Opinion/Your Turn: The raw truth about affordable housing on Cape Cod

There seems to be a continuing narrative circulating that the entire Cape has this dire critical need for more and more affordable housing. Really? At whose expense? This is a false narrative in many ways. First, construction of this nature will further destroy our drinking water and our wastewater systems cannot handle any more volume without destroying and polluting our ponds, lakes, bays and estuaries. Not to mention that our roads were never built for this unplanned and ongoing over-development.

The best and latest example is in Hyannis, where a recent lawsuit was prompted by the idiotic idea that building 312 apartments around desirable open space (Twin Brooks Golf Course) and swampland is somehow a grand idea. In fact, on record with the Cape Cod Commission in the Development Agreement, even the developer's own soil experts expressed concerns and possible doubts of the soil's ability to withstand the construction. (See page 62) Pure insanity at its best.

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Now add to this that even the town's own Local Comprehensive Plan plainly indicates that Hyannis is well beyond the goal of 10% affordable housing, the magic figure that the state recommends for all cities and towns. Figures obtained from the Mass.gov site reveal that none of the fifteen towns on the Cape have 10% as do another 275 cities and towns across the Commonwealth. Only 76 cities and towns have achieved this and 56 cities and towns have less than 1%. Hyannis already has its share!

A developer recently completed 53 apartment rentals in Hyannis, of which ten were deemed "affordable." Big deal. For starters, families do not live in two-bedroom apartments. I also wonder how many Barnstable taxpayers are aware of the sweetheart deal this builder got. The town agenda from January 2021 reads that this developer would receive an 80% reduction in taxes over twenty years (pages 23 and 24). How many taxpayers in town have ever received this preferential treatment in their taxes? None I surmise.

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Some people around here remember back to 1988 when Barnstable had a building moratorium. Why? Back then some people and many town officials thought the Cape was being overbuilt and over-developed and thus the stoppage was implemented as a new-growth control measure. Soon thereafter came two-acre zoning to curb more growth and then in 1998 Cape Cod voters approved the Cape Cod Land Bank, yet one more tool to control and stop the growth, which included buying conservation land for open space and preservation of drinking water and other resources. Now, some 35 years after that moratorium, we are merely supposed to ignore and disregard all this? All for the sake of affordable housing?

The Cape Cod Commission was created in 1990 to serve the citizens and 15 towns of Barnstable County for the following purpose: "to protect, preserve and enhance the unique, natural, coastal, scientific, historical, architectural, archaeological, recreational and other values of the Cape." It appears that they totally ignore the protection and preservation aspects of the statute, which is why a lawsuit was filed against them over the Twin Brooks development, and likely, in my opinion, why they will lose.

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Look at the comparison of Barnstable and the town of Plymouth. Barnstable has about 49,583 residents while Plymouth has just under 61,000. Barnstable has about 76 square miles. Plymouth is the largest town (land area) in Massachusetts with about 134 square miles. Now compare Hyannis, all 14 square miles of it. It is now home to close to 15,000 residents and close to one-third of the entire town's population. We now have about 1,000 residents per square mile. How many more can they pack in here? Have the 13 town councilors and town manager forgotten that the town has six other villages?

There comes a time when venues and even some communities become sold out. The Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park where the capacity is about 37,775. Want to take in a game? No problem, if of course, you have a ticket. If not, stay home and watch the game on TV. Try the next game. Oh, you like the New England Patriots, or maybe your teenagers want to take in a Taylor Swift concert? Gillette Stadium holds about 65,878 fans. Got tickets? No problem, if not stay home and watch there. Sorry, sold out. And finally, you like hockey? The Bruins play at TD Garden where that capacity is 17,580. The capacity for the Boston Celtics is about 19,600. Same recipe: Got tickets? Yes, you come. If not, stay home and wait for next time. Buy a ticket when you can afford one or can even get one.

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This is the raw truth about living on Cape Cod and the Cape does not need any more massive housing developments, despite what the Cape Cod Commission lectures to us. Our environment here is far more vital, far more so than 35 years ago, and the reality is that most of the land is now gone and what is left is not cheap. Neither are labor and materials, which are both at all-time highs. Almost nothing is affordable anymore. And "sold out" can be a sad but true reality which is where we have come to.

John Julius is a local real estate professional who lives in Hyannis

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Opinion: Hyannis already has its share of affordable housing