Ten Apartments planned in West Harwich Commercial Building

 HARWICH – Another apartment conversion project is under consideration in West Harwich. The Davenport Company is planning to convert the commercial office building at 72 Route 28 into 10 apartments. 

 The property is owned by the West Harwich Office Park Condominium Association, which has authorized Davenport Company to pursue the conversion. The property is just one lot away from the West Harwich Baptist Church; Davenport and the town of Harwich remain in contract negotiations over plans to place up to 13 apartments in the historic church.

 According to the project narrative provided to the planning board, Davenport proposes to maintain the existing structure and construct eight one-bedroom and two studio apartments in the two-story building which sits on a 33,981-square-foot parcel. The building coverage is 17 percent and lot coverage is 63.4 percent. The building was constructed in 1989.

 The building is located in the Commercial Highway One, Residential Median and West Harwich Special District zones.

 The narrative submitted by Davenport says there will be no changes to the building coverage, height, or to the exterior of the building. Parking will increase to 40 spaces, with three handicapped spaces where 15 spaces are required for the project.

  The failure of the building’s sprinkler system over two years ago resulted in water entering the building. The unit owners had the water removed immediately and there was no structural damage to the building as a result of the sprinkler failure, attorney Matthew Kelley, president of the condominium association, wrote in an email. According to the project narrative, all internal office divisions were removed as a result of the water damage.

 There is a lot of housing activity taking place and proposed in the West Harwich area. Developer John Carey is putting the finishing touches on the conversion of the 1872 West Harwich Schoolhouse at 5 Bell’s Neck Rd., behind the West Harwich Baptist Church cemetery.

Carey said this week he is waiting for the town to conduct final inspections and close out the permits for the project, which created seven apartments in the former schoolhouse and three additional affordable housing units in an adjacent structure on the property. He anticipates starting to rent the units by Aug. 1.

“Plenty of people have been asking me,” Carey said of interest in the rentals.

Carey is also developing plans for a 40-unit complex at 48 and 50 Route 28, on the west side of Depot Street. That project includes a replica of the Exchange Building which graced Harwich Center until it was torn down in 1964. He said the designs are being worked on, and he expects to present the project to the town for permitting in the fall.  

It is nearly two years since the town received the only response to a solicitation to purchase and create housing in the historic Baptist Church, built in the 1880s. The Davenport Company proposed to purchase the structure and place 10 to 13 apartments inside while restoring the exterior of the church.

But Davenport subsequently determined the structure to be unsound and proposed to demolish it and replicate the exterior of the church in a new building. In January the historic district and historical commission issued a one-year demolition delay on the proposal. 

The town, which planned to take the church by eminent domain to clear the title, would then transfer the property to the new owner. But there are questions as to whether demolition is a permitted option. Davenport representatives and the select board have met on several occasions to work through the language in the request for proposals and the purchase and sales agreement, but as yet there has been no resolution.

Select board Chair Donald Howell said the discussions were scheduled to continue in executive session on Monday night.

The planning board will hold a public hearing on Davenport’s latest proposal on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m.