Town of Barnstable
HYANNIS – Barnstable is considering downtown Hyannis zoning revisions that aim to provide more commercial opportunities while maintaining the local character.
Director of Planning and Development Elizabeth Jenkins told town council that the proposed changes building on past studies would also increase housing availability.
“Our current zoning has a units-per-acre metric approach. You can build this many units per acre. That metric has the unintended consequence of deterring housing in downtown Hyannis,” said Jenkins.
She added that real estate trends across the nation indicate that the effort could make the area more desirable in which to live.
“People want to be able to live where they can walk and get a cup of coffee and go to the library. There is a quality of life that is provided in walkable communities.”
The plan also calls for retrofitting existing structures and redeveloping underutilized properties, factoring in new new dimensional standards for buildings and how they interact with streets and shared parking.
Jenkins added that the project would strive to protect the area’s “historic and maritime character.”
A public hearing on the zoning amendments will be held by town council on November 3.
The official webpage on the project can be found on the town’s website.
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