2. Community Facilities and Services
Overview
In 1996 the Monomoy Capacity Study warned that changes in the population demographics from seasonal to year round would significantly challenge the resources of Cape Cod towns. Chatham has seen significant change in the seasonal demographics since the Monomoy study.
Chatham is now a global destination. Its infrastructure is currently challenged by the need to manage its facilities and services for a winter population of seven thousand and a summer population which swells to thirty to forty thousand (Table 1). In 2000 Chatham had a year round population equivalent of greater than sixteen thousand people.
The Town currently owns and manages 26% of the land area exclusive of roadways. With additional land purchases, the area under management could rise to 31% (Table 2). The Town must manage these lands and their attendant buildings and structures with efficiency despite high variability in population density.
The committee believes that the key to an efficient planning and management effort is information that will allow us to understand the dynamics of our population growth and contraction. The Town needs to accurately determine for each property the number of bedrooms, restaurant seats or other use measurements and the amount of water consumed on each property by calendar quarter. This information will allow us to understand our population demographics.
Only after population demographics are understood, property inventories prepared and uses listed and defined should the Town proceed with the following goals and strategies. The goals which need to be addressed include:
Efficient housing for all government functions,
Additional burial and memorial space,
Safe pedestrian and vehicular transportation systems,
An adequate supply of safe water,
Advanced treatment and disposal of wastewater,
Economical solid waste disposal,
Protection of surface and ground waters.
Goals & Policies
2.1 Goal - Town Lands
Maintenance and management of town lands to meet the needs of municipal functions, and to include preservation of open space and conservation, consistent with deed restrictions or Town Meeting actions.
Policies
A. Maintain an inventory of town lands, including a file detailing use restrictions, maps, surveys, and deeds for all parcels. (CF1)
B. Develop management guidelines for all town lands. Zoning policies and decisions on the use of town lands shall be consistent with the stated purpose. (CF2)
Purpose
Conservation/Passive Recreation
Purpose: preservation of open space, protection of natural resources, passive recreational uses such as walking, bicycling, picnicking. Structures and paved areas shall be limited to those necessary to protect resources and provide public access and passive recreational use.
Conservation/Passive Recreation Lands - 550.62 acres
¹See attendent map for location of properties
²Hardings Beach Marsh acreage is counted under Beaches (228 acres total)
Parks and Recreation Area - 167.81 acres
¹See attendent map for location of properties
²Acreage for these facilities is included in General Lands with the Police and Fire Station.
Beaches - 828.27 acres
 .
* Indicates an official beach, facilities provided.
¹See attendent map for location of properties
² Acreage for Forest Beach (73) acres) is counted under Conservation/Passive Recreation
TOTAL RECREATION AND BEACHES: 1546.70 ACRES
Town Landings/Water Access
Purpose: public access to waterways primarily for fishing, shellfishing and recreation. 3
Town Landings/Water Access - 13.76 acres
*Designated town landing. Others provide access to the water, but are not designated town landings.
¹See attendent map for location of properties
²Acreage for Goose Pond, Morris Island Dike, and Stage Harbor Point are counted under Conservation/Pass. Recreation.
3Town Landing acreage does not include town right-of-way. If a landing contains no land other than road right-of-way, no acreage is shown.
General Town Lands
Purpose: General municipal use, including public offices, public facilities and utilities.
General Town Lands - 250.20 acres
Cemeteries - 38.26 acres
¹See attendent map for location of properties
TOTAL GENERAL LANDS AND CEMETERIES: 288.46 ACRES
GRAND TOTAL ALL TOWN LANDS: 1848.92 ACRES
2.2 Goal - Town Buildings
Provision of adequate and efficient housing for all town government functions.
A. Consolidate town offices except for field offices (Harbormaster, highway maintenance, etc.) on town property designated under General Town lands. (CF3)
B. Retain campus-like complex of public buildings in Depot Road area, including retention of Main Street School site for town use such as consolidated town offices, community center, police/fire departments and public parking. (CF4)
1. Reduce intensity of uses and buildings surrounding Depot Road School. Consider relocating the community building function to another site such as the Main Street School site.
2. In planning new facilities, carefully consider the value of the front portion of the Main Street School (1924 section) to the heritage and character of the community.
3. If the site involves Veterans Field in the former Main Street School building include public restrooms and a concession stand.
C. Retain Annex/Permit site on George Ryder Road for town use and provide parking for bike trail at the Annex site. (CF5)
D. Construct new Police/Fire Department Facilities on a site/s designated under General Town Lands. Consider use of the present site if enlarged by the relocation of the community building function. (CF6)
E. Construct a new community center. Include space and services to meet the needs of all segments of the Chatham population. Consider the inclusion of a community swimming pool. (CF7)
F. Institute a phased program for the construction of environmentally friendly public restrooms at the following locations: (CF8)
1. Town Hall
2. West end of Main Street (downtown)
3. Veterans’ Field
4. Old Mill Boatyard
5. Ridgevale Beach
6. School House Pond
7 Cockle Cove Beach
8. Hardings Beach (2nd restroom)
9. Oyster Pond
G. Evaluate maintenance needs for all town buildings. Include in the program improvements to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (CF9)
2.3 Goal - Cemeteries
Provide adequate burial and memorial space to meet needs through the year 2020.
A. Develop a program for meeting the projected needs for cemetery plots with consideration of the expansion of Union Cemetery and South Chatham Cemetery. Identify additional expansion land near downtown, and space saving layouts and methods. (CF10)
B. Perform an analysis of income vs operation costs for town cemeteries. Consider fee adjustments to better meet long-term maintenance needs. (CF11)
C. Develop a maintenance and improvement program for cemeteries and designate a town department for carrying out the program. (CF12)
2.4 Goal - Transportation
Provision of a safe and functional town-wide transportation system.
