Sandwich United

Sandwich United Sandwich United is a group of concerned citizens working for common sense ideas for our community.

There was supposed to be a public meeting on June 16th regarding the proposed $60 million DPW/Fire substation project (t...
06/10/2026

There was supposed to be a public meeting on June 16th regarding the proposed $60 million DPW/Fire substation project (they are back to the original plan with both buildings on Route 130). According to this post from the town, that meeting has been cancelled and taxpayers can email their questions to the town. Emails do not and should not replace in-person community conversation on this massive project.

We are hoping that the public meeting will be rescheduled soon. Perhaps emails from taxpayers,to the address in their post, will prompt them to schedule a new date. That is the least that the town can do considering the large sum of taxpayer dollars they are seeking for this project.

We'll continue to post updates as they become available.

04/24/2026

Good evening Sandwich taxpayers, the Selectmen advanced the $55-60 million DPW/Fire substation project by unanimous vote. The current plan is to bring this to the special town meeting in November. Note the average tax increase will be $340 (on a $667,000 home valuation), and obviously more on higher valuations. How does a $700-800 increase sound?

We will continue to follow this and report back with updates. We will also advise about our plan to advise the taxpayers and build resistance to yet higher taxes! More to come...

The Select Board will hear the revised plans for the DPW/Fire substation project tomorrow night at Old Town Hall at 7:00...
04/01/2026

The Select Board will hear the revised plans for the DPW/Fire substation project tomorrow night at Old Town Hall at 7:00pm. Attached is the summary of reductions. It was reduced from $58.2 million to $53.5 million. This is not a serious attempt to reduce the cost of this project and how many more tax dollars were expended to get to this new cost. Frankly, it's insulting and still will not make it out of town meeting.

If you would like to add your 2 cents, please attend the meeting tomorrow night.

This is the roll call on yesterday's Assembly of Delegate vote on the Real Estate Transfer Fee (Tax). We are grateful to...
02/19/2026

This is the roll call on yesterday's Assembly of Delegate vote on the Real Estate Transfer Fee (Tax). We are grateful to the members from Barnstable, Bourne, Mashpee, Chatham and especially our own Sandwich member, Jim Killion, for their "no" vote. Five members stood with the taxpayers yesterday and ten stood in opposition to them. Mr. Killion also successfully attached an amendment that will exempt homeowners aged 62+ that have resided on Cape Cod for 10 years or more. Mr. Frederickson of Barnstable also worked hard for the taxpayers with several amendments of his own.

As you can see, it passed by a very slim margin and now the work begins to convince the Sandwich Selectboard to opt out of this overly burdensome tax. More to come.

02/18/2026

LAST MINUTE ALERT!

Sorry for the short notice, but the Assembly of Delegates will be voting on the 2% Real Estate Transfer Fee/Tax today at 4:00pm.

Please take a few minutes and email your opposition to this money grab. Emails can be sent to [email protected]. You can request that he send it to all assembly members.

This terrible idea needs to be voted down. We the people have had enough! Thanks everyone!

Keep inviting your Sandwich family, friends and neighbors. United we stand.

01/21/2026

As you may already know, our state government wants to make Sandwich a "seasonal community". We strongly oppose Sandwich accepting this designation as the negative consequences outweigh any possible benefit. This designation is just another way for the state to take further autonomy from our town government and, most importantly, the taxpayers of this community. As you may recall, second ADUs were voted down by residents at the special town meeting because we do not want Sandwich to become an over-crowded community.

The following is directly from the mass.gov website and gives a brief overview of the seasonal communities mandates (strings) that are attached to the designation. Pay particular attention to #6 and #7.

"What can a Seasonal Community do?

Based on the language of the Affordable Homes Act, some of the tools made available to seasonal communities include:
1. Acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions
2. Develop housing with a preference for municipal workers, so that our public safety personnel, teachers and DPW and town hall workers have a place to live
3. Establish a Year-Round Housing Trust Fund to create and preserve affordable and attainable housing for year-round residents
4. Create year-round housing for artists
5. Allow seasonal communities to develop a comprehensive housing needs assessment
6. Permit tiny homes to be built and used as year-round housing
7. Permit year-round, attainable residential development on undersized lots
8. Increase the property tax exemption for homes that are the owners’ primary residence

Municipalities with seasonal community destinations are required to adopt bylaws and zoning changes that would permit undersized lots to be developed for year-round housing wherever single-family residences are allowed. A bylaw permitting tiny homes, which are 400 square feet at a maximum, excluding a loft space."

Let's stop this now! Please email the Select Board at [email protected] to request that they vote NO on the seasonal communities designation for Sandwich. Please pass this along to other concerned residents as well. United we stand for Sandwich!

11/18/2025

Update on town meeting:

Article 3, that would have allowed extra large ADUs and also 2 ADUs for 40,000 sq. ft. lots, did not pass by a 2/3 majority (100-76).

Article 4, which loosens the affordable housing restrictions and creates so-called "pocket neighborhoods, did pass on a 134-36 vote. These bylaws may create a situation where housing may conform more to Sandwich standards until we reach the state mandate of 10% affordable units, rather than the 40B developments where there is less control.

The fact remains that the state is taking away local control of our zoning and development.

Please share this page with your Sandwich family, neighbors and friends. There is power in numbers!

11/16/2025

Reminder: the Special Town Meeting is tomorrow, Monday, November 17th at 7:00pm held at Sandwich High School.

There are decisions to be made about the future of our town, so we hope everyone will attend and vote!

11/10/2025

So you thought that there was nothing interesting on the warrant for the Special Town Meeting on Monday, November 17th at 7:00pm at the high school?

Well, actually, there are zoning bylaw changes regarding ADUs and affording housing projects. The state of Massachusetts, under the Affordable Homes Act of August 2024, has given residents the right to build an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) with very few restrictions. The by-right ADUs are mandated at 900 sq. ft. of gross space. The town of Sandwich, through the planning board, has now recommended an extra large ADU (EADU) be added to the bylaws. This EADU can be either 80% of the primary home space or 1500 sq. ft. in size, whichever is smaller. The board does require a permit for these EADUs. However, because the 900 sq. ft. ADU is by right, a resident can build BOTH an EADU and ADU if they have at least a 40,000 sq. ft. lot. Also, please note that there is NO CAP on how many of these units can be built in Sandwich each year. Consider how the character of your neighborhood, and the town in general, will change if enough residents decide to build these.

The only obstacle for some will be the septic. Some may be able to tie into the existing system, if it is large enough. Others may wait until the sewer project is completed.

You may think that these are cost prohibitive, but as with anything else, those that stand to make money building these will find ways to bring the cost down. We have seen them advertised for as little as $150,000.

They are also proposing loosening restrictions on affordable housing developments allowing the building of four units per 40,000 sq. ft. The cap for these developments is TEN (10) per year.

We currently have three (3) large housing projects in various stages in town, Village Green on Route 130, Wing Residences on Route 130 and Farm View Drive off of Snake Pond Road. The total number of units proposed for these projects is 332!! Average two vehicles per unit and you get a picture of what traffic will look like when they're completed.

The question before us is what kind of town do we want to live in? Don't we pay higher taxes to live in a quiet, quaint town? How will our town have the resources for this influx of people, i.e. schools, roads, police, etc?

Please show up at the Special Town Meeting on Monday, November 17th at 7:00pm at the high school to ask these important questions and more you may have. I think you'll find that you're not alone.

Please pass this information on to neighbors and friends in Sandwich. United we stand!

09/25/2025

We need fiscally responsible, common-sense residents to vote at town meetings!

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Sandwich, MA

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