Say Yes to Density
OPINION
February can be dreary. It’s too late in the year to irritate friends with Hallmark movies, and yet there are no songbirds to comfort. The wind is biting, and it seems reasonable to toss new year’s resolutions into the nearest pond. Massive winter storms knock us back to the dark ages, it’s cold, and you just don’t wanna.
Dreary too was the news that, on February 12th, the Barnstable Town Council passed a zoning amendment increasing parking minimums from 1 to 1.5 spaces per unit for downtown Hyannis, reducing the density allowed for new construction.
But you hate density, you say? Well, that’s just because you haven’t been properly introduced. Density puts money in your pocket, oxygen in your lungs, and protection for your beachfront property. Density is great, and here is why:
Money
Dense neighborhoods provide more tax income relative to their costs. Infrastructure is largely established in downtown areas. No major sewer extensions are needed, public transit is already there, and with higher density comes higher assessed values without miles of road to maintain. Dense buildings are worth more per acre of land and therefore pay more taxes. Downtown infill is as close to a profit-making enterprise as municipalities can get, and these profits subsidize the rest of town.
When staff summaries to the council say there is no fiscal impact to increasing parking minimums or cutting building heights, they are leaving the tax implications out entirely. Make no mistake: reducing building heights and increasing parking minimums will cost you money in the future. These zoning amendments are a tax hike in disguise; they reduce future tax revenue at a time when the town already faces a significant revenue shortfall.
Oxygen
I will admit to a little poetic license here. Dense neighborhoods don’t produce more oxygen on their own, but they are more climate friendly. Dense neighborhoods enable non-automotive modes of transport that reduce emissions and improve health outcomes. They also make locally owned small businesses, like the corner markets and coffee shops, economically viable. The air gets cleaner, and the people who make this town worth living in will be healthier for it. Isn’t life better when your barista is cheerful and well-exercised?
Beaches, am I right?
Our beaches are an asset, financial and spiritual. For those of you fortunate enough to have inherited a water view, I imagine you would do most anything to preserve it, and here I have good news about density. Downtown density is a way to reduce emissions per capita, slow climate change, and slow sea level rise. World Bank models show that dense, walkable neighborhoods beat suburban per capita emissions by as much as 40%. It’s also considerably cheaper than a sea wall.
Come on down!
Parking minimums may already have passed, but downtown Hyannis building heights are up for debate this Thursday, March 13th. So if you can muster the will, come on down to the Town Council meeting and make the case to preserve our financial and environmental future.
Say yes to density.