Great Streets Hyannis: A Walkable Heart for Cape Cod (Return to Two-Way Travel Downtown)
The Great Streets Hyannis Project is re-envisioning how Hyannis Main Street and the surrounding streets and intersections are designed and function. The Town of Barnstable, together with project partners Jeff Speck and Stantec Consulting, invite the community to view and comment on conceptual designs for two-way streets and reconfigured intersections on the project webpage.
The public is invited and encouraged to comment on the plans, which include conceptual street cross-sections, large-scale intersection redesigns, additional on-street parking options, and an on-street protected bicycle network. As discussed at a community meeting on January 25th, the conversion of the traffic network to two-ways and addition of bike lanes can be accomplished in the near-term by restriping the pavement, modifying traffic controls, and other short-term interventions. Intersection reconstructions are envisioned as longer-term investments to achieve greater walkability, traffic management, safety for all users, and enhancement of the downtown.
Town of Barnstable 2023 Tourism Mini-Grants
The Town of Barnstable invites local civic associations and non-profits to submit an application for a 2023 Tourism Mini-Grant. The Tourism Mini-Grant Program is designed to support the town’s seven villages in promoting new or existing events and festivals to draw visitors to the Town of Barnstable. All civic associations and nonprofit organizations within the Town of Barnstable that produce and market events to visitors and/or providing visitor services are eligible and encouraged to apply.
Grants are available up to a maximum of $1,000 per applicant, and require one-to-one matching funds. A total of $7,000 is available in funding for the grant program, which is funded through a portion of the Town’s rooms tax revenues. Applications must be submitted to the Town of Barnstable on or before 11:59 pm, Sunday March 5, 2023. Grants will be awarded on or before March 31, 2023.
Downtown Hyannis Façade Improvement Grant Program
The Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with MassDevelopment, the Cape Cod Chamber, and the Town of Barnstable, is excited to announce the availability of $115,000 in funding for a Small Business Façade Improvement Grant Program. This grant program is available to all properties in the Hyannis BID or Hyannis TDI and eligible improvements include new signage, windows, planters, painting, masonry, siding, doors, awnings and/or structural or design changes. The application deadline is March 19, 2023 and awarded projects must be completed by December 31, 2023.
Barnstable Youth Job Fair
The Barnstable Youth Commission will be hosting the 7th Annual Youth Job Fair at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center on Wednesday, March 8th from 2:30-5:00 PM. The event is open to all students age 14-18. More than 40 local businesses who are hiring are expected to greet jobseekers and conduct on-the-spot interviews. A Job Coaching Room, sponsored by MASS-Hire Cape & Islands and C.O.R.D., will offer advice and information about labor laws, the interview process, filling out paperwork and other frequently asked questions.
The Barnstable School Department will be providing buses to transport students from Barnstable High School at the end of the school day to the event. Students from other schools and communities have been invited and are welcome to attend, with a digital Youth Job Board with information about the participating businesses will be available for those who cannot.
There are still spaces available for businesses hiring youth ages 14-18. To register, please visit https://www.cognitoforms.com/TownOfBarnstable1/_2023youthjobfairbusinessparticipantapplication.
Housing Construction Workshop
MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative Program and the Town of Barnstable Planning & Development Department, together with International Business Relations, invites the community to a Construction Workshop on Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, 397 Main Street, Hyannis. The event seeks to connect housing developers, construction professionals, realtors, property and business owners, and other stakeholders and features a panel discussion about housing opportunities, resources, and development experiences in Hyannis.
The participants in this panel will be Jim McKeag, TDI MassDevelopment Fellow Fall River and South Cluster Lead; Elizabeth Jenkins, Town of Barnstable Director of Planning & Development; and Carlos Barbosa, owner of Color of Cape Cod Construction Company and Copacabana Developers. The morning will include networking and a Brazilian breakfast; Spanish and Portuguese interpretation will be available. Registration is free and available at www.eventbrite.com/e/construction-workshop-for-latinostickets-531182229347
Downtown Hyannis Rezoning
The rezoning of downtown Hyannis was recently approved by Barnstable Town Council at their meeting on February 2nd, 2023. The Downtown Hyannis Rezoning effort is a major step towards implementing the goals of Barnstable’s Local Comprehensive Plan, Housing Production Plan, and Growth Incentive Zone Strategic Plan. A particular focus of the new zoning is on residential and mixed-use development that responds to local context through size, form, placement, and design considerations.
