Hyannis Growth Incentive Zone

Overview

A Growth Incentive Zone (GIZ) is a planning tool that allows communities to exempt certain development activities from Cape Cod Commission regulatory review. The intent is to encourage residential and commercial development and redevelopment in geographically defined economic centers supported by community amenities and appropriate infrastructure.

First approved in 2006, the Hyannis GIZ was extended in 2016 and redesignated in 2018. Working in concert with the Town of Barnstable, the Commission developed comprehensive changes to the GIZ framework to ensure regulations promote and support both the county’s Regional Policy Plan and Town goals.

Land use, housing production, infrastructure, social and demographic characteristics, and the overall regulatory environment were reviewed during the latest renewal. Commission staff looked at Hyannis holistically, reviewing connections between the Downtown Hyannis GIZ and Route 132 to better understand how both areas and the residential areas that surround them connect and function. 

The work was aided by the addition of new planning tools, including a 3D modeling application and a scenario planning tool that evaluates options at regional, local, and parcel-specific levels.