Resident warns Dennisport parking will worsen under multifamily proposals

Brian Hines, a Dennisport resident and incoming member of the Zoning Bylaw Study Committee, told the planning board on April 6 that proposed discretion to reduce required parking for multifamily projects risks shifting cars into municipal lots and streets.

"On average, every family has 1.9 cars," Brian Hines said, summarizing recent census-derived data he presented. He argued that a multifamily project that does not provide sufficient on-site parking will displace vehicles into municipal parking intended for businesses and visitors, harming neighborhood livability and enforcement resources.

Hines recommended the board adopt clearer guardrails — for example, tying reductions to the number of affordable units or requiring minimum on-site parking per unit — instead of allowing open-ended reductions at the board's discretion.

Paul, planning staff, replied that the draft preserves board discretion but now requires applicants who request a reduction to submit a written justification explaining how the reduction would be managed and why it would not harm surrounding uses. "We kept the discretion, but we add...the applicant needs to make a well-reasoned case," Paul said.

Board members acknowledged the concern and discussed forming a parking working group with the Zoning Bylaw Study Committee to study local data and propose potential guardrails before the June 15 continued hearing.

The board did not adopt a new numerical parking standard at the meeting; it voted to continue the Section 4.9 hearing to June 15, 2026 to allow further study and coordination.