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In my 62 years of residency in the village of Hyannis, I have enjoyed a lifetime of beautiful and peaceful serenity.
I have witnessed millions and millions of visitors with families strolling our unique village streets, world-class ocean vistas and stunning beaches. They have been our financial lifeline. Most of our visitors live in congested towns. Most visitors only need to drive short distances, fly, or take a bus to share our paradise. Sometimes I believe our year-round residents take this Camelot existence for granted.
Our town, home of a president — and visiting presidents who I met on Main Street enjoying a homemade ice cream with their families — brought a sense of pride and security. As we rapidly approach the 22nd century, (77 years) our town council and planning boards have radically changed the zoning and building codes. These code changes have allowed every carpetbagger-investor group to race to our beloved village. They are taking advantage of our quaint, neglected-for-decades village.
I asked a town council member about this Armageddon of zoning changes. I was told to contact a group called the Business Improvement District (B.I.D.). I was left speechless. Imagine an elected town officer referring me to a committee of local businessmen. It was then I realized neither the B.I.D. nor the town, has an engineering plan or vision for the entirety of future Main Street projects.
There are no professional engineers, architectural designers or planners to explain with words and visual examples the end results of Main Street, after these ridiculous zoning experiments. This one-of-a-kind village of Hyannis needs a major plan designed by professional, artistic experts, not by these local businessmen and their cohorts.
They are using town government, suggesting ridiculous statements, inferring that building monstrosities such as rental units in the former TD Bank building at 307 Main St., is the answer. It takes away retail space. Not only does that plan fail in dozens of ways, it opens the door for every developer and contractor to take advantage of the town council’s and planning board’s huge, uninsightful, prospect for the future of Hyannis’ viability.
We are all aware of our need for medium- and low-income housing. That should have been addressed 25 years ago but not on Main Street, which is part of the allure for vacationing guests who financially feed our children. The business owners, obviously out of ideas to enhance their own businesses, are causing this panic.
We have two new bridges to be built right around the corner. Our growing airport will be vibrant in the next 50 years. I ask you, who the heck is going to want to come to Main Street, Hyannis, to see where people sleep? Let’s use our imagination. Let’s look to our future and repair the past. Hindsight will be very expensive.
William Hedley Smith, Hyannis
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