Meetings are held remotely. From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda and information about how to view and take part remotely.
Thursday, Jan. 21
- Local Housing Partnership, 4 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 22
- 95 Lawrence Road Task Force, 1 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 23
- Wellfleet Housing Authority, buy down and down payment assistance info session, 10 a.m.
Monday, Jan. 25
- Affordable Housing Trust, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 26
- Select Board, 6 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Covid-19 Update
According to the Mass. Dept. of Public Health’s weekly Covid-19 report, as of Jan. 14 Wellfleet had six new cases of Covid-19 within the preceding 14 days. The town has recorded a total of 33 cases and one death from the virus.
Town Beaches: No Nudes
In the first 15 minutes of the four-hour select board meeting on Jan. 12, the board amended the town’s beach regulations to prohibit nudity. Until then, beach regulation Prohibition G had stated simply, “All persons using Town beaches at any time shall be properly attired.”
Suzanne Grout Thomas, manager of town beaches, said she spoke with town counsel Carolyn Murray of KP Law about the language of beach clothing. Instead of “tiptoeing” around it, Thomas said, Murray suggested the town simply write that “nudity is not permitted.” There was no discussion of any reason the tiptoeing needed to end.
Select board member Helen Miranda Wilson asked if everyone on the board agreed that the definition of nudity was that genitals and, in the case of women, breasts are not covered. “I think that’s the common definition,” said Thomas.
“I think so, too,” Wilson replied. “In Europe, it would not be that. Women could have their breasts out.” They agreed to stick to the Cape Cod definition.
Chair Michael DeVasto questioned the necessity for this change in language. Wilson agreed with him, but then the board swiftly moved on to discuss beach fee increases, and voted to approve the amendments, including the prohibition of nudity. Penalties for violating beach regulations include a written warning for the first offense, followed by a $75 fine for the second offense and $125 fines for third and subsequent offenses. —Tessera Knowles-Thompson
New on Route 6
1065 State Highway, a wooded, 1.38-acre parcel on Route 6’s west flank that was foreclosed by Bridgewater Savings Bank in 2009 and has been vacant ever since, is off the market.
On Jan. 5, Donna DiGiovanni of Truro registered Great White Realty Group, LLC with the commonwealth. DiGiovanni is the LLC’s resident agent and manager and its address is 1065 State Highway.
On Jan. 8 the property changed hands from 1065 State Highway LLC (registered agent Pamela Massad, a commercial real estate attorney at the central Mass. firm of Fletcher Tilton) to Great White Realty Group. DiGiovanni bought the parcel for $392,000, $58,000 less than the $450,000 asking price.
In a statement, DiGiovanni referred to Great White Realty Group as “a women’s owned real estate investment company.”
She said her plan for the property is “to provide a contractors yard for GFM Enterprises, Inc. another women owned company.” GFM Enterprises offers septic installation, sand renourishment, road grading, and demolition, among other services. According to its website, it is owned by Dennis-based husband and wife duo Jennifer and Gregory Morris.
Dareen Davis of the Wellfleet Building Dept. said a clearing and excavation permit for 1065 State Highway had come through on Jan. 14. The land is no longer wooded.
“My attorney, Ben Zehnder, and I look forward to working closely with our neighbors and town officials,” said DiGiovanni. —Josephine de La Bruyère
