We are the owners of a property in Rockport village. We have, in the past, been part time residents but anticipate becoming full time residents in the near future, so the matters relating to the proposed hotel in Rockport village are of great concern to us.

We are deeply concerned about the proposal for a relatively large hotel in a place where there is already insufficient parking, especially in the summer when there are a number of activities (such as Bay Chamber Concerts), which greatly benefit the village and its residents. 

While we strongly support the further development and revitalization of downtown Rockport, we continue to believe that the proposed hotel is too large and will present demands on the space, parking, and traffic flow of Rockport village that are not in the interests of Rockport residents and property owners.  We would urge the Planning Board to require the property owner to scale down the hotel plans so as to better conform to the availability of parking and not overload the existing compact space.

Among other things, we understand that the owner of the space is proposing to the Zoning Board to use a remote parking facility at Maine Street Meats at the corner of Pascal Avenue and Route 1. 

In our opinion, this facility (which is roughly three-quarters of a mile away) is not sufficiently close to the proposed site to be practicable either for the patrons of the hotel or for the residents of Rockport. 

We urge the Zoning Board to reject the proposed remote parking facility as it does not represent a reasonable alternative to meeting the owner’s on site parking requirements.  We also believe that massively increased vehicle traffic in the downtown area (particularly people, or valet parking attendants, who may be in a hurry) would be a hazard to public safety for the many pedestrians that frequent this area. 

David Kantor and Michael Hampton live in Rockport