Business View Civil and Municipal | March 2021

61 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MARCH 2021 YARMOUTH , MASSACHUSETTS connectivity, to support workforce development and make working from home easier during the global pandemic. “There’s a fully-fibered broadband backbone along our two main commercial hubs, Routes 28 and 6a,” Pedicini explains. “We have good potential to expand our broadband capabilities, it’s just a matter of figuring out that last-mile solution so that applications can be used by our residential and commercial property owners. We did get a $100,000 grant through the State’s Community Compact Information Technology Grant Program, which will address our immediate goal of connecting our municipal buildings to that broadband network. That project should set the stage for future broadband expansion, as well.” Wastewater infrastructure is the other major hurdle that, once overcome, will facilitate the Town of Yarmouth’s ongoing growth and development. “We’re currently exploring a regional alliance with the towns of Dennis and Harwich,” says Greene. “That would bring us to something called the DHY Clean Waters Karen Greene. “We had a number of these outdated motels and we knew we had a need for affordable housing – workforce housing – so that people could live in town manageably. We also wanted to give these commercial properties another option for redevelopment. Part of the way we did that was through some creative zoning and regulatory relief. The other part was by leveraging the local Community Preservation Act funds and investing in those projects.” In addition to Yarmouth Commons, the town has already financed a second project that’s currently underway. Yarmouth Gardens is a 2.1 acre development in partnership with Commonwealth Community Developers. “The site’s clear,” Greene confirms. “They’re going gangbusters. That’s another 40 mixed one- and two-bedroom units of affordable housing that we’ll be producing.” Always fond of carving out new opportunities where they don’t yet exist, the Town of Yarmouth is also looking to expand its broadband