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1996 Final Regional Policy Plan <br /> L. The Commission will promote and provide technical assistance to the non-profit housing <br /> development sector. <br /> M. The Commission will explore. in conjunction with the HOME Advisory Council. the . <br /> Feasibility of converting the Barnstable County Hospital into an assisted living facility for lour <br /> and moderate income elders. <br /> N. The Commission's Housing Specialist will serve as the Commission's liaison to national, <br /> state, county_ gide and local organi ations that directly deal with the issue of affordable <br /> housing. <br /> . Heritage Preservation/Community Character <br /> Cape Cod is treasured for the distinctive historic and small town character of its communities <br /> and its open landscapes. Due to continuing development pressures, erosion of this special <br /> character is of great concern to residents. <br /> In the 1995 Cape Cod Residents Survey, % of the respondents felt that the rural character in <br /> their community had worsened since 1990. In addition, % marred protection of scenic <br /> landscapes and 60% named protection of historic areas as a high priority for the Commission. <br /> Redevelopment or reuse of e:dsting vaunt commercial and industrial sites and buildings was <br /> supported by 92% of respondents. <br /> { i <br /> Every cor mbnity on Cape Cod is struggling to manage growth. preserve historic resources and <br /> maintain town character, often without adequate growth controls and zoning standards. Use <br /> of histozoic districts and design review has increased on Cape Cod in the past five years, but a <br /> variety of other methods should be pursued to protect the region's distinctive character. These <br /> include demolition delay bylaws, preservation and con enmtion restrictions, scenic roadway <br /> regulations, innovative design review districts, and incentives for redevelopment and neer <br /> development which are consistent.with traditional patterns. i <br /> Identification of the Cape's important historic resources and character-defining elernents is , <br /> essential to their preservation, both in terms of raising awareness of their significance and <br /> providing for their protection. Substantial new historic survey work has been completed in <br /> five Cape towns since 1990. Over seven thousand historic resources have been inventoried and <br /> wed with the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC . However, whale recent inventories <br /> ;* have recognized the diverge mature of our heritage, many resources such as historic landscapes, <br /> burial grounds. maritime sites and early tourism structures have not been inventoried. <br /> Historic districts play an important role in protecting existing historic structures. Forty-one <br /> such districts. some with overlapping borders. presently e. st on Cape Cod. Their level of <br /> effectiveness and the amount of protection they afford varies widely. while local historic <br /> districts typically provide the highest level of protection, several districts operate with <br /> inadequate and sometimes nonexistent design guidelines. Additionally, a large nurnber of <br /> historic propenes have no protection at all because they do not fall within the boundaries of <br /> an historic district. Consequently, many alterations have been made to historic buildings <br /> which greatly detract from heir architectural integrity. To confront this problem* five towns <br /> have adopted demolition delay bylaws, providing time to consider alternatives to demolition <br /> of all s.ignificant historic structures in the town. <br /> Archaeological resources (except for burial grounds) currently have no limited protection. <br /> Recognizing that areas surrounding wetlands are likely to contain archaeological resources, <br /> wetland protection bylaws in two towns require MHC review to determine if a proposed <br />