Letter to Eastham Jan 11 2021

Jacqui Beebe
Eastham Town Administrator Eastham, MA

Dear Jacqui,

Members of the Rock Harbor Alliance (RHA) met to review and discuss the new Harbormaster building design that was presented to the Capital Planning Committee on December 28, 2020. We would like to express our appreciation for the time and effort invested in the new design. The RHA views both the new design and the northward movement of the building as significant improvements and we look forward to continuing our engagement with the Town as the Town finalizes the new design and moves through the finance and approval processes.

As you work with the design, we ask that you consider decreasing the height of the building to the minimum requirement and include a FEMA and NHESP compliant enclosure that will limit access to the space underneath the building, prevent debris from washing or blowing under the building, and eliminate the concern of an eyesore beneath the building.

We believe that it is important to state (or perhaps restate) that our concern regarding development at Rock Harbor reaches far beyond the design, location, and cost of the Harbormaster building. We believe that most any development at Rock Harbor that is not germane to the operation of this small fishing harbor risks overburdening this resource area.

From the beginning, we have stressed the need to protect and preserve the natural environment and the beauty of Rock Harbor and the surrounding area. Rock Harbor is in a flood plain; the area regularly floods at higher tides; it is extremely vulnerable to storm surge; it is designated, along with Dyer Prince and Bridge Road, as a Priority Heritage Landscape by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and it is home to a Priority Species Habitat.

We continue to be hopeful that the Town may reconsider the wisdom of spending $1,3000,000 to build a Harbormaster office building to house three staff members in this tenuous environment. We will continue our partnership with the Town with the intent of being a positive influence on both current and future plans for Rock Harbor.

Sincerely,
The Rock Harbor Alliance

January 11, 2021

I would like to correct the erroneous correction made in Art Autorino, Eastham selectman’s, Letter to the Editor in the Cape Codder dated Friday October 16, 2020. Mt. Autorino stated in his letter “…there is no band shell planned nor there ever has been in the Rock Harbor Revitalization Project.”

The architectural information provided by Kuth Ranieri to the Select Board for their September 14, 2020 meeting listed the following under the title PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Work consists of a new wood-framed harbormaster building on a wood pile foundation, a demountable bandshell pavilion, permeable parking, permeable pedestrian walks, benches, picnic area, rinse station, site lighting, and invasive species removal and habitat restoration.

Having recently been on one of the commissions in Orleans before moving back to Eastham, I know how important it is to thoroughly read information packets which are provided to commissioners before meetings to understand the information presented. These packets provide important information on the topics scheduled for discussion at a meeting.

A demountable bandshell was listed in the provided architectural documentation to the selectman. I hope, in the future, Mr. Autorino will be more thorough in checking his documentation before making an erroneous correction.

Respectfully submitted, Donelle Denery Eastham, MA

My husband and I are year-round homeowners here for the past 12 1/2 years in the Rock Harbor area. We chose Eastham because of the scenic beauty of the Eastham side of Rock Harbor. This area is an environmentally sensitive area, designated as habitat of rare species and a Priority Heritage Landscape.

Recently I became aware of Article 16 approved by Eastham voters in May 2018. This article called for the replacement and expansion of boat dockage and construction of a small harbor master building.

As a former Orleans Conservation Commissioner, at the Select Board meeting of September 14, 2020 I was shocked to hear that the current design presented included 615 square feet of enclosed area, 1,363 square feet of decks and ramps, totally just under 2,000 square feet. There is 1,300 square feet of open storage, 30 parking spaces, a viewing platform, rinse stations, picnic tables and a demountable bandshell pavilion with town officials referring to this as a ‘destination.’

While I am in favor of a small harbor master office: has an environmental impact plan, traffic study and carrying capacity study been conducted and reviewed in the context of this and phase 2 and 3? Have climate change issues such as municipal vulnerability preparedness and emergency management been considered? Has Orleans, the boating community and other applicable state agencies been consulted for their input and weigh-in? Has the Planning Board been involved early in the proposal and vetted the eliminated sites? Since this is a substantial deviation from what was approved by the voters in May 2018, will voters be able to vote on this dismaying expansion?

Time and time again I have witnessed the detrimental impact that increased usage has caused to environmentally sensitive areas. Unfortunately, when it is gone, it is gone.

Donelle Denery Eastham

September 28, 2020

Planning Board Town of Eastham Eastham, MA 02642

We write to you as a group of property owners to express concerns related to the proposed Harbormaster Building and future phases of Rock Harbor development.

We agree that Rock Harbor is an appropriate location for the Harbormaster building and support a project that is in keeping with the scope of the May 7, 2018 Annual Town Warrant public vote. This warrant described a “small Harbormaster building”.

We do not however support the structure or the site that was presented by Kuth Ranieri Architects at the September 14, 2020 public meeting. The proposal presents a building design that includes 615 square feet of enclosed space, plus 1363 square feet of decks and ramps, totaling 1,978 square feet. The design also includes 1,300 square feet of open storage.

The Harbormaster’s building has morphed from the initially proposed functional office space into a year-round building with viewing platforms, rinse stations, picnic tables, and a demountable bandshell pavilion. The proposed building overwhelms the landscape, conflicts with the surrounding environment, and can in no way be justified as office space required for the harbormaster.

