Seven Villages, Janet Joakim

The Town Manager gave a preliminary overview of this year’s town survey done annually by Bridgewater State College during a budget workshop on May 1.

The survey gives us further insight into what is on the minds of the majority of Barnstable residents.
We use our survey as we develop our strategic plan, and it is considered in issues like zoning and the town manager’s budget priorities.

Year after year the number one complaint from residents is traffic. In village meetings, citizen’s groups, and around town we hear about how bad traffic is, from Cotuit to Hyannis on Rt. 28 and from Barnstable to Hyannis on Rt 132, you have told us you want us to do something about traffic.
The citizen’s survey reflects this sentiment.

Further, our local comprehensive plan addresses traffic issues overall and each village plan does the same.

In the survey – with a choice of excellent, good, fair or poor – 71.5% of Barnstable residents surveyed responded that traffic conditions in town are fair or poor.

Additionally, a specific and important question asked last year and again in this year’s survey was:
Do you favor or oppose a plan which would limit retail growth as a means to improve traffic on areas such as Route 132, the Cape Cod Mall area, Rt. 28 or in your village? This year – 61% FAVORED, 31.4% OPPOSED with 7.7% not responding.

How do we reconcile all of this with Zoning Board of Appeals decisions like the recent Blanchards decision? This project dragged Continue reading citizen’s survey, traffic, and blanchards…