Yarmouth entertainment district eyed for Route 28

From The Register:
Yarmouth entertainment district eyed for Route 28
YARMOUTH —

A proposal that would allow a water park rising as much as 80 feet high, and increased commercial and residential development along a section of Route 28 in South Yarmouth promises to be the next contentious issue in Yarmouth.

Several businesspeople expressed strong objections at a Yarmouth Planning Board hearing last week to provisions of a proposed “family entertainment” district.

The bylaw was proposed by attorney Paul Tardiff on behalf of Louis R. Nickinello, who wants to build an indoor water park and hotel complex on the current Bass River Sports World site, which he owns, on the north side of Route 28.

The district, called the Family Recreation and Entertainment Overlay Zoning District (FREZ), would extend on both the north and south sides of Route 28 from Parkers River on the west to Forest Road on the east. The district would replace the current B2 zone and include major changes in motel/hotel unit caps, setbacks, building coverage, building height, parking lots, plantings and multi-family housing.

Dick Martin, a longtime real estate agent in the area, was the strongest objector to several aspects of the plan, including the building heights, elimination of design review, density changes, reduced parking requirements, lack of buffers and other proposals.

“How cityesque do we want the Town of Yarmouth to be – to go from a rural environment to a city? There are no controls here,” he said. “This is not a village center. I don’t want it,” he said. “It’s going to change the character of this community.”

The new district has different provisions for the north and south sides of Route 28. FREZ North has specific stipulations for “water entertainment,” allowing buildings up to 80 feet.

Read more: Yarmouth entertainment district eyed for Route 28 - - The Register http://www.wickedlocal.com/yarmouth/news/business/x1821245705/Yarmouth-entertainment-district-eyed-for-Route-28#ixzz1e6nYyDY5
__________________________________________________________

This is the same town that bitched about two 5 foot tall ice cream cones next door at Blondie's. 80 feet is 16 times taller than 5 feet.