Meetings are being held in person. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you are interested in to learn about meeting locations and any remote options that may be offered.
Thursday, July 29
- Board of Health, 3 p.m.
Monday, August 2
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 3
- Zoning Bylaw Task Force, 4:30 p.m.
- T-Time Development Committee, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, August 4
- Community Preservation Committee, 5 p.m.
Thursday, August 5
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m.
Friday, August 6
- Historical Commission, 10:30 a.m.
Conversation Starters
HAWK Signal Eyed for Fixes
In its effort to have changes made to the Route 6 HAWK signal at Governor Prence Road, the town has learned that neither it nor the Mass. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) owns the signal. That, said Town Administrator Jacquie Beebe, is “actually good news.”
The signal has not been officially turned over from the contractor to the DOT, “even though it’s been almost two years,” explained Beebe at the July 26 select board meeting. It has not gone through its final inspection yet.
“We’re going to have a virtual meeting with all the parties that are involved,” Beebe said. “Hopefully, we can negotiate directly with the contractor to make the changes that we need before it’s turned over.”
The town had submitted suggestions to the state last year for changes to the signal, including installing additional signage, changing the timing of the lights, and addressing sightline issues, but had not received a response.
“We had a near miss the other day,” Beebe said. “Part of me wants to say, ‘Well, why can’t we just get rid of it?’ ” she added. “It really is dangerous until we fix it, and the faster we can fix it the better, and that’s just what we have to focus on now.”
The Independent was unable to confirm what “near miss” Beebe was referring to, but there was an accident at the signal on July 20 when, according to Police Chief Adam Bohannon, the light turned after someone pushed the button to cross. A car stopped “relatively abruptly,” he said, and was hit by the vehicle behind it. No one was injured, Bohannon said.
Lauren Barker, the town’s economic development planner, told the select board that Mass. DOT representatives had indicated they may be able to make “interim fixes.”
“They can’t touch the signal itself right now, since they don’t own it,” Barker said, “but they did say that they might be able to keep those blinking lights turned on around the clock, rather than just being activated when the signal is pressed by a pedestrian or a bicyclist.” —Linda Culhane