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Planning board clears several fall zoning articles for public hearing; splits on town‑wide duplex proposal
Summary
Staff presented Fall 2026 zoning articles including technical corrections, nonconforming/code adjustments, a proposal to expand the Mr. Codd overlay, and a contentious proposal to allow duplexes across residential zones. After lengthy debate the board voted to advertise public hearings on Articles 1, 3 and 4 and to send a narrowed duplex proposal (residential districts only, agricultural zones excluded, duplexes by special permit) to a public hearing.
At the July 7 meeting planning staff presented a packet of proposed Fall 2026 zoning articles: Article 1 (technical corrections), Article 2 (allow duplexes / semidetached units in single‑family districts), Article 3 (nonconforming provisions and Affordable Homes Act language), and Article 4 (a map or text amendment to expand the Mr. Codd overlay to additional B‑1, B‑2 and B‑R districts).
The board voted to send Articles 1 and 3 to public hearing without substantive objection. Article 3 incorporates required state law changes about adjacent lots and nonconforming lot treatment and corrects language that improperly allows certain changes by special permit rather than by variance.
Article 2 sparked the longest discussion. Staff said the duplex proposal came from the housing production plan and Cape Cod Commission recommendations. Supporters argued duplexes increase home‑ownership opportunities for younger families and provide an alternative to single‑family demolition and large replacement homes. Opponents warned that allowing duplexes broadly (including agricultural zones) would change town character, could accelerate teardown/rebuild at market rates rather than create affordable units, and would raise infrastructure concerns (septic/denitrification and water). Chair John Druelly framed the discussion with regional housing numbers, saying the median sale price has risen sharply and the town must consider options; he noted median household income ($93,000) and median sale price ($849,900) to emphasize affordability gaps.
After extended debate the board settled on a narrower approach to advertise for public hearing: allow duplexes in all residential districts but exclude agricultural districts, and process duplexes by special permit with the planning board as permit authority. The board also voted to advertise Article 4 (Mr. Codd expansion) for public hearing; staff will prepare maps and recommended exclusions so the public can comment on specific parcels.
Next steps: staff will post public hearing notices (as required in the paper) and prepare draft article language and maps for the July 28 hearing cycle; the board may refine articles based on public input.
