Changes Sought To Former Handler Property

 HARWICH –  While there are no commercial plans available, the owners of the 3.14-acre former Handler’s Auto Parts parcel along Route 28 in Harwich Port are proposing upgrades to the property.

Jeffrey Lang and Sandra Wycoff are proposing the construction of a 93-space parking lot and a pedestrian pathway around the site, with portions of the work area within the buffer zone of wetlands.

 Lang and his son-in-law, Select Board Chair Jeffrey Hander, made a presentation to the conservation commission on April 2. The project is scheduled to go before the planning board for a site plan review special permit later in the month.

 Handler detailed his family’s history of ownership of the property dating back to when his grandfather, Louie Handler, started a metal recycling business that morphed into an automotive recycling business in the 1940s. In 2015, when Handler’s father retired, the business was shuttered and the building sat vacant for several years.

 There were several prospective buyers, but the “brown field” condition of the land that sits above the north tributary of Allen Harbor deterred the sale of the property, according to Handler. Lang purchased the property and in 2020 went to the conservation commission with a plan to remove derelict buildings and remediate lead and zinc contamination that built up over the years. That work was conducted, and there now is a grass-covered surface that overlooks the wetlands and the tributary.

“Since the site was cleaned several people have come to us wanting to partner or buy the property,” Handler told the commission. “At this point we don’t know what we want to do with the property.”   

 He said driving by on a daily basis, he sees people using the property to walk their dogs and artists setting up their easels to paint the scenery. 

 “We’re here tonight to begin the first step of activating that property,” Handler said. “Whatever we do down the road is going to require parking.”

 David Crispin of BSC Group said the plan is to install temporary erosion controls; regrade and fill a section of the site to allow for the development of a paved parking area; and install a subsurface stormwater recharge system to contain a 25-year storm and allow for overflow during more severe storms. The concrete slab just off Route 28 will be removed and the recharge system located there. 

The project calls for the placement of two 22-foot driveways on Route 28, eliminating the 200 feet of continuous driveway that now exists. The curb cuts will require approval from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Limited lighting is also planned around the perimeter of the parking lot, and trees will be planted in some of the parking islands. 

 Conservation Administrator Amy Uowski said the commission’s jurisdiction relates to the proposed plantings, the walkway and a small portion of the parking lot within the buffer zone.

The proposed stone dust pedestrian pathway will circle around the site and provide visitors with the opportunity to have a close view of the saltmarsh, Handler said. There were questions about the pathway and the use of stone dust, which is not a commonly used material within no-disturb zones.

Crispin said the use of stone dust for the pathway assists with compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act and will better serve against erosion.

Usowski said a variance could be sought for the stone dust use based on the proposed improvements to the area.

“The property looks a heck of a lot better than when grandpa Louie had it,” commission member Wayne Coulson said. “Overall it’s a good thing.” 

“It’s a good looking plan. If the walkway is in the no-disturb zone, it should be left there,” commission member Mark Coleman said. Commission member Sophia Pilling also endorsed the pedestrian pathway plan. 

There were questions about mitigation calculations for altered areas and proposed new plantings, to which Crispin said he would make necessary adjustments. Crispin said the need to file a variance would have to be weighed against the use of stone dust for the pathway.

The commission agreed to continue the hearing to its April 16 meeting.

The planning board has scheduled the site plan review special permit hearing for April 22.