Incorporated in 1639, Barnstable is one of Cape Cod’s oldest and most diverse communities. Stretching from the calm waters of Cape Cod Bay to the warmer shores of Nantucket Sound, the town is home to seven distinct villages, a vibrant mix of year-round residents and seasonal visitors, and a local government that directly shapes property taxes, schools, public safety, and coastal infrastructure.
Route 28 — Barnstable’s Commercial Corridor
Route 28 runs through the heart of Barnstable, connecting the town’s villages and serving as its primary commercial artery. Stretching through the heart of Barnstable, the corridor is lined with restaurants, shops, motels, and family attractions. Revitalization of Route 28 has been one of Barnstable’s top civic priorities, with ongoing efforts to improve walkability, aesthetics, and economic vitality along this iconic Cape Cod roadway.
Parks, Beaches & Attractions
Non-Emergency: (508) 778-3874
1200 Phinney's Lane, Barnstable
Non-Emergency: (508) 790-2375
1200 Phinney's Lane, West Barnstable
Cape Cod Hospital: (508) 771-1800
27 Park St, Hyannis (nearest hospital)
Barnstable is governed by a thirteen-member Town Council — one representative per precinct — and a professional Town Manager, making it the only Cape Cod town with a council-manager form of government. In recent years the town has been at the center of some of the most consequential local issues on Cape Cod, including a landmark Clean Water Act lawsuit, a controversial 312-unit development, and an offshore wind deal that split the council 7-5.
Boards, committees, and commissions in Barnstable — with member rosters, meeting schedules, active issues, bylaws, and meeting videos.
| P# | Name | Village | Term | Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gordon Starr | Barnstable Village | exp. 2027 | Environmental advocate. Endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey. Rail Trail extension champion. |
| 2 | Thomas Keane | Centerville | exp. 2029 | Harvard grad, UVA Law. Former Boston City Councilor. Boston Globe columnist. Beat incumbent 475-44. |
| 3 | Betty Ludtke | Hyannis/Centerville | exp. 2027 | American Airlines pilot (FAA Type Rating, Boeing 787). Proposed JBCC airport study. |
| 4 | Craig Tamash ★ | Centerville | exp. 2029 | President. Retired Deputy Police Chief (41 yrs). Call FF/EMT 19 yrs. MPA, Northeastern. |
| 5 | John Crow | Osterville | exp. 2027 | FedEx 30 yrs. Osterville Village Assoc. president 7 yrs. Opposed offshore wind deal. |
| 6 | William Crocker Jr. | Centerville/Osterville | exp. 2029 | Former State Rep (R), 2nd Barnstable (2017-2021). Broadcast journalist, teacher. Won 280-171. |
| 7 | Seth Burdick | Cotuit | exp. 2027 | Co-owner, Cotuit Fresh Market. ~100 summer employees. Office hours at Cotuit Library. |
| 8 | Lisa Daluz | Hyannis | exp. 2029 | First term. Active in Local Comprehensive Planning. Traffic/environmental impact advocate. |
| 9 | Charles Bloom | Hyannis | exp. 2027 | Boston College, BU grad studies. 40+ yrs social work: child abuse investigator, mental health. Won by 2 votes after recount. |
| 10 | Matthew Levesque | Marstons Mills | exp. 2029 | Commercial realtor. Former Council President. Restaurant & ticket brokering businesses. |
| 11 | Kris Clark ★ | West Barnstable | exp. 2027 | Vice President. Former Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Shellfish Mgr. Conservation District board. Won 545-416. |
| 12 | Barry Sheingold | Marstons Mills/Cotuit | exp. 2029 | Chairs Infrastructure & Energy Committee. Won 3-way race (262-100-98). |
| 13 | Felicia Penn | Hyannis | exp. 2027 | Former Council President (2024). Former Planning Board Chair. First female Rotary Club of Hyannis president. Fiber broadband champion. |
📍 Meetings: 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 7:00 PM · Town Hall, 367 Main Street, Hyannis · Next election: November 2027 (odd-numbered precincts) · Town Manager: Mark Ells (since 2016, 35+ yrs town service) · barnstable.gov
CLF Clean Water Act Lawsuit — Landmark Ruling June 2025
Conservation Law Foundation sued Barnstable over nitrogen pollution from the Hyannis wastewater treatment plant. In June 2025, a federal judge ruled the lawsuit can proceed — the first time a Cape Cod wastewater plant has been found potentially subject to the Clean Water Act via groundwater discharge. The case could set precedent for all 15 Cape towns.
