37. The Future Could Be As Vibrant as The Past Prepared for the Dennisport Village Design Charrette, Dennisport Revitalization Committee by "B. Dennis Town Design, Providence, Rhode Island" and "Dover, Kohl & Partners" The Belmont Hotel
Editor's Notes
Welcome and thank you for coming tonight. Over the next half hour or so I will be presenting to you the efforts of the Dennis Economic Development Committee to look at, and address, the needs of the Dennis Tourist Economy. This effort has taken two paths, the first, which we are here tonight to discuss it the Proposed Hotel Resort Zoning. The second, and equally important, is the Dennis Seasonal Resort Community Zoning. So that there is no misunderstanding, these are two distinctly different and independent zoning proposals.
What people are saying: “ This place is very clean, but extremely dated. You can tell it was built in the 50's and no renovations since.” “ We stayed in a small room …not to mention the small kitchenette ….” “ The rooms are small and motel-ish but clean.” Of the five closed hotels, two are in Dennisport. Of the 230 hotel rooms lost, 97 were permanently eliminated, the remaining were converted to time shares and lost from the “transient” tourist stock
Rooms Tax revenue has dropped by nearly 30%, unadjusted for inflation, between 2000 and 2008. This is quite dramatic, given room rates have generally climbed during that decade. The loss is clearly tied to the overall loss in rooms.
Rooms – $3.35M Food and entertainment – 3.75 M Retail purchases - 0.7M Direct expenditures – 7.8M drop
Secondary spending, dropped 4.8M Total hotel related expenditures dropped $12.6 M During a growing economy from the lows of the post 9-11 period to the peaks of the recent boom, the local jobs growth missed out on 210 job opportunities.
Prior to 1973 hotels grew with almost no limitations due to zoning.
When zoning came into existence in this area,
The by-law clamped down on these uses and established extremely difficult restrictions for most properties.
In 1984, while the local comprehensive Plan called for improving tourist opportunities,
Zoning became even more restrictive, leaving only the largest of properties capable of supporting a hotel/motel use and rendering most hotel and motel properties, non-coforming.
Cape Cod Times April 15, 2008 Resort renaissance Critical zoning changes invite new investment along our motel strips. Yarmouth's tourist industry was stuck in the past for a generation, throttled by zoning that stifled new development and even redevelopment of old motels. Both Dennis and Yarmouth saw their motel rooms tax revenue drop by just over 8 percent in fiscal 2007. Many skeptics think planning boards exist to say no — to stifle economic growth and subvert property rights. The irony in this motel renaissance is that town planners are working closely with economic development committees to kick start our stalled tourism economy.
Height comparisons: West Dennis Village Center and Mixed Use Marine areas 42 feet Dennisport Village Center 42 feet Yarmouth is 45 feet and three stories along Route 28 and 48 feet in its South Beach Motel District Barnstable: Hyannis Business District 46 feet, Route 28 near airport 5 stories, Falmouth 50 feet The bulk plane restrictions will open up a diagonal view shed along Chase Avenue, Old Wharf Road and the four public parcels providing access to the ocean, Sea View Park/Cliff Metcalf Beach, Inman Road and Inman Road Beach, Chase Avenue Beach and Raycroft Beach.
Provide opportunities for hotel properties along Route 28 to upgrade and modernize. Allow accessory commercial uses targeted towards tourism to co-locate with hotels. Proposed uses, structural heights and setbacks are all consistent with the existing uses, structures and setbacks in the area. Heights are increase by 7 feet.
There have been many questions about the visual impacts of the taller structural heights in Dennisport. The goals of this proposal is to allow for greater flexibility in site development and plan review by the Planning Board.
Existing structural footprints and 35 foot tall building envelopes within these footprints looking south from the Inman Road/Chase Avenue intersection
The same view, with the proposed zoning. In this area, some of the abutting structures are actually closer to Inman Road and the beach than the proposed zoning would allow. In order to make use of the minimum setbacks, the structures would be required to pitch their roofs back from these protected view areas at a building height of 27 feet. Present zoning would allow a 35 foot vertical wall at these locations.
Pulling further back on Inman, provides another illustration of the views to the south.
And potential building envelopes under the proposed zoning. The front building to the right could be closer to the street, with parking to the side of the structure, with appropriate architectural efforts, or, given the depth of the lot, it could be pushed further off of the property line. The Planning Board Special Permit process would provide an opportunity to work with any potential project in this area to find the best, most sensitive design for each property.
The same intersection area looking at it from all angles. The grey buildings illustrate existing zoning building height for comparison. The west angle illustrates the parking at Sea View Park
Sea View Park views have com into question. These pictures attempt to illustrate the view across Sea View Park. The light poll in the middle should be looked at for reference, it was located where the pitch and putt used to be located. To either side of it lies privately developed parcels hidden behind the tree line. The other two pictures depict the building envelopes within the existing Soundings and Breakers properties could possible redevelop. The bulk plane restrictions illustrate the required pitch away from Metcalf Beach located in the center of the pictures.
Another attempt to illustrate the same concept. The yellow areas in the two building envelopes illustrate the current setbacks at 35 foot heights. Both the Soundings and Breakers Resorts are closer to the property lines today than current or proposed zoning would allow.
Another visualization, this one illustrating building heights from an aerial photograph point of view.
The zoning provides the possibility of recovering from the past decades loss of hotel accommodations along Chase Avenue, and the possibility for future growth in the Dennis Tourist economy in this area. Actual build-out will be limited by on-site waste-water, amenities offered by the resort and site parking
The Proposed Hotel Resort By-law Will Create the “Resort renaissance” identified by the Cape Cod Times. Promote new investment in our tourist facilities. Reverse the loss of motel rooms and motel tax revenue. Kick start our stalled tourism economy by bringing accommodations into the 21st century.