Voters to Decide on Bank Street Parcels
by Donna Tunney, Harwich Oracle

The town-owned parcel on Bank Street, where the old firehouse is located, will remain under the control of the board of selectmen until further notice, but the disposition of two undeveloped parcels in back, also town-owned, will be sent to annual town meeting so voters can decide whether they should be turned over to the conservation commission and preserved as open space, a majority of selectmen agreed last week [Nov. 19, 2007].

The agenda item drew neighbors and abutters, who wanted the two back parcels turned over to conservation immediately, to the board’s Nov. 19 meeting, along with the president of Harwich Taxpayers Association, who advocated subdividing the land and selling one or more residential building lots to a developer.

The land is adjacent to the town-owned Bank Street bogs, and some portions are wetlands. The parcel that contains the old firehouse, which now is used as storage by the harbormaster’s office and the highway department, is 1.6 acres. Selectmen refer to it as Parcel 1. Immediately behind it is Parcel 2, a 3-acre plot that has a narrow strip of frontage on Bank Street.Parcel 3, behind Parcel 2, is 4.5 acres and has a narrow frontage on Gorham Road.

Nancy Townshend-Vess, of Bank Street, told selectmen that the land should not be developed. In an e-mail exchange earlier in the day with the Oracle, she wrote, “Tourists come to Harwich because it is quaint, historic and nostalgic. People move to the Cape for the same reason. Bank Street is one of Harwich's picturesque draws – imagine it with a 12-plus unit development skirting the historic bog. Imagine the impact on bog wildlife.” She read portions of the e-mail to selectmen.

A Gorham Road resident, Diane McCafferty, also spoke at the meeting. She reminded selectmen that many people in Harwich donated money so that the Harwich Conservation Trust could buy the 60-acre area known as the Bank Street Bogs, which abuts the parcels.

“I think town meeting should be given the opportunity to decide about this [adjacent land], said McCafferty.

There were varied opinions from selectmen on the possible uses for the parcels. David Marsland wanted to subdivide Parcel 1, and sell approximately one acre to a developer, who could build a single-family house there. The proceeds of the sale would go toward affordable housing, Marsland said, adding that he favored holding parcels 2 and 3 in conservation. Selectman Peter Piekarski said all of Parcel 1 should be sold and developed with residential housing.

The HTA’s Wiegman suggested that Parcel 1 could be subdivided into two building lots, and asked that selectmen take no action until there could be more discussion. Harwich Housing Committee chairman Gerry Loftus also asked selectmen to delay their vote, because his committee wanted input on the decision regarding any future use of the parcels as possible affordable housing sites.

However, a majority of selectmen voted in favor of a motion by Selectman Ed McManus to let annual town meeting decide on conserving parcels 2 and 3. McManus, along with Selectman David Marsland and selectmen chairman Robin Wilkins, voted in favor, with Cole and Piekarski dissenting. Cole’s earlier motion to enable selectmen to retain control over Parcel 1 indefinitely was approved unanimously.

After the meeting, Harwich Conservation Trust executive director Michael Lach said the selectmen’s decision “supports the position of a variety of stakeholders including residents, the harbormaster, a [neighboring] cranberry grower and others who recognize the environmental importance of the town parcels next to HCT's largest protected landholding.”