Meetings Ahead
Thursday, Jan. 30
- Recycling Committee, 5 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Eastham library
Monday, Feb. 3
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
Tuesday, Feb. 4
- Charter Review Committee, 5:30 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall
Wednesday, Feb. 5
- Board of Assessors, 11 a.m., Small Meeting Room, Town Hall
- Community Preservation Committee, 5 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
- Harbor Planning Forum, 5 p.m., Greg Turner Meeting Rooms A-B, Eastham library
Thursday, Feb. 6
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m., Earle Mountain Meeting Room, Town Hall
Conversation Starters
Storage Unit Discussion Continues
In a meeting continued from Jan. 2, the zoning board of appeals will hear from Barbara Niggel, owner of Willy’s Gym, on Feb. 6. She is seeking a special permit, in this case as owner of Goeroe’s Golden’s LLC and Stow Away LLC, to construct six storage units at the site of the gym, which remains temporarily closed.
When Niggel presented her case to the ZBA on Jan. 2, citizens said the four current storage units on the property are in disrepair and unsightly. Steve Wasby of the ZBA said that until violations that led to the closing of Willy’s are cleared, and trash surrounding existing storage units is removed, the ZBA should not grant the special permit.
Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe provided an update on the gym on Jan. 23, saying structural and architectural reports had been received and were being reviewed; the gym’s connection to the town water system was in the final stage of completion; and steps to bring fire suppression systems into compliance were underway.
The special permit for the storage units needs approval from both the ZBA and planning board.
Plastic Bylaws on the Warrant?
The select board is scheduled to review and discuss the proposed Plastic Beverage Bottle Bylaw and Plastic and Marine Hazards Reduction Bylaw at its Feb. 3 meeting. The board may vote to place the bylaws on the May town meeting warrant. The public is welcome to attend, ask questions, and offer feedback.
The bottle bylaw would make it unlawful to sell or distribute water and soft drinks in plastic bottles of less than 34 ounces, as well as distilled spirits in 50 ml plastic bottles (“nips”) in Eastham. Drinking water in plastic bottles would be allowed in a declared emergency.
The marine hazards bylaw looks to replace plastic bags with reusable, recyclable, or compostable ones.
Details are available on the town website: eastham-ma.gov/home/news/proposed-plastic-bylaws-information. —Ryan Fitzgerald