Twin Brooks 312-Unit Development Controversy
Lennar Multifamily Communities proposed a 312-unit market-rate apartment complex on the former Twin Brooks Golf Course — the last large open green space in Hyannis Village. Grassroots opposition (Save Twin Brooks) raised concerns about environmental runoff into Stewart's Creek and Joshua's Brook, flood zone risks, and 47-foot building heights exceeding the 30-foot town limit.
Why it matters: Requires 2/3 Town Council vote (9 of 13) to proceed. Over 600 registered voter signatures submitted requesting a separate meeting before any vote.
Park City Wind — Offshore Wind Vote Split Council 7-5
Avangrid's Park City Wind (now New England Wind 1) proposed a transmission cable landing at Craigville Beach. The revised deal — $16M upfront plus $10M for infrastructure — passed the Town Council 7-5 after executive sessions that drew Open Meeting Law complaints. The Attorney General ruled the executive sessions did not violate the law.
Downtown Hyannis Rezoning & Great Streets Project
Active initiative to revise downtown Hyannis zoning with focus on mixed-use development. The Great Streets project is converting Main Street to two-way travel. A District Improvement Financing development district has been approved, and a Housing Development Incentive Program is active. ADU amendments and Cannabis Overlay District expansion are under review.
Housing Crisis — County Declares Emergency
Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates declared a housing crisis in April 2025. The town is at 7.15% affordable housing (1,566 units) — 626 units short of the 10% state goal. A Housing Production Plan for FY2025-2030 has been adopted, and a 2% transfer fee on luxury home sales is being debated at the county level.
Vineyard Wind Turbine Blade Failure — Nantucket Beach Debris (July 2024)
A blade on Vineyard Wind's GE Haliade-X turbine fractured in July 2024, sending fiberglass debris across Nantucket beaches and forcing closures during peak tourist season. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement halted construction. The incident intensified opposition to the Park City Wind/New England Wind cable landing at Craigville Beach in Barnstable, giving opponents tangible evidence of offshore wind risks. GE Vernova attributed the failure to a manufacturing defect.
Short-Term Rental Regulation & BarnstableWatch Citizen Oversight
BarnstableWatch, a citizen watchdog group, has independently researched short-term rental properties, uncovering issues "not through transparency, but homework." The town requires STR registration with the Health Division and collects state-mandated taxes, but a 2020 regulatory ordinance was withdrawn before adoption. With Cape Cod median home prices exceeding $600K and housing stock converting to vacation rentals, the issue remains politically live.
2025 Election Shakeup — 4 New Councilors, Former State Rep Wins Seat
The November 2025 election reshaped the Town Council: Thomas Keane (Harvard/UVA Law, former Boston City Councilor) crushed an incumbent 475-44 in Precinct 2. Former State Rep William Crocker Jr. (R) won Precinct 6. Barry Sheingold won a 3-way race in Precinct 12. Charles Bloom retained Precinct 9 by just 2 votes after a hand recount — one of the closest results in Barnstable history. Craig Tamash became Council President; Kris Clark became Vice President.
Holtec Radioactive Water Fight — MassDEP Denies Discharge Into Cape Cod Bay
Holtec International proposed discharging over 1 million gallons of radioactive water from the decommissioning Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station into Cape Cod Bay. The Town of Barnstable intervened as a party in the permit appeal alongside Plymouth and the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC). MassDEP denied Holtec's discharge permit under the Ocean Sanctuaries Act, and in November 2025 a DEP presiding officer issued a 60-page recommendation upholding the denial — ruling the discharges constitute banned industrial waste. Meanwhile, Holtec has been evaporating the radioactive water, releasing tritium through air vents — over 250,000 gallons evaporated since decommissioning began. Every Cape Cod town except Barnstable voted on a nonbinding ballot question opposing the evaporation (Barnstable has no spring election).