The proposed location for the building is in an AE flood plain with a BFE of 14′ and typical ground elevations of only 8′. The area regularly floods at higher tides (see attached photos). We question the logic of investing in a building project in this tenuous location. Finally, the proposed development is not consistent with the Harbor’s designation as a Priority Heritage Landscape by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

We request that any design, and/or intended use, that is substantively different from what was described in the Town warrant, and was the subject of a Proposition 2-1/2 override, be put to public vote.

We have strong concerns about what impact a structure of this type, and the expanded use of this area, will have on the environment, and we intend to hire environmental consultants to assist us with these concerns.

We request that the local boating community and the Massachusetts’ Director of Fish and Game, among other State and county agencies, be well-informed about this project and we request that they provide public feedback to ensure that this project does not interfere with their needs. The Town of Orleans is directly impacted by the Rock Harbor project. We believe that it is our duty as good neighbors to inform and solicit input from Orleans. This could significantly reduce the potential for lawsuits or other lengthy opposition moving forward.

Dyer Prince Road, a Priority Landscape, serves as the sole access to the beach, the harbor and the homes located on both Dyer Prince and Keene Way. Pedestrians, bicycles, cars, trucks, and boat trailers all vie for space on a relatively narrow road. The road regularly floods at high tide and is impassible (see attached photos). Before any approvals are granted, we request that a traffic study be done to determine the impact of any development on the road and on the life safety of both visitors to the harbor and the residents who must use the road.

In closing, we value the work and responsibility of the Eastham Planning Board. We ask that the Board, as the special permit granting authority, require reports that address carrying capacity, environmental impact, cost benefit analysis, economic impact analysis, and traffic analysis for the Rock Harbor Harbormaster Building. We believe these reports must consider subsequent proposed phases for additional development at Rock Harbor. Prior to making any decisions on the Harbormaster Building case, these reports should be provided to the Board and made available to the public. We believe that these comprehensive assessments for all phases of the Rock Harbor development are necessary for the Board to properly evaluate the criteria for approvals regarding a harbormaster building.

Respectfully,

The letter was published by the Cape Codder on Sept 25, 2020.

To the Editor:
I’m recalling, as I walked Coast Guard Beach in the “off season”, I would feel a sense of gratitude for those who had the vision and the stamina to protect this coastline. I now, am walking in the footsteps of the brave Coastguard of old and the words of Henry Beston are just as true today.

It may be a leap to our little Rock Harbor, but this is not about size. Eastham Rock Harbor offers that “sense of place”.

In 1644, seven families settled in this area. “Using Plimouth’s shallop and longboat, the work parties would shuttle across Cape Cod Bay to Rock Harbor transporting building materials, equipment, and furnishings” (1)

In the 1700’s and early 1800’s, Rock Harbor was an important port, a packet landing for vessels from Plymouth and Boston,as well as Salem , Maine, and the Canadian Maritime provinces.(2)

Eastham Rock Harbor is a special place. Though small, it gives us this history. Pleasure boats have replaced longboats. Rich marsh life, tidal flats. and the Rock for which the Harbor is named are here. This is a place for walking, sitting and reflecting. It is “as it was”. It offers an unspoiled vista which becomes rarer. It is “Old Cape Cod”

We must resist placing structures which intrude upon this “sense of place”. I find the plan for the harbormaster’s new office not suited for Rock Harbor.

1. “Where Sea and History Meet” Orleans Bicentennial” 1997
2. Nomination form National Register of Historic Places 10/2000

Gail Hoffman
Eastham

Eastham’s hidden gem deserves to be protected, Cape Cod Times
Joyce Donovan
Sept 25, 2020

This column was originally submitted as a letter to the Eastham Select Board.

I recently viewed the Sept. 14 Select Board meeting and I share the same concerns as neighbors who are working diligently to keep Rock Harbor the beautiful, natural resource that it is. It speaks Cape Cod, it is Cape Cod.

My husband, Bill, and I just recently became aware of this comprehensive proposed project of the harbormaster building. In as much as we realize the need for a new home for the harbormaster and the town’s environmental services staff, this proposal does not come close to the original plan voted on at the 2018 town meeting. The rendering of the building, in my opinion, does not characterize the history of Cape Cod design. The building and walkways are not aesthetic and are not styled after one of the most beloved art designs in New England.

I think if more Eastham residents and property owners were privy to the schematic design of the building, they would want to go back to the drawing board.

We have owned property on Bridge Road for close to 40 years and have rented a boat slip in Eastham Rock Harbor for 20 of those. We appreciate the simplistic, natural beauty that the harbor provides. As boat slip renters, we see Rock Harbor being utilized June through September by many Eastham residents, not only the 50 slip users. In our experience, the harbor is always busy and the traffic flow pattern presented in the proposed plan is neither logical nor practical. The rinse stations would be better utilized near the beach! I question how the harbormaster staff is going to monitor increased foot traffic that a “destination venue” may create after hours. On occasion during holidays, we have had unwelcome visitors walking on, sitting on and leaving trash on our boat.

Hopefully, this beautiful natural resource will keep the distinction of being Eastham’s “hidden gem!” I will share my opinions with the Select Board and town administrator.