A road would run through it

The town council has removed a zoning impediment to the Spurwink Woods subdivision, against the objections of neighbors who are opposed to the project.

The zoning change will allow the developer of the 42-unit subdivision to run a road through a portion of the subdivision, where the developer hopes to build nine condominiums.

The developer had initially proposed ending the road at the condominiums. However, town planners and planning board members favored building a road that would connect to the adjacent Maxwell Farm land.

The town’s zoning ordinance didn’t allow building the road all the way through to the farm, however, because the lot the condos would be built on wasn’t big enough.

Richard Bryant, the unofficial spokesman for the Neighbors for Sensible Development, the group opposing the development, asked the council to reject the zone change. He argued a road connecting to the farm, rather than ending at the condos, would add so-called “shortcut” traffic, the major point of contention for this development.

Spurwink Woods developer Jim McFarlane told the council that he’d rather leave the road as a dead-end, but the town required him to extend the road. “We’re happy to stop the road short of the abutting property so this doesn’t become an issue,” he said, referring to Bryant’s opposition.

Bill Bamford, a Maxwell family relative, said he favors the bisected lot rule change because it gives his family more options for their land.

Councilors overwhelmingly supported the bisected lots provision. Chairman David Backer called it shortsighted if the town didn’t extend the road. “If the town doesn’t take the opportunity to force that connection now, it won’t happen,” he said.

Town to vote on shortcuts

Cape citizens will vote on whether or not the town should ban so-called shortcut streets on June 13.

The council decided to send the issue to a vote Monday, after the Neighbors for Sensible Development, submitted a petition, with signatures of 10 percent of registered Cape voters, in late January. The Neighbors for Sensible Development are opposed to the Spurwink Woods subdivision.

Town rules require the council to send citizen initiatives to referendum votes unless the council ratifies it by vote.

“It’s an issue that keeps coming back. Do we want to live in a town with dead-ends and cul-de-sacs? The voters should decide,” said Councilor Mary Ann Lynch.

Councilors Mike Mowles and Carol Fritz were the only two opposed to sending it to a vote. They favored adopting the ban on shortcut streets without a townwide vote.

Project gets approval

The town council granted conditional approval to the Spurwink Woods development Monday.

The developer, Jim McFarlane, still has to get final approval before he can start building. He is expected to apply for that next month.

The development has faced opposition every step of the way, and Monday night was no different. Richard Bryant, an unofficial spokesman for Neighbors for Sensible Development, a group opposed to the development, objected to the use of a type of storm drainage system that would be used in the residential development.

“We don’t know if it’ll really work,” said Bryant, calling it an experimental system.

Town Planner Maureen O’Meara said that the storm water system is not experimental and is already used at the public works department off Spurwink Avenue.