Map showing detour around construction work on Stage Harbor Road

Stage Harbor Road Closure & Detours

Stage Harbor Road from the Bridge Street intersection to the Harbormaster's Garage, is closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic due to continued sewer work and installation of well points at the pumping station site at Old Mill Boatyard.

Detours will be in place from Bridge Street north to Stage Harbor Road, to Cedar Street, to Champlain Road; and from Champlain Road to Cedar Street, to Stage Harbor Road, to Bridge Street.

Roads will be passable at the end of each day; normal work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, weather permitting. Police details and contractors will work with property owners to ensure their needs for access are addressed.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation!

A woman with short blond hair wearing a grey sweater standing in front of a tree

Welcome to Team Chatham!

Join us in welcoming Lisa Steele as Chatham's new Human Resources Administrative Assistant to Team Chatham!

Ms. Steele has over 20 years experience working in employee benefits with an extensive focus on employee assistance and customer service in both the public and private sectors.

Prior to her move to the Cape in the fall of 2022, Ms. Steele worked for The Shuster Group, a business consulting firm specializing in benefits and risk management, Human Resources, and compliance. Prior to that she worked at Ovation Benefits Group where she was promoted internally from a Human Resources Assistant to a Benefits Administrator. She most recently worked at Nauset Rental in Brewster where she served a a Guest Experience Specialist with primary responsibilities for administration of reservations but also assisted with accounting and Human Resource functions.

Ms. Steele and her husband live in Harwich. They are the parents of two adult children and a cherished pup named Nola.

Eldredge Garage Visitor Center under construction

Eldredge Garage Visitor Center Update

The Eldredge Garage Visitor Center and Parking Lot project is progressing. This week the prefabricated walls and roof of the building were installed and site drainage work continued.

In addition to public restrooms, the completed project will feature Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, bicycle racks and bicycle fix-it station, and green space with mowed walking path at the rear of the property.

The project remains on schedule for the parking lot to be ready for use and the Visitor Center approved for occupancy by Memorial Day.

Orange and white construction barrels along a road where the shoulder has been cleared of vegetation

George Ryder Road Connector Update

Construction of the multi-use path on George Ryder Road connecting the Old Colony Rail Trail to the multi-use path along Route 28 in the West Chatham corridor is underway.

The removal of trees, as approved at the October 3, 2023 Tree Warden public hearing, has exposed the area in which the path will be constructed. Some of the areas will be filled and have a gentle slope, while other areas will require construction of retaining walls, primarily along the southern section adjacent to the Ocean State Job Lot property. There will also be a small retaining wall near the Airport.

To accommodate the path, travel lanes will be shifted from 0-2’. Shifting the travel lanes will be minimized as much as practical but there will be a few areas where lanes will shift as much as two feet.

Town Clerk's Office Closures

The Town Clerk's office will be closed for required State Elections trainings on Thursday, February 15th and Thursday, February 22nd from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in preparation for the March Presidential Primary (see voting information below).

We apologize for any inconvenience!

Doug Berman outside in a grassy field with a large rock to his left

Natural Resources Director Featured

Greg Berman, Director of Natural Resources, will kick off the Chatham Conservation Foundation's (CCF) Winter Webinar series tomorrow, Saturday, February 10th with a presentation of current data regarding sea level rise and other indicators of climate change impacting Chatham. The free webinar is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Registration is required and space is limited. For information on other upcoming CCF events, visit their website.

Red white and blue buttons with Vote written on them in the middle

Presidential Primary Voting Information

The Massachusetts Presidential Primary is Tuesday, March 5th. Polls will be open at the Community Center, 712 Main Street, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The last day to register to vote in the Primary is Saturday, February 24th. The Town Clerk's Office, 549 Main Street, will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day for in-person registration. You may also register to vote in Massachusetts online.

In-person early voting will take place at the Town Offices, 549 Main Street, on Saturday, February 24th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday, February 26th through Friday, March 1st from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The last day to apply to Vote by Mail is Tuesday, February 27th at 5 p.m. The deadline to apply to vote in-person absentee is Monday, March 4th at 12 noon.

Ask the Town Manager

Q: Have the lawsuits over the Fish Pier (Observation Deck Reconstruction) been settled and what were the final outcomes? Did we (The Town) recover the liquidated damages owed by Sciaba Construction?

A: The litigation settlement agreement between the Town and Sciaba Construction Corporation was finalized on December 22, 2022.

The Select Board voted on November 7, 2022, to authorize settlement of the legal action filed in Barnstable Superior Court by Sciaba Construction Corporation in April 2022, against the Town and Foth CLE Engineering Group over disputes related to scheduling delays in the Fish Pier Observation Deck Reconstruction Project. The work on the Project was satisfactorily completed by Sciaba in 2020.

After discussing the merit of the proposed settlement terms with Town Counsel, and upon his advice, the Board determined that settling the claims and counterclaims asserted in the court proceeding without incurring further expense in prolonged litigation was in the best financial interest of the Town. The projected legal fees and costs, diversion of staff time, and the incurrence of additional Project consultant fees for expert testimony/ litigation support required to defend Sciaba Construction’s claims and establish the Town’s counterclaim for liquidated damages were deemed to be greater than the likely potential recovery of damages by the Town. The final Project cost, including change orders and the release of retainage by the Town pursuant to the settlement, remained within the Project budget.

The decision by the Select Board to settle the lawsuit was driven by financial considerations. The costs of the continued involvement by Town management and staff coupled with additional legal and consultant fees outweighed the projected benefit that the Town might have gained by pursuing the litigation.