A. Work with the state Highway Department to include improvements proposed by the town in the reconstruction of Rte. 28. (CF13)
1. Traffic signal installation and intersection reconfiguration - Rte. 137.
2. Safety improvements at George Ryder Rd., Barn Hill Rd., Old Queen Anne, Crowell Rd., the rotary, and Stony Hill Rd.
3. Addition of bus stop shelters at neighborhood centers: South Chatham, West Chatham, The Cornfield, Crowell Rd., Veterans Field, and North Chatham.
4. Vehicular access control modifications at commercial properties to meet local, state, and regional guidelines.
5. Sidewalks meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements on both sides of Rte. 28 within neighborhood centers. Where possible, maintain a grassed buffer between the sidewalk and the roadway.
6. Accommodations for bicycles.
7. Drainage improvements.
8. Addition of pedestrian level lighting, benches and trees.
9. Enlargement of culverts at the Muddy River, the Herring Run and Frostfish Creek consistent with Comprehensive Wastewater Plan.
B. Improve vehicular safety in the Town. (CF14)
1. Use signs to encourage visitors to enter town via Rte. 137 and Rte. 28 rather than Old Queen Anne.
2. Reconfigure Stepping Stone Road/Queen Anne Road/Wilfred Road intersection.
3. Improve safety at Old Queen Anne Road and George Ryder Road.
C. Improve pedestrian safety and comfort by developing the following programs. (CF15)
1. A systematic program to construct sidewalks on major roadways in Chatham, including roadways in the vicinity of schools, neighborhood centers, beaches and parks and improving shoulders for pedestrian use where sidewalk construction is not feasible.
2. Continue development of a town-wide network of walking trails through and connecting town recreation and conservation lands.
3. Develop downtown crosswalk improvements, seats, and amenities.
D. Develop bicycle routes and trails extending from the Cape Cod Rail Trail and serving commercial and recreational areas and continue efforts to extend the Rail Trail to form a loop back to the Trail in Brewster or Orleans. Develop parking areas for bicycles and cars in commercial, recreational, and trail access areas. (CF16)
E. Install pedestrian level street lighting in all neighborhood centers and identify other high activity areas needing lighting for pedestrians. (CF17)
F. Increase availability of public parking through some or all of the methods listed below. (CF18)
1. Use Main St. School site as a public parking area until a new use is designated.
2. Work with property owners to expand and improve parking.
3. Consider time limits on downtown parking spaces.
4. Develop public parking on the former Water Department property.
5. Develop a map of downtown showing public parking areas; distribute at Welcome Center and install directional signs for public parking.
G. Work with the Regional Transit Authority to improve coordination of existing public transportation services. (CF19)
2.5 Goal - Public Water
Provision of an adequate supply of clean, safe water to meet needs through 2020.
A. Establish a population sustainability goal for water use through 2020. (CF20)
B. Record water usage by parcel and watershed and integrate into GIS database. This will allow continued update of population demand for water and wastewater management. (CF21)
C. Ensure that an adequate supply of public water is provided to meet needs for the next 20 year period, based on a minimum level of service of 75 gallons per person per day. (CF22)
D. Continue to meet state and federal requirements for system wide water pressure, fire fighting capacity and reserve capacity. (CF23)
E. Water Department must approve water systems in new subdivisions and ensure that new development covers the cost of expansion. (CF24)
2.6 Goal - Wastewater Treatment Facilities
Provision of an environmentally and economically sound wastewater collection, treatment and disposal system(s) commensurate with the specific wastewater needs of each town watershed through 2020.
A. Develop a wastewater nitrogen sustainability goal for 2020. (CF25)
B. Complete the town-wide Wastewater Management Plan by the end of 2005. (CF26)
1. Determine areas where on-site disposal systems are not functioning properly or are contributing nitrogen loads at levels detrimental to natural resources. Identify options and prioritize recommendations for treating wastewater in identified problem areas, including regulatory changes and public and private treatment facility construction.
2. Carry out a public information and public participation process during preparation of the Plan to ensure public understanding and support of the Plan..
C. Implement the recommendations of Wastewater Management Plan. (CF27)
2.7 Goal - Solid Waste Management
Provide an efficient and economical system of solid waste disposal.
A. Expand recycling program to reduce the cost of solid waste disposal. (CF28)
1. Encourage recycling by private solid waste collection companies.
2. Continue and expand public education efforts to encourage increased recycling, especially at rental properties.
B. Minimize the impacts of the transfer station on the surrounding neighborhood. (CF29)
2.8 Goal - Stormwater Facilities
Protect surface and groundwater water from stormwater pollution from public buildings, roofs, parking areas and roadways.
A. Continue the policy of upgrading catch basins on town roadways during repaving and reconstruction projects in order to reduce stormwater pollutants reaching the towns ponds, streams, and groundwater. (CF30)
B. Continue the policy of requiring private properties to provide treatment and on-site infiltration to reduce stormwater volumes reaching stormwater systems in town roads or wetlands. (CF31)
C. Use best management practices, such as installation of leaching basins for roof drainage on all town buildings during new construction or major renovations. (CF32)
Table 1
Estimated Wastewater Volumes and Populations
(1) Used monthly pumping as published in Town annual reports.
(2) Irrigation allocated Mid May to Mid October.
(3) Private well pumpage based on 1997 Town Needs Assessment Report (N.A.R.) assumptions.
(4) Assumed 55 gallons per day per person wastewater generation.
(5) Yearly total population estimates more reliable than monthly figures.
(6) Population = Wastewater (gal)
55 gal/day/person
Table 2
Town and Privately Owned Acreage*
*Data as of 1 October 2002
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