Just 22 Feet Away: Lack Of Access To Town Water Could Hamper Project

HARWICH – “Water, Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink,” is a line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of The Ancient Mariner,” referring to a situation where despite being surrounded by water, it is inaccessible.

That is a situation being faced by John Carey, who is redeveloping the former West Harwich Schoolhouse property. He wants to provide the 10 apartments now under construction on the property along Bell’s Neck Road with town water, but although there’s a water meter just 22 feet away, it is inaccessible.

The water line is located along a dirt road on private property owned by the Pinewood Village Association, which has denied Carey access to the eight-inch water main. He told members of the board of select last week that members of the 16-unit association voted 7-3 not to allow him access.

Alan Longton, president of the Pinewood Village Association, confirmed the vote, but chose to make no further comment on the water situation.

Carey said if he could access the line, it would cost $12,000 to $13,000 to bring water to the apartments. Otherwise, Carey said he will have to extend water lines 400 feet to town water along Depot Road, which would cost between $75,000 to $100,000. Those costs would have to be passed on to residents renting the apartments, “and we’re trying to build these units as cheaply as possible,” he said.

To get to the mains on Depot Road would also require crossing both Bell’s Neck Road and Depot Road, which will tear up two town roads, delaying traffic, Carey said. Patching the town roads will lead to long-term disruptive conditions, he added.

Carey asked the select board if it could provide support for his effort to access town water only 10 feet from his property line. The public water access to Pinewood Village was put in place after a major contamination plume was discovered beneath the village. The plume was caused by contamination coming from a dry cleaning operation in Dennisport in 1997.

The town’s water department took emergency steps to place town water in the neighborhood at that time. Carey said for some reason the town water was dead-ended on private property six feet from the Bell’s Neck Road public way. Today the water main would have to be extended to the property line so the adjacent owner could have access, he said, adding that the town has the right to extend water mains.

“It’s public water and it’s all coming from the same source,” Carey said. “There should be a way the town can say it’s town water, and this is important to us.”

Select Board Chair Julie Kavanagh said the board would look at what it can do to alleviate this situation. She did not know whether the town could mandate such access.

Select Board member Jeffrey Handler praised Carey for his undertaking, calling it “a much needed project for Harwich. It doesn’t sit well that there is not a cooperative effort between all parties in the area.”

Handler said water access should happen in the least disruptive way to town resources, town roads, and to Carey’s wallet. He agreed the board should take whatever steps necessary to address the issue.

“The project really looks great,” said Select Board member Michael MacAskill. “It’s nice to finally see something happening there. I understand the position [the Pinewood Village owners] took, but the project has been approved and it is happening. I certainly would support it.”

The schoolhouse structure should be completed just after the first of the year and be ready for tenants by next April, Carey said. Construction of a second structure containing three apartments would get underway just after the first of the year, he added.

“Time is of the essence,” Carey said of resolving the water access issue. He said the sprinkler system is scheduled to be installed in October and if there is no water on site, it will delay the construction timeline.