All meetings in Wellfleet are remote only and can be watched online. Go to wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the instructions on the agenda.
Thursday, March 3
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m.
Monday, March 7
- Affordable Housing Trust, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8
- Select Board, 6 p.m.
Thursday, March. 10
- Shellfish Advisory Board, 6 p.m.
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Town Hall Unmasked
Board meetings and town building hours are returning to normal following recent votes by the select board and board of health. The board lifted the townwide mask mandate on Feb. 23 following a similar vote by the board of health on Feb. 9.
“This is not the same pandemic it was,” said select board member Mike DeVasto. “The risk is lower in the general population because of vaccination and because it seems to be a milder variant, particularly if you’re vaccinated.”
“Those of us who want to will continue to wear masks,” said Suzanne Grout Thomas, director of community services.
Board and committee meetings will start back up in a hybrid model on April 15, pending technology upgrades. The council on aging and the meeting room at town hall are being outfitted for hybrid meetings, said select board chair Ryan Curley. Since not all spaces will be equipped, “boards and committees are just going to have to schedule for when rooms are available,” he added.
Game Days
Every first and third Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 to 3:30 will be all about games at the Adult Community Center — formerly known as the senior center. Cornhole, board games, and card games, including Scrabble, Rummikub, Cribbage, Backgammon, and Yahtzee, are available for both indoor and outdoor use.
“Come by yourself, bring a friend, hang out,” said Suzanne Grout Thomas, director of community services, during the Feb. 23 select board meeting. —Michaela Chesin
Ruling on GFM Appealed
The attorney representing Great White Realty has filed an appeal in state Land Court to annul the zoning board’s January decision that effectively shut down a contractor’s yard at the corner of Route 6 and Old Wharf Road.
Attorney Ben Zehnder contends the zoning board is in violation of the town’s zoning bylaws, which he claims classify a contractor’s yard as a by-right use in the commercial district, with no permits needed.
Great White Realty purchased the land in January 2021, then cleared and graded it in anticipation of leasing it to GFM Enterprises, a Dennis-based company that specializes in excavation for septic systems.
After several parries between town officials and Great White involving neighbors, a past building inspector, and some rulings by the zoning board, an interim building inspector last fall gave authorization for GFM to begin operation.
The abutters appealed the building inspector’s action, and, in January, the zoning board revoked the authorization, shutting the business down.
The Land Court case is being merged with an existing appeal of previous zoning board actions. According to court documents, the case will be “fast-tracked,” with a trial expected in about 16 months. —Christine Legere
