Appeal Filed Against Cape Cod Commission for Approving Proposed 312-unit Apartment Complex in Hyannis

Save Twin Brooks (https://savetwinbrooks.org), a grassroots nonprofit, along with a local business and a nearby resident, filed an appeal on March 9th in Barnstable County Superior Court of the Cape Cod Commission’s decision last month to greenlight a 312-unit, 510-bedroom apartment complex on the nearly 40-acre Twin Brooks Golf Course site—the last large open greenspace in Hyannis Village and the core of the endangered Stewart’s Creek Estuary.

The appeal asserts that:

·         The Cape Cod Commission approved a development agreement for the project despite expressly finding that it is inconsistent with two key objectives in its regional policy plan. The Commission failed to comply with multiple other elements of the plan;

·         Commissioners failed to address substantive issues raised in expert testimony;

·         The Commission did not substantively review or discuss compliance with the Town of Barnstable’s local comprehensive plan as required by law; and

·         The hearing process lopsidedly favored the developer, who was allowed over 30 minutes to present while members of the public rarely had more than three minutes, and requests for equal time were refused.

“The decision of the CCC to approve this project is unprecedented and every town on Cape Cod should take notice, said Karen McGuire, president of Save Twin Brooks, Inc. If you have a parcel of land under review by the CCC, in an environmentally sensitive area, this could be you.  This property, located on the Stewart’s Creek Estuary, should be restored and conserved for the benefits of future generations. We don’t have to choose between housing and environment, we want both.”

A copy of the appeal can be found at www.savetwinbrooks.org/appeal 

About Save Twin Brooks

The Twin Brooks site comprises nearly 40 acres of land forming a triangle, with the north side paralleling and connecting to Scudder Avenue near the West End Rotary and the other two, longer sides bordered by the natural, tidal streams Stewart’s Creek and Joshua’s Brook, which converge at the southern point to form the already compromised Stewart’s Creek estuary, located approximately 2,100 feet from Nantucket Sound.  Wildlife abounds on the site and in surrounding areas, and Twin Brooks acts as a natural bridge connecting the forested neighborhoods off Greenwood Avenue to the west and Sea Street to the east.  It is located just south of a designated Environmental Justice Community, who have little access to public parklands and greenspace.

For further information, refer to the filed comments, which are attached, or contact Angela Rutzick at (617) 828-8328 or at info@savetwinbrooks.org