02/24/2010 ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Minutes

Home Browse Search

Mashpee Zoning Minutes Board of Appeals February 24, 2010 therefore not exclusive of any public or private way. How can this buffer lot be considered buildable and included in any lot coverage calculation? Past rebuilds on the street have not included this buffer lot as buildable area: because of the buffer lots we have preserved a sense of spaciousness on the street — a rare find on today's Cape. As to the side setback variances, we have no issue. A 10 ft offset front each side boundary is reasonable on a 50ft wide lot. Again, the rebuilds on our street have kept within the guidelines. We do object to cantilevered projections which effectively expand the structural footprint or lot coverage to more than is allowed (20016) and overlap into the ]Oft setback area. Side projections on narrow lots are intrusive to neighbors' privacy. Cape Cod (Rock Landing) Preservation Considerations As the zoning commissioners, we rely on you to be the guardians of Rock Island's future quality of life. You must balance the need for progress and new construction, with a vision to preserve what makes our community such a unique and desirable place on Cape Cod. Granting exceptions to the lot coverage stipulations, allowing non -buildable land of the buffer lot to be included, and allowingfor cantilevered construction would set a precedent that will create a street of "McMansions " which are unsightly (incongruous with the neighborhood) and unnecessary. I understand that previous proposals for exceptions to factoring in the buffer lot have been reviewed by the Town and rightly denied. Please do not change course now. Larger houses do not increase the property value of the smaller neighbors as witnessed by the impact of the two recently rebuilt houses on the street. I could argue that they actually decreased the value of my property • Safety and Noise Considerations All construction should be prohibited between July ]stand Labor Day, period. It is annoying and this is a seasonal community. We spend 4-5 weeks ofsummer at the house. It is occupied by other family members for the remainder of the summer and through Labor Day. Construction noises from 7AM are blatantly unbearable. The construction traffic and lack of space for construction parking is a safety issue for the many children (our family's and other residents on Rock Island Rd.) that must use the road for travel to and from the beach. Furthermore, larger homes bring more traffic, which reduces everyone's enjoyment of our community. While I am not against improving one's property, by joining as a member of a community association, I have agreed to consider the community impact of any modifications. From earlier contact with petitioner, we believed a smaller house was going to be built. Additionally, the lot contains many trees which shade many abutting properties (check the aerial photos) — these trees may be at risk in order to accommodate the proposed building. Please help us maintain our community by insisting that: Only the 6000 sq ft lot is buildable land. No more than 20% lot coverage. No cantilevered construction to get beyond zoning requirements (side/f-ont setbacks). No summer construction. Thank you for reading our letter. The Flaherty Family 0