So just as a as a comment, >> if I could provide one little spark of good news, the weather forecast has been outstanding and it looks like the this entire week and I think into next week
and that will mean the paving will get to really move even though it only moves within >> 100 feet a day. >> 100 feet a day. But if there's any good news you could hold on to is every day there's good weather, it means every day the paving gets closer to being done. Madam Chair, >> thank you.
>> How about the cranberry box station? We're still there was an executive session at the last select board meeting. there was um but the smoke has not come out of the chimney yet um as to the location and I can promise you we'll be asking on Monday at the rack meeting
and as you can imagine my counterparts on the conservation commission and the finance committee and all those nice people every single month we ask the same question every single month the answer is we're in negotiations and that has been well over six months
Madam Chair and the timelines are starting to get sticky Um because that is the last contract that needs to be completed to finish phase one and that's all tied up in our on our bonds and all the SRF and all of it. Right. Right Ken. >> Yeah. >> Um
>> Stephen Digs time easier than this. >> Yeah. So um it is unclear. We keep waiting for answers. We keep asking questions. We don't have answers. Maybe at the next select board meeting, Madam Chair, also they might have an
answer that they haven't provided to the rack yet. >> Um, I have one committee uh on uh the CPC. Uh we've had we had a meeting today. We had a meeting last Wednesday and was scheduled to continue to have them on Wednesdays. Um but we we did
have um a project come in for for the purchase of um land open space up office 6A next to Taylor Bray Farm on Nottingham Way uh Nottingham Drive. Um and there we've been asked to accelerate
that and and have that for special town meeting and not wait for uh annual town meeting. Uh we had a the conservation commission is the sponsor of this. So we we um we voted on it. Uh we we we're going to put it on for it will be an
article for the special town meeting. Um it's a piece of property now that abuts Taylor Bray. It's not used and the owner is interested in selling it. Um and is anxious to sell it. Uh it would be I think what we learned was that it could
be three buildable lots. Um, yeah, that's Yeah, I wasn't I think in the notes that Britney uh sent with us up to maybe three buildable lots. >> We would need to get special permit relief for that.
>> Yeah. Okay. >> This has been talked about for a couple years, too, I think. Right. This is I remember Karen Green asked me about that a couple years ago. >> Yeah. So, uh, that's one. And then the the other projects that we've received applications for include um some annual
ones um the Haritch Ecumenical Council. We we provide funding for them annually or every other year with regard to helping homeowners uh with home repairs. Um they're uh no interest loans that
they then repay um over time. So we've got a request from them. Habitat for Humanity, the Wood Road project. Um we have a request uh for that, the six affordable single family homes. The Hands of Hope um is also a group uh that
provides financial assistance when people are getting evicted um and need to secure um long-term leases. That that group sometimes will provide first and last um rent. Uh and that's an annual Hands of Hope is an annual and that's a
regional that's all I three or four different three or four towns um are part of that. Um we have the annual request from the Yarmouth affordable housing trust. Um they've requested 200,000 this year. Um
we also have um a request with regard to the packet landing um uh uh landing the sea level rise the parking lot. we have a request in for that. Um that's a function of the a coastal zone mana
coastal zone management grant. So they may be repaying us if in fact they get the grant but they need to have you know some seed money in. Uh so um that's one in there. I mentioned Nottingham Drive and then Friends of Bass River um have
moved on to phase two with with regard to Run Pond. >> Um and that's the design permitting um and data collection primarily related to the parking lot, the beach parking lot.
Um and so uh uh we'll we'll hear from them on that. Okay. So that's what I have. Um any other board member items? >> Madam Chair, I just wanted to mention you mentioned it earlier. It is definitely worth watching the ZBA
hearing. Yes. >> The ZBA meeting in its entirety. And I say that not just for us, but for the public at large. Um, I just wanted to acknowledge our friends on the zoning board who really did take the comments and the work by people on folks on this committee as well as the subcommittees
that they that they're sourced out to um, and are been incredibly vigilant um, uh, with the with the initial presentation and asked a lot of really pointed questions and had a lot of reasonable concerns that echo ours,
Madam Chair. And um it didn't even get to the point where there was public comment because they basically said, "Please go back to the not the drawing board, but please go back and >> re-evaluate >> get it together." Yes. Reevaluate sounds much nicer, Ken. Um so, and I would
encourage folks to be to be present whether it's in person or online on November 13th, which happens to be my birthday, so I'll just celebrate by watching that, Madam Chair. Um but probably not live in the room. Um, but I just think it's an example of how I think the system's supposed to work
between our two bodies. Um, and it just it feels nice to see that it's working well and it'll be interesting to see what the outcome is. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you. I watched it also and had the same reaction and I was so pleased that they had all they really took very
seriously our comments and the housing committee comments and it really I I was very pleased and they told them you shouldn't bring it if it's not done and they were very good about uh clarifying what needs to be done >> not to mention the straight up legality of the different number of units
>> right >> you know was right in front of them just like it was in front of us Madam Chair as well as the expiration letter the letter sorry expiring within three weeks from now. >> Yeah. >> Um so >> we I'll be fascinated to see what happens as well as it echoes the concern of some of the abutters that we even
heard here tonight. >> I mean did they get a new eligibility letter? >> It's unclear. >> It's unclear they did >> and it's unclear that that they even realized that they had to get one and the zoning board of appeals basically said >> why don't you have one? >> Yeah. Right. I mean, that's kind of what
they said. Their attorney was uh let's just say doing a little dance and I we'll see what we'll see how it turns out. >> Okay, good. >> Um any other uh board member items? Uh Kathy, correspondents or staff updates for us? >> Um Megan Eldridge, the new community
development director, started today. I think she's going to be a really good fit. So, it's exciting. It's good to have additional horsepower. other bodies >> you can downshift to third gear, fourth gear. >> I don't know how what's the maximum gear. Um but yeah, no, that's exciting.
So, we're happy to see that. >> Are they waiting for her to sort of put the CEDC back together? >> I'm assuming that's going to be part of her tasks as well. Y >> but that's different than the assistant town administrator position. Has that did that get voted on? It just the
>> she's starting in November. These two very big positions are being filled. Yep. >> Wonderful news. upcoming meetings. Uh October 7th, we're going to have our review with the select board. October 15th is our regular meeting. October 21st, uh we'll be
meeting with the select board again with regard to the uh local comprehensive plan. Um and perhaps the the zoning uh article as well. Um and then November 5th is our regular and then we have
special town meeting on the 17th. So, we've got a a you know, a busy a busy calendar ahead of us. Um uh and I think that's all I have. So, may I have a motion to adjurnn? >> So, move. >> Second. All
>> in favor? I I All right. Thank you all.