Slowing Growth In Cape Cod

"Feeling overrun by growth, Cape Cod's largest town sought a break from building by imposing a townwide moratorium that had previously been used only in wilderness areas or small neighborhoods. The move set off a firestorm two years ago among home builders, who took the town to court and won the first round. Now, people all over Cape Cod are awaiting a decision from the state appeals court, expected sometime before the end of the year." In the meatime, the town of Barnstable has "instituted a cap on the number of building permits it is willing to grant during any given year....A certain portion must be for affordable housing." The implications of the ruling "on whether Barnstable had the right to declare the entire town a 'district of critical planning concern,'are far-reaching for nearby towns that are "besieged" by growth. "The tool is available only to Cape Cod communities under the Cape Cod Commission, and if it can be used townwide to get a breather from development, others are expected to follow suit...."

Thanks to Connie Chung