HomeMy WebLinkAbout5054 Letter of Support 1 Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce 10.25.23�.� ram)
CHAME3ER OF
COMMERCE
October 23, 2023
RECEIVED
OCT 2 5 2023
YARMOUTH
BOARD OF APPEALS
PO Box 479, S.Yarmouth, MA 02664
Office 508-778-1008
Fax 508-778-5114
dfrector@yarmouthcapecod.com
yarmouthcapecod.com
In 2022 the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce established the Yarmouth Community Partnership whose
role is to address ideas and challenges facing our business community and residents.
The Partnership is comprised of representatives of the business community and residents. The
Partnership brainstormed and prioritized an extensive list of issues facing our community. Workforce
housing became the number one topic to address and to ensure our seasonal workers have safe, clean,
well -maintained, and managed housing. The members worked closely with the Yarmouth Planning
Board and Building Commissioner to successfully amend the Zoning Bylaw Section 404.5 — Seasonal
Workforce Housing at Motels/Hotels at the 2022 Annual Town meeting.
Our businesses continue to struggle to find adequate housing for their staff now more than ever before
with the ever -changing housing market leaving our businesses unable to hire staff. Yarmouth has one of
the highest numbers of seasonal workers on Cape Cod. Many of these employees work multiple jobs
allowing our restaurants, motels, retail stores, and destinations to stay open. Without them, businesses
are forced to reduce their hours and, in some cases, close.
We are writing this letter to support the application for the special permit from the Town 'N Country
Family Resort for 100% seasonal workforce housing for the 2024 season. The owners of the Town 'N
Country Family Resort located 452 Route 28 in West Yarmouth have successfully implemented practices
to ensure and provide safe, clean, and friendly seasonal workforce housing for a substantial number of
businesses in Yarmouth.
We appreciate the fact that the ZBA understands the ongoing crisis for housing for the seasonal
workforce and your recent support by approving the Special Permit to Parkers River Resort and hope
you will support the request from the Town 'N Country Family Resort to meet the demanding need for
housing.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Sincerely,
MaryJ. Vilbon
Executive Director