CHATHAM – All options are on the table when it comes to a shark barrier to protect Oyster Pond Beach. The town this week issued a request for proposals for a feasibility study of a barrier to protect swimmers at the beach, which is often used by families and children and is the location of town swimming lessons. The town has not ruled out any particular technology or form of barrier, according to Natural Resou...

CHATHAM – Swept up in the Marie Kondo craze? Got lots of stuff you need to get rid of and want to find a way to do so responsibly, following the reduce, reuse, recycle philosophy? Well, if some of that stuff falls into the category of books and media, bring it over to the annex to contribute to the annual Book and Media Swap. Now in its 10 th year, the free event will be held on Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. t...

CHATHAM – With growing concern over the loss of historic homes and the replacement of modest houses with buildings several times larger, the planning board is diving into the process of finding a way to limit the scale of residential structures.  Developing a zoning bylaw to accomplish that goal is likely to require study and analysis, perhaps with assistance from the Cape Cod Commission, said Planning Board C...

CHATHAM – Faced with an unknown buyer and uncertainty over the future of a key parcel of downtown property, officials and residents are looking to historic preservation tools to provide some control over the Monomoy Theatre property. At its March 5 meeting, the historical commission will consider asking the Massachusetts Historical Commission to determine if the Monomoy property is eligible for listing on the ...

CHATHAM – Selectmen Monday decided that there won't be sidewalks constructed on Bridge Street, at least not at present. Because the roadway lacks a recorded layout or formal taking, board members did not want to pursue a sidewalk that could require easements or land takings over private property. The board voted to move forward with repairs to water mains along the street, all of which are within the paved ...

CHATHAM – Voters at May's annual town meeting will be asked to spend $295,000 in community preservation funds to upgrade the playground at Chatham Elementary School. The community preservation committee endorsed the proposal last week after trimming $56,000 from the community playground committee's initial request. For more than four years a dedicated group of parents, school administrators and town officia...

CHATHAM – Preliminary results of a hydrodynamic modeling study of the town's eastern inlets and waterways will be present at the end of the month. Part of a $250,000, wide-ranging study of the waterways from Pleasant Bay to Nantucket Sound, the presentation will happen at 7 p.m. at Feb. 28 at the annex. Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon said the focus of the update to be presented by Applied Coastal Resea...

CHATHAM – The acronym OPEB has been popping up more and more often in municipal finance discussions. It's one of those arcane accounting elements that makes the eyes glaze over, but in actuality has a significant impact on the town's finances. Last week the town's OPEB trust fund board of directors held a forum to educate the public and provide background on the topic. The following information was gleaned from t...

Some actions to mitigate the danger from sharks in the region's waters can be put in place this summer. A Bourne consulting group will look at other options as part of a study that begins this week. Officials from six Outer Cape towns, the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy met with the Woods Hole Group last Wednesday in Wellfleet to kick off the $49,950 shark mitigation altern...

CHATHAM – Friends of Trees helped support Monomoy Middle School's “Finest Hours” field trips with a grant to support a program that immersed students in local history.  “Chatham’s trees are living artifacts, survivors of decades of change and anchors to the town’s history,” said Friends of Trees president DeeDee Holt. “We were pleased to support this program and Ms. Bourget's effort to make this meaningful con...

CHATHAM – A survey to get public feedback about a number of shark mitigation strategies under consideration will feed into a study scheduled to begin next week. Officials from six Outer Cape towns met Wednesday in Wellfleet with the Woods Hole Group to discuss alternatives to address concerns about shark safety. Also participating in the meeting were the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Atlantic White Shark Con...

CHATHAM – The community preservation committee has turned down the Chatham VFW Post's requests for funds to upgrade the heating system at its George Ryder Road facility. The $205,000 request doesn't adhere to Community Preservation Act guidelines for historic structures because it does not involve acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation or restoration. While a section of the building has been determined to b...