Heritage Sands is Cape Cod’s first new oceanfront cottage community in more than 50 years. The eight-acre site was formerly a seasonal trailer park that hosted 150 recreational vehicles and 15 cottages on cement slabs. The developers harnessed the opportunity to work within Cape Cod’s seasonal cottage zoning ordinance to create an elegant, high-density cottage community reminiscent of the Cape’s historic seasonal neighborhoods. The Cape has a rich history of summer communities populated by families returning year after year. This tradition began with tent sites and evolved over time to dense cottage neighborhoods, a land plan vernacular that was unique to
the Cape. The development team endeavored to use this unique model, instead of carving the site up into a handful of luxury waterfront “trophy homes.” The goal was to leverage technological developments such as modular homebuilding, energy efficiency, and stormwater compliance with tried-and-true strategies for traditional neighborhood design, including ample front porches and shared common space.

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