West Chatham Boat Storage Plan Withdrawn On Land That Was To Host Senior Center

CHATHAM – A proposal to store boats at 1610 Main St., land previously identified as a site for a senior center, will not go forward, at least in the short term.

 Oyster River Boatyard withdrew its application for a special permit last Thursday after it was clear that the request was not going to be approved by the zoning board of appeals. 

 At an Oct. 24 hearing, board members agreed with a determination by Building Commissioner Jay Briggs that the proposed use did not fit the zoning bylaw’s definition of a boatyard or marina, and was therefore not properly before the zoning board. 

 But even putting that technicality aside, zoning board members were leaning toward not approving the proposal because they said it did not fit with the West Chatham neighborhood center concept. The planning board is expected to bring zoning changes for the West Chatham neighborhood center to the May annual town meeting.

 “I’m really not sure that this use is compatible with future uses,” said board member David Veach.

 In 2021, property owner William Marsh offered the 1610 Main St. parcel to the town as a site for a new senior center. However, funding for the project failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority vote at town meeting three times, and town officials are now examining renovating the current center for active living on Stony Hill Road rather than building a new facility for the council on aging.

 Oyster River Boatyard handles about 250 boats every season on its one-acre parcel along the Oyster River, said operational manager Cliff Berner. For efficiency, boats are prepped offsite when possible; the boatyard currently stores vessels on several lots at Commerce Park. The close proximity of 1610 Main St. to the boatyard makes it an ideal site to store an estimated 40 to 60 boats, he said. 

 No structures were proposed for 1610 Main St., which attorney William Riley said Oyster River Boatyard planned to lease from Marsh. Minor maintenance would be done there, including shrink wrapping boats for seasonal storage, painting, waxing and inspections.

A boatyard is defined in the zoning bylaw as a facility for the “construction, repair and maintenance of boats and may include provisions for storage and docking.” The definition of a marina is similar. Briggs said the initial application was for boat storage, which is “clearly an ancillary use” under the bylaw. Boat storage is only allowed by right in the industrial district and by special permit in the general business district; 1610 Main St. is currently zoned residential but is covered by a small business flexible development overlay district, where boatyards and marinas are allowed by special permit. The overlay district protection expires in May.

Representations made at last week’s hearing abou the maintenance work that was planned at 1610 Main St. didn’t alter his opinion that the proposal was for boat storage and not a boatyard or marina as defined, Briggs said. Board members agreed.

 “It doesn’t seem to me to be anything other than storage and a few other things going on,” said David Nixon.

The planning board’s vision for the West Chatham neighborhood center is taken from the town’s comprehensive plan, member Warren Chane said. It generally calls for allowing retail and residential uses, with an emphasis on affordable and multifamily housing. Boat storage, he said, belongs in industrial zones, not a neighborhood center.

Since the neighborhood center zoning changes have yet to be adopted, it was unfair to apply them at this time, said Riley. Boat storage is common in Chatham and on Cape Cod and would not be unsightly, he added. 

 “This is a boating community,” Riley said. “There are over 2,000 moorings issued by the town of Chatham. Those boats all need to be serviced and stored and taken care of. This is an opportunity for an otherwise vacant lot to be used in a manner that’s productive for both the company and the owner of the property.” He disagreed with Briggs’ interpretation of the bylaw. “You can’t separate storage from maintenance,” he said.

 Along with concerns about boat storage being compatible with the neighborhood center, board members were uncomfortable that the planning board had not reviewed a site plan for the proposal. Members expressed concern about traffic and the ability of boat trailers to maneuver on the site.

 “I think it would be premature for us to go forward with a special permit for this property without planning board approval” of the proposal, board member Paul Semple said, adding that the initial application was vague regarding the proposed use.

 “We just don’t have very much information here other than what’s been offered off the cuff tonight,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to allow the application to be withdrawn without prejudice, meaning that it can be revised and resubmitted at any time.