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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5193 897 Route 28 Select Board Letter 10.07.25TOWN OF YARMOUTH 1146 ROUTE 28, SOUTH YARMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS 02664-2445 Telephone (508) 398-2231, ext. 1271, Fax (508) 398-2365 October 7, 2025 Sean Igoe, Chairman Town of Yarmouth Zoning Board of Appeals 1146 Route 28 South Yarmouth, MA 02664 RECEIVED OCT 0 8 2025 YARMGIfM BOARD OF APPEALS SELECT BOARD Tracy Post, Chair Dorcas McGurrin Mark Forest Joyce Flynn Elizabeth Argo TOWN ADMINISTRATOR Robert L. Whritenour, Jr. RE: Application for Comprehensive Permit for 897 Route 28, South Yarmouth Dear Mr. Igoe, The Select Board of the Town of Yarmouth hereby submits its comments to you regarding the application filed by Acre + WCI Real Estate Ventures 1, LLC for an MGL Chapter 40B Comprehensive Permit for the location of 897 Route 28 in South Yarmouth. The Board acknowledges the detailed comments on this application filed by the Planning Board and the Community Housing Committee and expresses its support and concurrence with these comments. The Select Board has followed this project very closely, starting with the application by a completely different company for a project eligibility letter for this site on May 24, 2023. After extensive discussion, a site visit and presentations, the Select Board provided MassHousing with comments raising concerns regarding density, traffic, design and the requested inclusion of commercial space to make the project fit better within the Town's vision for mixed -use village style development reflecting our historic Cape Cod character. The Board is shocked to see this application which is purported to be filed under the initial eligibility application carrying no relationship at all with the initial proposal. As this application bears no resemblance to the original project submitted by another company, the Select Board does not feel that this is a proper comprehensive permit application under the State's guidelines and feels that the application should be disqualified. Not only has every concern expressed by the Town for the initial application been completely ignored, but the present application also seems to mock the input of the Town by proposing the exact opposite of the Town's request in almost every single area of concern. While many of these concerns have been expressed in the previous input, it deserves additional attention that the proposed density of the development is in excess of the initial application, and far in excess of community standards. With 27 units located on only 1.09 acres, this would be by far the highest residential density in the Town of Yarmouth, including many other affordable housing developments and would have a detrimental impact on the existing pattern of development in this historic village. In a related area of concern the architecture of the project is also completely different from the initial proposal and clearly light years away from a responsible vision of what would be appropriate for a Cape Cod village location. The overly dense, three-story height of the project buildings with flat roofs and sheer, flat massing along the public ways detracts significantly from the neighboring residential properties. The buildings appear to be no more than stacked prefabricated modules that would seem more appropriate for an intensely dense urban environment. The Board favors a less dense approach in this gateway to the established residential area that incorporates historically themed architectural cues such as pitched roof lines and varied materials and design features to break up the obtrusive massing of the structures that impose so heavily on the surrounding architecture. The Board also reiterates concerns regarding the traffic impacts of the projects and requests more detailed analysis of the projected traffic impacts especially in the area of Pine Grove Road and Route 28, which is presently difficult for existing traffic to navigate and could be made significantly worse by a new development. Similarly, to achieve extremely high density, all reasonable parking standards for this area have been omitted from the project design, rendering the plan completely inadequate. Further, the Board calls attention to the manner in which the project is oriented into its context along the high visibility location on Route 28 and adjacent to the well -established and attractive residential neighborhood. Any new buildings should be oriented to as to add to the visual characteristics of these neighborhoods and should appear attractive and well -suited to their location. The present design seems to overload Pine Grove Road with extensive massing near the smaller residential homes while Route 28 receives an after thought of treatment to the unattractive side of a building which completely ignores any sense of design or proportion for the front -facing village location of the project. Additionally, proposed landscaping is minimal at best, and there is no open space or play amenities which should be incorporated into the design for a project of this size. Based on the foregoing, while the Select Board supports the implementation of our Housing Production Plan, it is impossible to support this project as proposed, and we are hopeful that through a proper permitting process the Town may correct the many errors which have been incorporated into the design. Sincerely, The Select Board of the Town of Yan-nouth Tracy t, Ch I Ua� AIJ Mark Forest 6 orcas 1VIcGurrin, ice Chair J c Flinn — Elizabeth Argo