'Don't Harm the Charm.' Opponents of 20-unit plan in Dennis village cite environment, history
DENNIS — Front yards in town are peppered with signs urging, "Don't Harm the Charm."
Coined by Dennis Citizens for Responsible Development, the slogan is a nod to the proposed Village Courtyard project. Developers Chuck Deluga and Paul Sullivan of Dennis-based Betterwood Homes want to build 20 townhouse-style condominiums for residents 55 and older in the heart of the village of Dennis.
Under state statute Chapter 40B, the complex would include 15 market-rate units and five affordable (25%). The statute allows developers to override local zoning codes if at least 20% of the units built have long-term affordability restrictions.
Resident Steve Nelson is worried the development will hurt the environment and clash with the village's historic character.
"We have to do whatever we can to be sure that our town stands on whatever legs they have to stand on to really work with them to get this project to be appropriate and responsible for the location," Nelson said.
The five affordable units would be set aside for those earning up to 80% of the area median income.
For Barnstable County, a single borrower, or owner, making 80% of the area median income would earn up to $67,700 annually, while a family of five could earn up to $104,450.
On the market-rate side, a draft of a local initiative program application for the project estimates that two-bedroom units will sell for $975,000 and three-bedroom units for $1.1 million. An affordable two-bedroom unit could go for $200,000, according to the estimates.
How is Chapter 40B playing out on Cape Cod?
Chapter 40B, also known as the Comprehensive Permit Law, was enacted in 1969 in Massachusetts to expand the number of communities and neighborhoods where households with low and moderate incomes could afford a safe and affordable home, according to Citizens' Housing and Planning Association.
A community has “safe harbor” and is no longer subject to Chapter 40B when 10% of its housing stock is eligible for the state’s subsidized housing inventory.
A little over 5% of Dennis' housing stock is registered as affordable with the subsidized housing inventory. Its progress is comparable to its neighbors: Yarmouth (4.96%), Brewster (6.32%), and Harwich (4.98%).
In Falmouth, for instance, developer Saxon Partners of Hingham wants to use Chapter 40B to create The Easterly — a 300-unit development on Sandwich Road that would include 25% affordable units. That project is under review by the town Zoning Board of Appeals.
And, in Bourne, the all-affordable Cape View project, created in a partnership between Housing Assistance Corporation and Preservation of Affordable Housing, was approved under Chapter 40B in 2022.
The development in Bourne will be built on a parcel owned by the Bourne Housing Authority near Sagamore Beach behind the Bourne Fire Department headquarters. All 42 units will be affordable to households earning less than 60% of area median income, with 16 units further restricted for households earning less than 30% of area median income, according to the Housing Assistance website.
20 units proposed for village of Dennis
The 20 units in Dennis are proposed to be constructed in six buildings at the intersection of Route 6A and Hope Lane on two lots totaling 2.39 acres.
The first larger lot at 744 Main St. includes a historic Greek Revival 1854 office building that houses Betterwood Homes' office and Paul W. Sullivan Associates, as well as retail space and a one-bedroom apartment. After a subdivision, part of this lot would be used to build four townhouse-style buildings, consisting of 15 units.
The remaining five units would be housed in two more townhouse-style buildings built at 18 Hope Lane — a .61-acre site opposite the first lot.
Both lots would include ground-level and garage parking and shared septic wastewater and stormwater management systems, according to the proposals.
In documents submitted to the town, the developers touted the sites' location as crucial to smart growth.
"Concentrating development within an area of mixed uses and reducing vehicle usage is a key principle of smart growth. Upon completion, the Village Courtyard will yield a walkable, village-centered development with direct access to many existing commercial and cultural amenities," reads the documents.
What is the housing situation on Cape Cod?
Cape Cod faces a fierce housing crisis where a significant percentage of its workforce lives off-Cape and year-round houses have been snatched up and transformed into vacation homes or short-term rentals.
The median household income falls short of the amount needed to affordably purchase a median-priced home in all fifteen Barnstable County towns, according to the Cape Cod Commission. In Dennis, the income needed to affordably own is $86,962, while the median household income is $67,803 and the median sales price is $385,000.
Some residents concerned about the development
Nelson and Sharon Machuga are members of Dennis Citizens for Responsible Development, which opposes the project. They are concerned Village Courtyard will fundamentally change the "historic character" of the town.
They also worry the project, which is near Chase Creek, is too dense, will overburden an already-busy intersection, and clear-cut vacant land.
Machuga said she wishes the project also had a greater amount of affordable units.
"Dennis does not need more $ 1 million houses. That's not what we need as a town, it's not what the village needs," said Machuga.
Where does the project stand?
Village Courtyard LLC was created in May for the project, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's website.
Deluga and Peter L. Freeman, the developers' attorney, each did not respond to a request for comment.
On Oct. 3, during a packed-room meeting, the Select Board postponed a vote to consider the developers' Local Initiative Program application, saying more information was needed.
In a letter before the meeting, Town Planner Paul Foley had recommended the move, saying he did not think there had been a "give and take discussion with improvements that mitigate the Town's concerns with traffic, pedestrian connections, parking, septage, density, and design."
Freeman, at the Oct. 3 meeting, said those points seemed to be "things that are addressed at the Zoning Board."
"We have full intention of addressing those things … but I don't think it's our expectation that we would go through yet again site plan review," Freeman said during the meeting. "What he's really calling for is more intensive review before the project is ultimately approved, which absolutely I concur with but that's with the ZBA."
A meeting has yet to be scheduled.
Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on X @zanerazz.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Developer plans 20 housing units in Dennis but foes fear loss of charm
