HARWICH – Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod has begun accepting applications for the six homes to be constructed on Murray Lane off Route 28 in West Harwich. The deadline for filing applications is Dec. 1. Habitat will be building four three-bedroom homes and two two-bedroom homes on land to the rear of 93 and 97 Route 28. This is a home ownership opportunity for individuals and families who earn about 65 percent ...

Major Owner Adds To His Harwich Port Property Portfolio HARWICH — Dr. Gravity’s Kite Shop building in the center of Harwich Port has been sold, and owner Peter Hurst is also planning to sell the kite shop business he has operated at the spot for the past 45 years. “It was just time,” Hurst said. The Dr. Gravity building is tightly packed on the lot and has an apartment above the shop. Hurst's family h...

HARWICH — The planning board last week approved site plan permits for the18-hole miniature golf course to be located next to Bud’s Go Karts on the corner of Route 28 and Sisson Road, but there remains an outstanding issue over the hours of operation. The attorney for the course developers said he'll return to the zoning board of appeals, which approved a variance for the project earlier this year, to get an in...

HARWICH — The outbuilding on the former Handler’s Auto Parts property sits on the 50-foot no-build buffer zone line established under wetland protection laws. While the conservation commission last week approved its removal, the foundation slabs will remain to allow potential future development. Jeff Handler was before the commission to provide an update of the remediation project taking place on the 3.14-acre...

HARWICH — Having just put a FY21 budget in place, selectmen on Monday began shaping the message for funding the next fiscal year’s spending plan. The message contained in the draft proposal stated the desire to stay within the spending limits of Proposition 2½, but that was not strong enough for members of the board. “Selectmen desire a budget that is within the Proposition 2½ limits without the need for a gen...

Still No Plans For Future Development  HARWICH — The land remediation work on the 3.14-acre Handler Auto Parts site along Route 28 in Harwich Port is nearing completion, but there remains no plan for the redevelopment of the land, which commands sweeping views of Allen Harbor and its marsh. Jeff Handler said this week no decisions have been made on future plans for development of the property, which is zone...

HARWICH — The grounds around the A. Elmer Crowell barn at Brooks Academy are looking shabby, Harwich Center resident Paul Doane told members of the Brooks Academy Museum committee last week. Doane, who volunteers at the historic barn where the renowned decoy carver did his work, said the trees lost during last year’s tornado and the drought this area experienced over the summer have created dire landscape cond...

HARWICH – The Harwich Police Department has a new member, and he’s here to teach kids in the Monomoy School District not to vape. If he gets a few treats in the process, that’s all the better. Fritz isn’t your average member of the force. Unlike his bipedal fellow officers, Fritz is an 18-month-old German shorthaired pointer and it’s his job, quite literally, to sniff out e-cigarettes and vaporizers on school ...

HARWICH — The more than 300 voters who turned out for the annual town meeting on Saturday spoke in strong support of protecting the environment, putting in place a ban on the sale of commercial single-use plastic water bottles and approving a resolution supporting the adoption of a town policy on climate change. Resident Patrick Otton put forward the petitioned article seeking to create a bylaw making it unlaw...

Special District, Multi-family Update OK'd HARWICH — It was long awaited, but residents finally got the opportunity to act on the annual town meeting warrant in an outdoor setting on Saturday. Five operating budgets were approved totaling $68, 957,862, a 1.4 percent decrease from last year's budget. Voters also approved unanimously a zoning amendment that creates a West Harwich Special District with a focus...

HARWICH — Town officials have been focusing on preservation of the historic character of the community over the past couple of years. The approval of the West Harwich Special District zoning amendment in the annual town meeting on Saturday was one step, and the historic district and historical commission is considering additional protective measures. The commission is working on extending the period of the his...

HARWICH —The chamber of commerce has issued its annual series of awards to local businesses and community members making outstanding contributions to the town and the chamber. The awards were announced during the chamber’s annual meeting, which was held virtually this year. Executive Director Cyndi Williams said after the announcements that the awards were presented in person following social distancing protoc...