Fire Damages House Eyed For Affordable Housing

CHATHAM – On Saturday night, a fire of unknown origin damaged the interior of the former Chatham Water Department offices at 127 Old Harbor Rd., a property subject to a controversial plan for redevelopment as affordable or attainable housing.

 The blaze caused limited damage to the unoccupied building, and the exact origin of the fire is not yet known. Investigators see no signs that it was set intentionally, Fire Chief Justin Tavano said.

 At about 7:40 p.m., a neighbor spotted flames coming from the rear of the town-owned building, a former single-family home built in 1860. The neighbor called 911 and Chatham firefighters arrived quickly, given the proximity of the house to the fire station. Arriving crews saw smoke coming from the building, and firefighters summoned additional crews from Brewster to join firefighters from Harwich and Orleans who responded automatically. Firefighters quickly located and extinguished the blaze, then searched the building to ensure no one was inside.

 The building, which was willed to the town by Marion Nickerson Ellis in 1971, has been vacant for many years since the water department offices were relocated. Acting on the knowledge that the building was supposed to be unoccupied, Tavano summoned a fire investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s office, who responded to the scene.

 While a point of origin of the fire could not be identified, the flames were believed to have started in an area just inside the rear door of the building, which opens to a small vestibule about four feet deep and wide, which “bumps out” beyond the main part of the house, Tavano said. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had burned both sides of the exterior door, and it was difficult to say whether the door had been unlocked or left ajar prior to the fire or whether it had burned through.

 The town’s building commissioner has not yet provided a damage assessment, but Tavano said the fire damage was limited.

 “It was really contained mostly to that small vestibule area,” he said. Crews removed parts of the walls and ceiling on the first floor to ensure that the flames had not extended to the main part of the structure.

 Tavano called for state fire investigators prior to learning that there was a potential ignition source in the building: electricity. While the building was unoccupied, town officials confirmed with Tavano that there was electrical service to at least a portion of the building, though it was not immediately known what was powered. The vestibule contained a light switch and an overhead light, and a power feed for the adjacent barn may also be located in that area, Tavano said.

 The state fire investigator examined the scene and deployed a dog trained to sniff out accelerants like gasoline, but the dog did not signal any finds.

 “At this point the fire’s still under investigation, but they’re not indicating anything suspicious,” Tavano said.

 No one was hurt, and crews from the town’s Facilities Division boarded up the building. Electrical service to the house has been cut.

 The property is at the center of a longstanding, contentious debate over its reuse or redevelopment. Town meeting directed that the property be used for affordable or attainable housing, a plan opposed by some neighbors and other residents. The select board put development plans on hold while it sought a new legal opinion on whether the bequest of the property to the town in 1971 prohibited its use for housing. But meeting last Nov. 18, the board not only decided to move forward with the housing plans, but on a split vote rejected further research into the property’s status, in a bid to finally move the project forward.

The donation from Marion Nickerson Ellis stipulated that the property be used for a playground in association with the neighboring elementary school and that no buildings be erected on the land other than the single-family home and barn that existed at the time. A playground was built on the rear section of the property and is currently used by Chatham Elementary School students; the home was used for various purposes — including offices for the Chatham School Department and the water department — but has been vacant for years and is in poor condition. The barn is used for storage by town departments.

In November, board members pointed out that the single-family home could be renovated but might have to be torn down because of its poor condition. In that case, the town considered building a substitute home and rebuilding the barn as additional housing. It was not immediately clear whether, prior to the fire, the town had made a determination about whether the house could be renovated. 

 In a letter she sent to the select board Sunday, resident Elaine Gibbs urged the town to carefully investigate the fire, saying its timing is highly suspect.

 “Many residents wanted the building, at minimum, preserved according to Mrs. Ellis' wishes in her codicil with only a few units in the existing structure. Others wanted a new shiny building with more units. Looks like the 'others' may get their wish,” Gibbs wrote.

 Tavano thanked surrounding fire departments for their assistance on the night of the fire, as well as the Chatham Police Department and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s office.