Welcome to The Town of Barnstable!
*New Town Council Hearing Date: February 2, 2023 at 7:00p.m
At the March 17, 2022 meeting, the Town Council introduced the proposed text and zoning maps amendments to the Town’s zoning ordinance associated with the proposed amendment to the Downtown Hyannis Zoning Districts with companion amendments to the sign code and establishment of the Registered Recreational Marijuana Cultivators, Research Facilities, and Testing Laboratories Overlay District. The Town Council affirmatively voted to refer the proposed text and zoning maps amendments for items 2022-144, 2022-145 and 2022-146 to the Planning Board. On April 11, 2022, the Planning Board unanimously and affirmatively voted to recommend items 2022-144, 2022-145 and 2022-146 to the Town Council. Public hearings on these items have been advertised for the Town Council meeting on February 2, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Item 2022-144 – Downtown Hyannis Zoning Districts
Item 2022-145 – Downtown Hyannis Sign Code Amendments
The Downtown Hyannis Rezoning effort is a major step towards implementing the goals of Barnstable’s Local Comprehensive Plan, Housing Production Plan and
Growth Incentive Zone Strategic Plan. The zoning for downtown Hyannis is proposed to be revised, with a particular focus on residential and mixed-use development that responds to local context through size, form, placement, and design considerations.
Introduction – Downtown Hyannis Zoning District
The proposed amendment will replace the current Hyannis Village Zoning Districts. The provisions in the ordinance pertaining to Adult-Use Marijuana will remain unchanged, but will be transferred to a Zoning Overlay District. Corresponding updates to the sign code will also be proposed.
Please submit comments and questions on the rezoning proposal to Assistant Director Kate Maldonado at 508-862-4678 or Kaitlyn.Maldonado@town.barnstable.ma.us.
Online Forum Comments, Questions, and Responses
Watch Meeting Video (Community Meeting #2)
Downtown Hyannis Zoning Revision Presentation (from Community Meeting #2)
This meeting provided an overview of the intent of the zoning, the overall approach, a detailed look at the existing and proposed districts, and an overview of sections of the proposed zoning.
Watch Meeting Video (Community Meeting #1)
Downtown Hyannis Zoning Revision Presentation (from Community Meeting #1 )
Planning & Development staff held virtual office hours to discuss any outstanding questions post the virtual community meeting.
The current zoning allows for multi-family residential development; however, very few residential units have been permitted by-right. The proposed zoning revisions strive to allow for efficient models of compact housing by-right through a code crafted to correspond with the historic development patterns of downtown Hyannis.
Current Hyannis Village Zoning Districts
Current Hyannis Village Zoning Map
Downtown Hyannis Study Area
The proposed “study area” is downtown Hyannis, with the same boundary as the Growth Incentive Zone (GIZ) and the existing “Hyannis Village Zoning Districts”. This area is currently served by public sewer and water. Hyannis serves as the regional commercial and transportation hub of the Cape. Achieving a greater density of jobs and housing within the GIZ is the foundation of the community’s vision of a vibrant, livable, mixed-use, walkable regional center. Dense, compact housing options paired within buildings that respond Hyannis’ unique character can support a mix of housing choices for all ages and incomes while encouraging healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.
Existing Conditions
While the GIZ provides some opportunity for streamlined permitting and as-of-right multi-family development, the regulatory structure has not been effective in broadly attracting residential development to the area. In the first 10 years of the initial GIZ designation, only 110 new residential units were built. The residential densities allowed by zoning do not respond to the high costs of land and construction. Requiring a developer to permit projects through a lengthy and unpredictable process only further increases project costs. This dis-incentivizes investment and raises the costs of housing in projects that do move forward.
Additionally, the current conventional methods of zoning do not adequately address most physical characteristics that contribute to the sense of place or sufficiently address the aesthetic character of our community.
Proposed Zoning Revisions
The focus of this effort is to create a predictable regulatory framework that encourages compact residential development, compatible with traditional development patterns, meeting a range of housing needs. The proposed zoning revisions are based on input received during the Community Resiliency by Design community engagement process, which produced a report on Village of Hyannis design preferences. This report included community input on preferred types and styles of building massing, scale, character, and composition.
This zoning amendment is also supported by the Cape Cod Commission’s Form Based Code Framework, which advocates for the use of form-based and hybrid zoning to help deliver context-appropriate densities in forms that respect existing historic development patterns.To help keep the public informed of zoning issues in Barnstable, the Town is now offering e-mail notices of current and upcoming zoning amendment proposals and related meetings. Sign up HERE.
