CHATHAM — Armed with firmer design figures, detailed cost estimates and a sharp pencil, a consultant now says the renovation of the town transfer station would likely cost $4.5 million, rather than the $7.5 to $8.5 million projected last year. The goal, said Mike Richard of Weston and Sampson, is to make the facility more user-friendly and efficient, to make vehicle traffic patterns less confusing, and to re...

CHATHAM – Selectmen last week declined to support proposed federal legislation to declare Nantucket Sound a National Historic Landmark. Chatham is the only Cape town bordering Nantucket Sound that has declined to endorse the legislation, which is being promoted by the Alliance To Protect Nantucket Sound. Some 50 towns, municipal agencies and nonprofit organizations signed on to a letter to Senators Edward Mark...

CHATHAM — For vessels over a certain draft, getting in and out of Chatham Harbor is now impossible except during the most favorable tides. While smaller boats can still pass freely, commercial fishing vessels and even Coast Guard rescue boats are increasingly unable to leave the harbor. Experts say the south inlet opposite Outermost Harbor is predominantly feeding Nantucket Sound through the so-called Foo...

Summer Season May Be Possible, Says Principal  CHATHAM – The mystery of who is buying the Monomoy Theatre was solved Monday when a Morris Island Road homeowner announced that his company plans to purchase the Main Street property. Gregory T. Clark of Alexandra Properties in Newton Upper Falls, announced during the public forum segment of the board of selectmen's meeting that his company has an agreement wit...

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...