Land Transfers To Protect Sensitive Natural Resources

HARWICH – The Harwich Conservation Trust and the town’s real estate and open space committee are developing a proposal to bring to the select board to transfer jurisdiction of approximately 15 parcels with significant natural resources value from the board to the conservation commission and the town’s water department.

 Harwich Conservation Trust Executive Director Michal Lach and real estate and open space committee (REOSC) Chair David Callaghan were before the conservation commission last week seeking support for the proposal. 

 Lach and Callaghan identified about 15 parcels containing a total of approximately 75 acres that they have determined are essential to the long-term integrity of natural resources in the town. The parcels were identified as essential to ensuring recharge for public drinking water supplies and ponds, to protect the marine watershed and wildlife habitat, and to maintain climate change resilience.

 The parcels are located in several sections of the town, but most of them are in the Pleasant Lake area, around ponds and zone two contribution areas to public wellfields or south of the Great Sand Lake area along Route 39 and Depot Road.

Lach said they were seeking conservation commission support to transfer the parcels from the select board’s jurisdiction to the conservation commission and the water department. The water/wastewater commission has voted unanimously to support the transfer, he said. Lach also said Brewster has implemented a similar plan to protect significant natural resources. 

The Harwich Conservation Trust would also hold a conservation restriction on the parcels, he said. 

Conservation Administrator Amy Usowski said she has been attending the REOSC meetings and is familiar with these parcels.

“It’s pretty thoughtful work,” Usowski  told the commission. “The lots are not developable, most are wet, and most abut water department and conservation lands. I’m in agreement with all but potentially one.”

She said one lot located near Lakeway Lane and Queen Anne Road needs a little more research. That 10,000-square-foot parcel is not connected to conservation lands and after examining the soil and vegetation its status as a wetland may be marginal, she said. It might be suitable for a one-bedroom affordable housing unit, she added. 

Callaghan said the parcel gets flooded periodically. He suggested it might take 100 truckloads of sand for that lot to be developable. 

A 0.6-acre parcel along the Cape Cod Rail Trail, adjacent to Hinckley’s Pond, just west of Pleasant Lake Avenue also came into question. A $75,000 Community Preservation Act contribution was made to build pond access stairs extending off the Cape Cod Rail Trail at that location when funds were provided for an alum treatment in Hinckley’s Pond. 

Usowski said the money was returned to the community preservation committee, and she didn’t see why that parcel should not be considered. Lach pointed out that HCT was building a new pond access point off the bike trail a little further along the trail.

Usowski said she would need to elaborate on each parcel and why it should be turned over to the conservation commission, or the water department. 

 Commission members liked what they heard from Lach and Callaghan. 

 “If it’s open space that can be saved, we should save it,” said Conservation Commission Chair John Ketchum. “But whatever statement is made to the select board, we want it as detailed as possible”

 Ketchum asked if any other parcels could be used for affordable housing, asking whether the REOSC has finalized its opinion on the proposal.

Callaghan said it is early in the process and no final decision has been made. His committee will be pursuing additional information, including whether the town has alternative plans for any of the parcels. 

Commission members said they would like to have more information on each of the lots before making its decision to support the proposal. Usowski said she would put information in writing on each lot for the commission’s next meeting, along with a letter of support should that be the commission’s decision.