Cape Cod Commission Review Committee Begins Compiling Recommendations
JULY 28, 2006 -- The county-appointed task force reviewing the operations of the Cape Cod Commission has begun compiling recommendations about how to improve the commission’s approach to land use regulation on Cape Cod.
After two months of internal meetings, the 21st Century Review Task Force has received a preliminary 37-point discussion document that will be debated at future meetings beginning in August. At the same time, the task force embarks on three hearings where it invites the public to make comment about the operation of the county’s land use planning and regulatory commission.
After a joint meeting July 27 between members of the task force and the commission, Task Force Chairman Elliott Carr of Brewster delivered a three-page summary of possible task force recommendations that include improving commission staff attitudes, modifying the commission’s land use standards and changing the thresholds for the size of building projects that must come before the Cape Cod Commission for its stringent review process. Carr said he hoped the preliminary list would expand as other potential suggestions come forward.
Much of the July 27 joint meeting was taken up with discussion on how the commission could better communicate its work to the public to avoid misperception and misinterpretation of its activities.
Carr also urged members of the task force to attend three hearings where comment will taken from members of the public, recorded and transcribed for future review by the task force.
Included in the 37 possible task force recommendations that Carr laid out for discussion were to:
• Create a system of concurrent review of development projects by the commission and the town
• Create a limited review process for smaller projects
• Modify thresholds for the size of projects that must come before the commission
• Increase the threshold in designated growth areas
• Tighten the threshold in sensitive natural resource areas or on congested roadways
• Reduce thresholds for retail projects, and increase thresholds for projects that create good job
• Use building footprint rather than total floor space to determine the need for commission review
• Exempt rental housing from review
• Increase thresholds for affordable housing projects
• Differentiate thresholds based on proposed use
• Provide fast track review for town-presented projects of community betterment
• Provide different review standards for Bourne projects on the other side of the canal
• Give commission members a weighted vote based on town population
Regarding the public hearings, the 21st Century Task for on the Cape Cod Commission will seek public input at three forums in early August, which are:
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
7:00 p.m.
Mashpee High School Auditorium
500 Old Barnstable Road, Mashpee
Thursday, August 3, 2006
7:00 p.m.
Barnstable Town Hall – Main Hearing Room
376 Main Street, Hyannis
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
7:00 p.m.
Eastham Town Hall – Earl Mountain Hearing Room
2500 State Highway (Route 6), Eastham
The 21st Century Task Force is a 19-member body appointed by the Barnstable County Commissioners to review the mission, scope of work and impacts of the Cape Cod Commission within Barnstable County. The group’s goal is to formulate recommendations for improvements and issue a report in the Fall of 2006.
The task force has been meeting weekly since May and, so far, has received comments from a variety of groups, including developers and their representatives, business organizations including the Business Roundtable and the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, environmental and housing leaders, town officials and others.
The August forums will provide an opportunity for members of the general public to express their views on the work of the Caper Cod Commission before the task force develops its recommendations.
The task force also will host a meeting with town officials on August 10 at the county offices in Barnstable.
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