The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates

The Barnstable County Commissioners

We, the undersigned residents and visitors of Cape Cod, demand an immediate update to regional building standards to protect our sole-source aquifer and coastal bays from irreversible destruction. We call on you to pass the following Emergency Ordinance, listed below.

The Problem:

Across all 15 towns on Cape Cod, large-scale housing developments (particularly Chapter 40B projects) are being proposed at densities our environment cannot sustain. While we recognize the need for housing, we cannot solve one crisis by creating another.

Our "Blue Economy"—our beaches, our ponds, and our property values—relies entirely on clean water. Yet, we are continuing to approve high-density projects that pump nitrogen into already impaired watersheds.

Why This Matters to Every Town:

One Aquifer, One Cape: Pollution does not respect town lines. A failing watershed in Harwich or Barnstable impacts the health of the entire Cape's ecosystem.

The "Martha's Vineyard" Standard: Martha's Vineyard successfully protects its local character and environment because their Commission has the power to say "No" to projects that exceed environmental limits. The Cape Cod Commission currently prioritizes "balanced growth" over environmental protection. We deserve the same level of protection as the Vineyard.

The "Death by a Thousand Cuts": Individual projects are approved because they are viewed in isolation. But collectively, these developments are pushing our estuaries past the tipping point faster than we can sewer them.

Our Demand:

We call upon the Cape Cod Commission and the Assembly of Delegates to enact an Emergency Moratorium on all residential Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) until the Regional Policy Plan is amended to require:

Mandatory "Nitrogen Neutrality": Any new development over 30 units must prove it will result in Zero Net Increase in nitrogen loading to the watershed.

Prioritized Sewering: High-density projects should be prohibited in areas where municipal sewer connections do not yet exist.

Cumulative Impact Reviews: Projects must be judged not just on their own footprint, but on the cumulative stress they add to the region's infrastructure and water quality.

We refuse to sacrifice Cape Cod’s environment for rapid development. Sign today to demand a "Water First" policy for the Cape

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CITIZEN PETITION FOR EMERGENCY ORDINANCE

TO: The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates

FROM: The Undersigned Citizens of Barnstable County

DATE: December 15, 2025

SUBJECT: Immediate Moratorium on Large-Scale Residential DRIs in Nitrogen-Sensitive Watersheds

WHEREAS, The Cape Cod Commission Act (Chapter 716 of the Acts of 1989) mandates the protection of Cape Cod’s unique values, including its scientific, ecological, and natural resources; and

WHEREAS, The sole-source aquifer and coastal embayment’s of Cape Cod are currently in a state of crisis due to excessive nitrogen loading, with many estuaries failing to meet the Federal Clean Water Act standards (Total Maximum Daily Loads - TMDLs); and

WHEREAS, The current Regional Policy Plan (RPP) allows for the approval of large-scale residential developments (Developments of Regional Impact) using septic technologies that may not sufficiently mitigate nitrogen impacts in these already impaired watersheds; and

WHEREAS, Approving high-density housing projects (including those under M.G.L. Chapter 40B) prior to the completion of municipal sewering or confirmed wastewater mitigation results in irreversible environmental damage to our "Great Ponds" and coastal waters; and

WHEREAS, The preservation of water quality is a matter of public health and safety that supersedes land-use density goals;

NOW, THEREFORE, We, the undersigned, petition the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates to enact the following Emergency Ordinance:

SECTION 1: TEMPORARY MORATORIUM

The Cape Cod Commission is hereby directed to suspend the granting of Development of Regional Impact (DRI) approvals for any residential subdivision or multi-family development exceeding 30 units that is located within a Nitrogen-Sensitive Area (as defined by Title 5 or the Section 208 Area Wide Water Quality Management Plan).

SECTION 2: DURATION

This moratorium shall remain in effect until the Cape Cod Commission completes a review and amendment of the Regional Policy Plan (RPP) to require "Nitrogen Neutral" or "Net Negative" wastewater performance for all new DRIs in impaired watersheds.

SECTION 3: PURPOSE

The purpose of this ordinance is to prevent further degradation of critical water resources while regulatory standards are updated to reflect current environmental realities.