The Board's vote to release the Executive Session minutes on this matter is scheduled for February 20th.

Do you have a question about Town government or are curious about how or why it works the way it does? Are you interested to know the status of a project? Please email your question to Shanna Nealy and we will use this space to bring the answers to you.

New Restaurant in the Works at 859 Main Street

In case you missed it and are wondering what's going on at 859 Main Street (the old Cumberland Farms building), plans for a new restaurant have been approved at the site by the Historic Business District Commission, Conservation Commission, and the Planning Board.

JFF Design Architects and Planners have received site plan approval for Chatham Greens and Rotisserie and a building permit for interior demolition has been issued. The plan calls for a 101 seat restaurant (45 indoor seats and 56 outdoor seasonal seats). Renderings and filed site plan are available for viewing in the information packets for the July 5, 2023 meeting of Historic Business District Commission and the November 13, 2023 Planning Board meeting.

Town of Chatham seal with silhouette of a speaker at a podium in the center

Upcoming Public Hearings

The Select Board will hold the following public hearings during its regularly scheduled meetings beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road with remote participation available through the link in the posted agenda.

February 13

To consider a request from Animal Control Officer Diane Byers, pursuant to Town Bylaws Chapter 115, Section 6(f) regarding complaints of a nuisance dog at 48 Sylvan Way.

To listen to concerns over the proposed removal of public shade trees in accordance with MGL Chapter 87. The subject trees are Sycamore Maples, approximately (2) 28' and (1) 32" in diameter and are located within the Town Right of Way along Old Harbor Road adjacent to 19 Old Wharf Road.

February 20

To consider a request for a Change of Premise to the Annual All Alcoholic Beverages Hotel/Innkeepers license for TPG Chatham Beverages d/b/a The Chatham Wayside Inn, 512 Main Street.

To consider a request for a new Seasonal Wine & Malt Beverages Only Restaurant license for OPADAD LLC d/b/a Elwood's Raw Bars, 309 Orleans Road.

To consider a request for a Change of Class from Seasonal to Annual All Alcoholic Beverages Restaurant license for TPJ Restaurant Group d/b/a Pates Restaurant, 1260 Main Street.

Blue cartoon TV with yellow antennae with Chathan TV and Town seal within the screen

Chatham TV Changing Channels, Again

Chatham TV is moving from Comcast channel 1070 to 1072 on Wednesday, February 14th. This completes the conversion of your government access channel to High Definition (HD) from Standard Definition (SD) as required by the 2021 renewal of the Town's contract with Comcast.

Government access programming will be available on Comcast channel 8 in SD until April 25th.

According to in-store personnel at the Comcast Orleans location, Channel 1072 is part of the Basic Cable package. Customers with older set-top converters (non-HDMI equipped) can get a new set-top converter (HDMI equipped) for no extra charge. Customers subscribing to packages beyond Basic Cable likely have, or would benefit from, an X1 cable box. In those cases the upgrades to the X1 box would not cause an increase in the rental device charge.

Questions? Comcast customer service can be reached at 1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489). Comcast stores are located at 15 Locust Road in Orleans and 10 Old Townhouse Road in South Yarmouth.

Chatham TV programming is also live streamed through Chatham TV's webpage and on Chatham TV's YouTube Channel.

Summer Beaches and Recreation job openings

Two stylized Cs with arrows extending from the top of one and the bottom of the other nested together with RTA below

Free Fares Announced by CCRTA

The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) has announced free fares for people over the age of 60 and people with disabilities on all fixed bus routes.

This program is made possible through a $506,758 grant from Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Initially, older adults and persons with disabilities will be able to participate in the fixed route free fare program using their Charlie Card picture ID, previously issued through the CCRTA certification process. Over time the Charlie Card will be replaced by the CCRTA developed Go Card for use on the CCRTA's fixed route system to travel for free.

Empowering Older LGBTQ+ Adults

Barnstable County Department of Human Services , in partnership with SAGECare - the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning people - will be offering a free virtual training on Thursday, February 15th from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on supporting LGBTQ+ Older adults.

While the target audiences for the training are providers and stakeholders, anyone is invited to register and participant engagement will be warmly welcomed. Online registration is required. The session can accommodate up to 60 people.

Sea Grant with MIT below and a stylized bird above

Paid Aquaculture Internship Opportunity

MIT Sea Grant is offering a paid internship program in aquaculture here in Massachusetts. Aquaculture Internships for Massachusetts (AIM) will pay 12 trainees to learn about a variety of roles within the industry and discover if aquaculture is the right career path for them.

The program will begin with two weeks of training in mid-April with an introduction to the ocean environment and the basics of aquaculture. Participants will then enter three weeks of trial rotations at three different host sites. These sites will then offer internships to the trainees to work for the remainder of 2024.

No experience is needed! If you are a reliable, hard worker who enjoys working outdoors and is looking for steady work in a growing industry, this may be the right opportunity for you. Visit MIT Sea Grant's website for more information and to review the application.

The Mainsheet

The name of our e-newsletter was selected from submissions by our community.
In nautical terms a mainsheet is the line connected to the boom which allows a sailor to control the speed of a boat. We think that is fitting for an e-newsletter that can be used to quickly send out important information to our community or at a more leisurely rate for less pressing matters. It reflects Chatham’s maritime history, is reminiscent of the front page of a newspaper, and it is a fun play on Main Street, where you go to be part of all that is happening in Town!

Town of Chatham website www.chatham-ma.gov