Welcome to the Dennis Local Comprehensive Plan Update Blog

Welcome to the Dennis Local Comprehensive Plan Update Blog.  This site is intended to distribute information on the plan update and to be one of several mechanisms used to solicit community input.  I look forward to working with you on this update over the next few years.

Regional Consistency

I have had a number of discussions on the Dennis Planning Department Blog about developing the Local Comprehensive Plan.  Among the discussions have been ones addressing outside forces we need to be aware of.  The two dominant forces are the Cape Cod Commission’s Regional Policy Plan and pending changes to the planning landscape due to the proposed Land Use Partnership Act.  During a Webinar last week with Secretary Greg Bialecki I asked about the possible divergence between the overall goals of preservation of Cape Cod (to keep it from becoming overdeveloped) that has been envisioned in the Cape Cod Commission Act and the Regional Policy Plan and the apparent full-speed ahead approach to development in the Land Use Partnership Act.  The Secretary recognized that the Cape had a working model, and that the Land Use Partnership Act may have to defer to the Commission’s Regional Policy Plan ideas for preservation and development over that proposed in the Land Use Partnership Act.

Dennis has taken a fairly balanced approach to preservation and development over the past decade.  We have preserved places in need of preservation such as MelPet Farm, Crowe’s Pasture, Sea View Park and Bass River Park to name a few.  We have created opportunities to reinvigorate our older villages in West Dennis and Dennisport.  We even have adopted a well-received affordable housing by-law which has increased available affordable housing units.

The targets of LUPA, designation of a residential district capable of adding to our year-round housing supply, through construction of new housing as it appears conversion of seasonal housing will not count, by slightly over 400 units in the next ten years is difficult to conceive.  Where would we find an area of 30 – 100 acres of land (4 to 12 units per acre) to accommodate this district?  How would we promote such an increase in new housing starts when the town barely issues 50 new building permits annually town-wide?  What other strategies would the town need to take to ensure town services are not deteriorated?  The 400 new units of year round housing also can only be accomplished through new construction, there would be no provisions to count conversion of seasonal housing to year-round as part of “new” year round housing.  In our town, the year round population could nearly double if all the seasonal housing were converted to year-round housing.

On the other hand, the Cape Cod Commission Regional Policy Plan would recognize the resources we have.  The Plan may call for restrictions in some areas where we may feel otherwise, but the Regional Policy Plan also recognizes that some areas should see reduced regulatory control.  The Regional Policy Plan does not include a requirement that we meet artificially set growth targets.  In fact, the Regional Policy Plan, even with all of its restrictions, is clearly more closely connected to the balanced growth approach Dennis has taken over the past decade than the stated objectives of the Land Use Partnership Act.

I believe, as we start to work on the Dennis Local Comprehensive Plan, we will need to seek a close alliance with the Regional Policy Plan.  I believe that there will be protections for the town in this approach.  We may have to surrender to the idea that some areas are Resource Protection Areas even if we do not fully agree with the concept.  Doing so will give us the benefit of Cape Cod Commission recognized growth areas – with the controls provided to the town through both the Commission Act and the Regional Policy Plan – as opposed to the wide open mandates of the Land Use Partnership Act.

In the Land Use Section of the Local Comprehensive Plan Blog I will start discussing the Land Use Vision Mapping Exercise of the Cape Cod Commission Regional Policy Plan and how those areas may be applied to the Town of Dennis.  This Land Use Vision Map will be created early in the process, to allow us to take advantage of Cape Cod Commission policy changes, but will be reviewed and revised as we work through the process over the next several years.

Let’s Start This Plan Update With Something Fun

A Local Comprehensive Plan is a guide for the future of a community.  As a means of finding out what people’s view of the future of Dennis may be, I would like to ask  people with children visiting this site to have their children submit a picture and short paragraph illustrating what they believe makes Dennis a “Great Place” or a “Lousy Place“.  This idea comes from the American Planning Association’s Kids and Community Program.  More information can be found on this concept here at the “City Gallery.”

I will post the art work and paragraphs on this site.  I will try to work many of these into the update of the Local Comprehensive Plan.

A few short guidelines, all entries need to be no larger than 8 1/2″ by 11″ (all we can scan here in Town Hall).  Electronic entries should be sent to my email address at dfortier(at)town.dennis.ma.us and should be in jpg or bmp format, other entries can be dropped off at town hall or mailed to LCP Artwork, Dennis Planning Department, P.O. Box 2060, South Dennis MA 02660.   The caption (paragraph) should not be more than 40 words.   While the original artwork belongs to you, by submitting your work you are agreeing to let the town use the picture and story on this website (only first names will be used with any submittals) and within the update to the Local Comprehensive Plan.