Cape Cod Commission Approves Snow Inn Redevelopment

HARWICH – The Cape Cod Commission voted last week to approve the redevelopment of the historic Snow Inn project along Wychmere Harbor. 

The commission determined that the increase from a 32-room to a 72-room hotel is consistent with the Cape Cod Commission Act, the agency’s regional policy plan, and the town’s local comprehensive plan. The vote on the project proposed by Wychmere Harbor Real Estate, LLC was 12-2.

 An overflow crowd of about 60 people provided testimony both for and against the proposal at the five-hour Feb. 5 hearing held in the Mary Pat Flynn hearing room in Barnstable. The plan calls for the demolition of the 32-room Snow Inn, which has been in existence since 1892, which includes the adjacent Channel House, to be replaced by a 72-room hotel with a restaurant and lounge. 

The site will receive several upgrades, including a new wastewater treatment facility located outside of the floodplain, improvements to stormwater drainage, landscape and hardscape improvements and a flood-resistant building design. 

The commission’s subcommittee voted that the project met the commission's regional policy plan goals and objectives and found that there are significant benefits which outweigh the project detriments. 

But there were numerous concerns raised about the size of the project, traffic and safety, impacts on the neighborhood, and how the expanded facilities and time of operation will impact other lodging facilities in the off-season.

 “I’m not opposed to reasonable expansion,” said Colleen O’Brien, who lives directly across Snow Inn Road from the inn. She called the proposal a “monstrosity,” adding that traffic on Snow Inn Road will increase. The initial redevelopment plan called for 40 hotel rooms, she said, adding that it was a reasonable proposal but the 72 rooms “is a slap in the face.” 

A number of residents from the neighborhood said they would not have been before the commission protesting the initial 40-room redevelopment. But the scale of the building and the traffic generation that would be created with the 72-room hotel was too much for the narrow public way leading to the Wychmere Beach Club complex.

 “We’re at a tipping point,” said Davis Lane resident Bobby Clarke. “I urge you to approve the 40-room hotel. They don’t need to hit a home run. Right now they are going over the top, developing this property on a dead-end road.”

Harwich’s representative to the Cape Cod Commission, Jacqueline Etsten, said she was concerned about the size of the project, saying that it should be following a local design standard. She voted against the project.

Brewster commission member Elizabeth Taylor also voted against the proposal. She said she served on the initial subcommittee that rejected an earlier proposal for an 80-room hotel. She expressed concern for increased commercial use in a residential area and the impact to traffic on Snow Inn Road. 

 “I don’t see that any of that has changed,” she said. “I still have a lot of problems with the size of this project.” 

 Support for the project came from vendors and people who cited the economic benefits to an expanded shoulder season bringing people in to support local businesses. 

 Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cyndi Williams called the project reasonable and appropriate and grounded in long-term planning. She cited job growth associated with the project and an expanded shoulder season that will support year-round vendors and restaurants.

 In a statement, former state senator Dan Wolf supported the project.

 “After spending time with the Wychmere development team and gaining a clear understanding of the business rationale for the proposed expansion, the mitigation measures being proposed to address neighborhood concerns and the associated economic and environmental benefits, I believe this redevelopment represents a positive step forward,” Wolf’s statement read. 

Sandra Wycoff, who owns the Chatham Clothing Bar and Chatham Kids and Bank and Main in Harwich Port, said in the 1980s and ‘90s business in Harwich Port was vibrant, but it waned as Wychmere and the Melrose Inn closed and hotel rooms were lost.

But business is now coming back, Wycoff said. “I’m very in favor of this project, it’s exactly what we need,” she said.

The project will add 70 seasonal employees and 25 year-round employees, said attorney Andrew Singer. The redevelopment is estimated to cost $70 million to $80 million and will create numerous construction jobs, and the increase in lodging will generate additional property, hotel and meal taxes, Singer said. 

Freeman Street resident Mike Heffernan cautioned that with the expanded shoulder season, an increase of rooms at the Snow Inn would hurt the smaller hotels and inns that rely on shoulder season business.

Traffic along Snow Inn Road and leading into the intersection of Route 28 and Freeman Street were major focuses of discussion. Several residents along Snow Inn, Davis Lane and Bay View Road questioned traffic safety. 

 “I’m tired of playing chicken at the Route 28 intersection,” said Freeman Street resident Leslie Heffernan. 

 “I’m not opposed to reasonable growth but this is not reasonable growth,” Doug Grant said. “We can’t expect less traffic.”

Stephen Cullen, asset manager at Wychmere, presented traffic mitigation plans which he said will take truck deliveries, motor coaches and employee transit off Snow Inn Road. He said there will be 625 fewer trips per week, which means 8,126 fewer trips over the 13-week summer season.

There was back and forth between three traffic engineers and project engineer Randy Hart of VHB over line-of-sight improvements at the intersection with Route 28. Hart said visibility improvements were the result of new sidewalks. There will be warning signage added at the intersection and a road safety audit is proposed.

Relocating the new wastewater treatment plant out of the floodplain, reducing the amount of nitrogen discharged by 95kg annually, and stormwater improvements both off site and on site will be major improvements, said Singer. 

 “Doing nothing does not protect the environment,” said Wychmere Beach Club member Amy Orlando.

The detriments associated with the project noted by the commission’s staff include greater visibility of the proposed development in a residential area and additional traffic on regional roadways.

The project will now go back to the town’s planning board, appeals board and conservation commission for permitting.