HomeMy WebLinkAbout4979 33-37 Seaside Village Letter of Opposition 8Kenneth & Donna Zalauskas
7 Southwest Drive
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
RECEIVEDOctober10, 2022
Zoning Board of Appeals OCT 11 2022
Town of Yarmouth
1146 Route 28 YARMOUTH
BOARD OF APPEALSSouthYarmouth, MA 02664
Re: Shoreside Properties LLC, 33-37 Seaside Village Road
As full-time residents of 7 Southwest Drive, South Yarmouth since 2012,we totally oppose Shoreside
Properties' petition requesting a special permit to create 100%seasonal employee housing at 33-37
Seaside Village Road in South Yarmouth.
Approving this petition would change the property from a well-run and maintained hotel, by the
previous owners that sold the property in December 2021, into a dormitory-type living quarters for a
couple hundred seasonal workers seven months a year. The previous owners operated, maintained and
lived at the hotel all year and we never encountered one problem with the hotel or their guests. They
were members of our neighborhood, and made sure their guests respected the neighborhood as well.
Generally, the months of July and August were the busiest for the hotel, and after August the number of
guests dropped off dramatically. If this petition is granted, there will be a couple hundred seasonal
workers at the hotel causing additional noise, congestion and disturbances in our neighborhood SEVEN
months a year.
Here are some of the things that we've observed since Shoreside Properties LLL purchased the property
in April 2022.
Property is not maintained to the same standards as the previous owners. There does not
appear to be any on-site manager, so no one oversees the day-to-day operations and conduct of
its renters. We have not seen any property or lawn/grounds maintenance people during the
spring/summer. But, one day last week,we did see two men pulling weeds—maybe in
preparation for this meeting? We were hopeful this summer that they were making
improvements to the building, only to have them vinyl side the bottom half and paint the top
broken and worn shingles with various different shades of blue paint.The siding and painting
was done only to the front of the building, leaving the sides and back of the building unchanged,
and nothing more has been done. If this petition is approved, any promise of future building or
grounds improvements will be unfulfilled as what's the motivation for the current owner to
improve the property's exterior, interior or grounds? Yarmouth has made some good progress
in removing eyesore properties, so why create a new one for Yarmouth?
Disrespect for the town and the neighborhood. The town's bylaws on Seasonal Employee
Housing at Motels/Hotels,Section 404.5, Item 9, indicate "no more than 15%of any hotel or
motel rooms at a single parcel may be used for employee housing ..." This past season, a Red
Jacket van ran constant shuttles for workers almost hourly to all the Red Jacket hotels in the
area. Would this type of hourly shuttle be needed for only 15%occupancy of seasonal workers?
No, because they housed more than 15%this summer as indicated by the continual shuttle and
number of employees dressed in Red Jacket shirts, showing a total disrespect for the town's
bylaws and neighborhood.
Increased litter on streets surrounding the hotel, especially the area on Little Dipper Lane that is
adjacent to the hotel.This summer,we found half empty or empty liquor bottles and half eaten
food containers cluttering this area. This will only create a rodent problem and also feed the
foxes and coyotes that are currently roaming our neighborhood more frequently this summer.
Loud voices and music can be heard from the hotel late at night. Something we didn't hear
when the previous owners ran the hotel. Why? Because they lived on the property and the
guests realized there were rules that needed to be followed or they'd be asked to leave the
hotel.
Cleanliness of hotel and rubbish disposal is a real concern. One can tell by walking past the
property that the seasonal workers are allowed to keep their rooms as they want. There is no
one cleaning the rooms regularly or removing trash. You can see curtains half falling off in the
rooms, screens removed so they can retrofit an air conditioner in the room,windows stuffed
with food and other personal items. Not a pleasant view for the neighbors, tourists, or guests of
the Skipper Restaurant, and again a potential rodent problem.
In April, the previous owner told us that the new owners were trying to get approval from the town to
convert the property into condominiums. We would support this conversion, as the property would
have to be totally renovated to attract potential buyers. This is a perfect location for condominiums,
across the street from the ocean, adequate parking for home owners, a pool already on the property
and the owner would make a substantial profit. This would also increase the town's tax base.
In closing, we are convinced that turning this hotel into a 100%seasonal employee housing would be an
unfair and wrong decision for the residents of this neighborhood. This neighborhood has beautiful,well-
maintained homes and we believe that if the Zoning Board of Appeals allows this petition for 100%
seasonal employee housing for seven months every year it will surely decrease the value of our
properties and create an unpleasant environment for the homeowners. Please deny this petition and
keep our neighborhood peaceful, beautiful and a place that tourists want to return to annually.
R,e(spectfully,
Ke eth Zala kas
L
Donna Zalauskas