New Plan Filed For Snow Inn Redevelopment

 HARWICH – A revised plan for the redevelopment of Snow Inn and Channel House at the Wychmere Beach Club was filed with the planning board last Friday. 

The application is expected to be sent this week to the Cape Cod Commission for a development of regional impact review, Town Planner and Community Development Director Christine Flynn wrote in an email.

The new proposal has been reduced in both size and the number of rooms sought for the Snow Inn hotel, compared to an earlier plan. The 40-year-old wastewater treatment plant will be upgraded and relocated outside the floodplain, according to the narrative accompanying the application.  

Wychmere Harbor Real Estate, LLC, had filed a previous application with the planning board last January. It was sent to the Cape Cod Commission for a DRI review but was withdrawn at the end of March after coastal resilience issues were raised by the commission’s staff. Neighbors also protested potential traffic issues from the expansion plans at that time.

Neighbors have remained vocal about the amount of traffic the redevelopment could generate along Snow Inn Road. The previous plan called for the construction of a new hotel consisting of 80 rooms and totaling 83,307 square feet, including an 80-seat restaurant. The newly filed plan calls for a replacement hotel with 72 rooms totaling 75,322 square feet. An 80- to 90-seat restaurant would be included in the hotel.

“There will be a reduction of habitable space on the ground within the floodplain,” according to the narrative.

Along with the relocation of the wastewater treatment plant, the new proposal would provide stormwater management upgrades, both onsite and offsite, to control and improve existing runoff from offsite that flows across and down Snow Inn Road into Wychmere Harbor and town-owned Merkel Beach, according to the narrative.  

To address traffic issues, there will be a reduction of onsite parking from 236 to 207 spaces. According to a press release issued on behalf of the project, staggered event times, future full-service valet operation, and off-site employee parking will reduce vehicular trips. Also, partnerships with Harwich Police, improved signage and a plan to implement seasonal traffic-calming measures and the ability to house more guests attending onsite events will reduce “in and out” car trips.

The plan reflects extensive listening sessions with neighbors, town officials and stakeholders, according to the press release, resulting in adjustments to building size, traffic management, and flood resilience. 

The application filed with the planning board seeks a site plan review special permit and a use special permit.