Yarmouth planners report sewer progress, Madaket committee meeting and zoning amendment work ahead of town meeting

The Planning Board on April 15 received a series of procedural and project updates ahead of town meeting.

Board members and staff reported progress on the town’s sewer work: Social Drive main installation is largely complete with ten stubs remaining and pump‑station work continuing near Pine Grove. Contractors hope to be off most roads except the pump station by May 28; the force‑main work aims to reach the Barnstable line by fall 2027, though the Buck Island Road wastewater treatment plant’s opening has slipped from September 2027 to early or late winter 2028, with efforts under way to accelerate completion.

Chair Joanne Crowley said the Madaket Utilization Committee will meet the next night to review three concept designs and that a supplemental meeting may be scheduled before a May 12 meeting with the select board. Staff and board members also described recent committee activity: library public sessions, community housing committee updates on Woodrow Road and Habitat for Humanity projects, and a Housing Authority engineering study for Forest Road water issues.

Staff said the Community Preservation Committee reviewed presentation materials for town meeting articles and that they are coordinating slides for the April 28 town meeting. Planning staff said they are working on a memo requesting approximately $25,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust and exploring tourism‑revenue preservation economic development funds to hire a consultant to carry forward mixed‑use analysis and help revise design standards. Board members discussed beginning work on zoning amendments — including VCOD front‑yard setbacks, ADU rules, parking associated with rentals and monitoring of attainable/affordable units — at upcoming May meetings.

The board approved the April 1 meeting minutes and adjourned after routine business.