Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Board approves Parker's River redevelopment — six units in three duplexes approved with parking, emergency access and affordable‑unit conditions
Summary
The board approved VCOD site‑plan review for 703 Route 28 to replace an existing building with three duplexes (six units). Approval requires all parking be beneath the buildings, one affordable unit per section 412 (or payment in‑lieu), and pursuit of any needed ZBA relief; the decision followed extended debate over parking and vehicle access.
The Yarmouth Planning Board unanimously approved VCOD site‑plan review (SPR 2025‑2) on April 1, 2026, for a residential redevelopment at 703 Route 28 (Parker's River). The proposal replaces an existing commercial structure with three duplexes (six dwelling units) and related site and utility improvements.
Brian Ygation (BSC Group) and civil designer Mackenzie Morrison described the site as roughly 35,248 sq ft (just under one acre), within FEMA flood zone AE (elev. 11–12), abutting Parker's River and containing wetlands and existing easements. The plan calls for raising and replacing the building footprint with three duplexes (approx. 1,100 sq ft per unit), covered on‑grade parking beneath each unit, a 22‑ft driveway with a 12‑ft turnaround at the south end, and an underground infiltration system designed to capture and infiltrate 100% of the proposed impervious area for stormwater treatment and peak‑flow attenuation. Morrison stated the stormwater system was designed to meet the MassDEP/MassDOT/town stormwater standards and to store/infiltrate up to the 100‑year storm event.
Planner Kathy Williams explained the special permit relief and site‑plan review requirements under the VCOD section of the zoning bylaw and recommended conditions addressing emergency access and affordable housing compliance. Williams said the board could require that all parking be located under the buildings and that no parking be permitted along the access road to keep the path clear for emergency vehicles. She also noted a requirement for one affordable unit under zoning section 412, with payment‑in‑lieu available as an option.
A substantial part of the meeting centered on parking adequacy and vehicle turning: several board members expressed strong concerns that two code‑required spaces per unit would be insufficient for four‑bedroom units on Cape Cod, questioned where visitors or moving vans would park, and asked whether the garage configuration could realistically accommodate typical vehicles. The architect and applicants said tandem/stacked configurations could yield up to four vehicles per garage structure in many cases, but acknowledged constraints for larger vehicles (full‑size pickups or tractor‑trailers) and agreed to provide clearer floor‑plan parking details and to run vehicle‑turning templates for larger vehicles on the site.
The board approved the application subject to conditions: (1) all parking to be located beneath the building, with no parking allowed along the access road to protect emergency access; (2) provide one affordable unit in compliance with zoning bylaw section 412 (payment‑in‑lieu allowed by applicant); and (3) any relief required shall be sought through the Zoning Board of Appeals. The board noted applicants must present additional details as part of final plan set, including the parking configuration and vehicle turning templates for larger service vehicles.
The applicants also committed to filing a Notice of Intent with the Conservation Commission for wetland impacts and to coordinate sewer connection timing with the town's sewer main construction schedule. The board emphasized the project meets the town's goals for corridor improvement but asked the applicant to clarify parking layout and demonstrate turning/maneuvering for service and moving vehicles as follow‑up.