Source: WBUR →
Source: Boston Globe →
$1.4 Billion, 30-Year Sewer Expansion — Largest Infrastructure Project in Town History
Barnstable's Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) spans three 10-year phases at an estimated cost of $1.4 billion. Currently in Year 5 of Phase 1: 16 sewer expansion projects covering approximately 90 miles of new sewer, targeting 44% nitrogen reduction in impacted waters. The $109 million treatment plant upgrade was approved in April 2024 and broke ground fall 2025. As of August 2025, 308 properties were eligible to connect from the first two completed projects, with 63% connected. Active 2025 construction areas include Centerville Village, Phinney's Lane, and Marstons Mills westerly expansion. S&P affirmed Barnstable's AAA bond rating for the project.
Source: Barnstable Water Resources →
Source: Barnstable CWMP →
Police Department Removed from Civil Service — Unanimous Vote (June 2025)
On June 5, 2025, the Town Council voted unanimously to remove the Barnstable Police Department from the Massachusetts Civil Service system — a landmark shift giving the town more flexibility in recruitment and hiring practices. Civil service had governed police hiring through standardized state exams and residency preferences. The move follows a broader trend of Cape Cod towns seeking local control over public safety hiring.
Source: Barnstable eNews →
Blizzard of 2026 — 86% of County Loses Power, Hospital on Generators
On February 23, 2026, Governor Healey issued a travel ban for Barnstable County as a historic blizzard hit with wind gusts of 60-80 mph. Over 86% of Barnstable County lost power. Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis ran on backup generators. Hyannis officially met blizzard criteria (sustained winds, low visibility, heavy snow). MEMA is conducting damage assessments for potential federal disaster relief.
Source: Boston Herald →
Source: Patch →
Hyannis Main Street "Great Streets" — Returning to Two-Way Traffic
A major streetscape redesign of Main Street, North Street, South Street, and the "Six Points" intersection is returning Hyannis Main Street to two-way traffic. The project reached 75% design in August 2025, with a public open house held August 27. MassDevelopment is partnering with Camoin Associates on a Downtown Hyannis Action Strategy. Downtown Hyannis is a designated Housing Development Incentive Zone (tax credits for new residential units) and a Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) District since 2022.
Source: Barnstable eNews →
Source: Town of Barnstable →
Affordable Housing at 7.15% — 626 Units Short of State 10% Threshold
Barnstable's Subsidized Housing Inventory stands at 1,566 units out of 21,915 year-round units (7.15%) — still 626 units short of the state's 10% threshold that would give the town "safe harbor" from Chapter 40B overrides. The FY2025-2030 Housing Production Plan has been submitted for state approval. To achieve one-year safe harbor, Barnstable must produce 109 new SHI units; two-year safe harbor requires 219 units. Recent reforms include removing the owner-occupancy requirement for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and redirecting 7 inclusionary units from the Dockside development to 310 Barnstable Road.
Source: Barnstable Housing Production Plan (PDF) →
JBCC Airport Study — Commercial-Military Proposal
Councilor Betty Ludtke (P3) proposed studying a commercial-military airport at Joint Base Cape Cod. The proposal is politically sensitive — it could complement or compete with Cape Cod Gateway Airport (HYA) in Hyannis, which generates significant revenue for the town.
Home to the Town Council, Town Clerk, Assessors, Building Dept & more.
Meeting Agendas & Minutes
Town Council, Planning, Finance — official agendas before each meeting
Town Meeting Information
Warrant articles, schedules, and how to participate in Barnstable Town Council
Voter Registration & Elections
Register to vote, check your status, polling locations, and upcoming election dates
Join a Board or Committee
Volunteer openings on town boards — Planning, Conservation, Finance, and more
MA Secretary of State — Elections
Official state election information, candidate filings, and campaign finance records
Sewer Project Updates
Construction schedules, connection notices, Phase 1 status — barnstablewaterresources.com