Another Win!

Judge Kevin Smith of the Massachusetts Land Court just handed down a denial of Catholic Charities' request for an order to reinstate their building permit and allow them to continue renovations at 460 West Main Street. This case was a motion for preliminary injunction by Catholic Charities against the Barnstable Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and the abutter in the original Appeal to the ZBA. Essentially, Catholic Charities wanted to continue renovating 460 West Main Street while the judicial review case made its way through Land Court pending a decision on reversing the original ZBA decision.

While this is a significant win, this is not the end of our fight. The issue of the ZBA's decision to reverse the Building Commission's permit will continue for judicial review in Land Court. It could proceed for a few years, meaning more legal expenses. NANN will be undertaking a much-needed, fundraising campaign. Standby for additional instructions on how to donate.

Although we won the Zoning Board of Appeals decision to reverse the building permit at 460 West Main, renovations continue. We need to present alternative solutions to Town Officials now to ensure that previous plans do not get resurrected.

Join NANN and our Community looking to not only stop the relocation of the Winter Street Shelter to 460 West Main Street, but to change the failed policies and take back control of our community. We want REAL changes and REAL solutions!

Over 650 of you signed our petition last spring to have the opportunity to voice your concerns to Town officials over the following issues:

  1. Creating a municipal Human Services Department; 

  2. Decentralizing regional homeless services across the Cape;

  3. Quantifying the police, fire and business impacts of shelters;

  4. Reclaiming policy control from non-profits; and

  5. Implementing PILOT* agreements.

*A PILOT is a "payment in lieu of taxes" agreement that leverages non-profits within Barnstable to become better ciitzens by providing priority access to their services for Barnstable residents.

We will be emailing you every day with much more information and answering your questions too. Feel free to contact us by replying to this email and forwarding this message to your neighbors and friends.