Sewer Detour Starts Today! Plan AheadBasically, Route 28 will be closed to westbound traffic only, from the tall red crane (pump station) at the end of Phinney’s Lane, east to the Greek Church/CVS corner.The Town of Barnstable Department of Public Works 382 Falmouth Road, Hyannis, MA 02601 508.790.6400 Daniel W. Santos, P.E. Robert R. Steen, P.E. Director Assistant Director Route 28 East Sewer Expansion Project Sewer Construction Resumes within Route 28 (HYANNIS, MA – September 7, 2023) Starting Monday, September 11, 2023 sewer installation will resume within the Route 28 roadway. Construction within Route 28 will occur during the hours of 8:15AM to 5:30PM, weather permitting, and a single-direction detour will be necessary to safely complete the work. Figure 1 depicts the anticipated single-direction detour of westbound traffic, with eastbound traffic being maintained on Route 28 (with necessary lane adjustments). Businesses on Route 28 will remain accessible during construction via posted detours along with traffic control. Motorists should expect delays. As always, please slow down and use extreme caution when traveling through the road construction areas, and follow posted safety and detour signs. To review current construction sequencing and real-time traffic advisories, please visit: Barnstable Water Resources at https://barnstablewaterresources.com/news-updates/ or Barnstable’s Waze Live Map at: https://www.waze.com/live-mapFigure 1: Anticipated Single-Direction Detour for Westbound Traffic If you have any questions or wish to receive project updates, please contact Kelly Collopy, Communications Manager, at the Department of Public Works at 508–790-6400 or Kelly.Collopy@town.barnstable.ma.us
How do I get these notices in my inbox? I do not write news updates often, but this detour may effect a number of residents. The town has multiple sources of information and you can sign up for timely updates on a number of issues. Here is a link to the front page of the Town’s website. https://town.barnstable.ma.us/index.asp Take some time to check it out. If you go to the box titled: Barnstable Water Resources, and click on Construction Updates, you can scroll down and sign up to have construction updates sent directly to you.
Here is a link to the Barnstable Town Calendar. Look in on meetings of interest and maybe someday you might consider joining a town committee. https://town.barnstable.ma.us/calendar.asp
Transfer Station Closed Monday: The Town of Barnstable Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division will be closed Monday, September 4, 2023 in observance of Labor Day. Trash and recycling services will resume on a normal schedule Tuesday, September 5, 2023. For questions, please call the Solid Waste Division at 508–420-2258. We have to remember that very few towns have a Transfer Station that is open all-day seven days a week. So please thank the crew.
Bottle and Can collection at the Transfer Station: The redemption of bottles and can will resume this month as the West Barnstable Whelden Library will be collecting bottles on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, all month.
Road Work: I met with the DPW this week about the intersection of Millway and Commerce Roads, as Joe Dugas pointed out, this corner has become more and more dangerous. The town will cut back the bayberry hedge for visibility, at least one new crosswalk sign will be installed and an old one replaced, and the faded crosswalk lines are on the schedule to be repainted in early September. The DOT (Department of Transportation) responded within 2 days and filled in a dangerous washout gully along the north side of 6A in front of the Crane’s house, (across from Colonial Way).
Septic Systems: Will I have to replace my Title 5 system with a more expensive Innovative/Alternative (I/A) system if my system fails? The short answer is no. On the north side of town Barnstable Harbor has clean water, assisted by a ten foot tide which helps flush the harbor. We also have less density than other parts of town. The areas around the courthouses, Commerce Fields, and Rendezvous Lane are sewered now. The only area that will have a nitrogen problem will be the Bragg’s Lane neighborhood. This area is slated to be sewered in 20 years, but remember, a lot can change between now and then. This begs for a longer conversation. Which reminds me that the BVA will hold some village issue sessions this winter. What would you like to talk about?
Barnstable Village Association Newsletter: I have been talking with the Barnstable Village Association and more specifically Sue Eleftherakis, who has taken over their newsletter. We have decided that their newsletter will be focused on local village events and keeping everyone up to date on what different village groups are offering. I would like to focus more on issues that concern Barnstable Village, Cummaquid and the wider town. Thanks to Sue for taking this on. If you have an event you would like to be in the BVA newsletter contact Sue. suekurz25@gmail.com Here is a link to the latest BVA Newsletter: https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=5b1742ca9d912fa155a73d768&id=58a1431ac4
Office Hours: I have restarted office hours at Sturgis Library, the first Wednesday of the month, 3:00–5:00. Come by with you questions and comments on any ideas or thoughts you’d like to discuss. My next date is: September 6th.
Town Council Meeting: The next Town Council Meeting is September 7th at 7:00.
Barnstable Tuscan Cuisine: So what is happening after the fire at the Old Barnstable Tavern site? I have talked with a few people, but if you have more info, let me know. The east or right hand side of the building is up and running, Booth Law is there and open as is the Salon 6A-Spa. CertaPro Painting is working out of the bottom of the building. The west section had the most damage and the Barnstable Tuscan Cuisine has been working hard to get reopened. Right now they are hoping for early December. Jitka and her Clean Green company have decided to find a new location, and Joe Berlandi has moved his law office across the street. The Village missed the restaurant this summer and we hope the renovations go smoothly and quickly.
Airport Noise: Many residents have asked about the increased noise from the airport. There seem to have been an inordinate amount of jet traffic this summer, but the end is in sight. The main reason has been that the North-South runway: 6–24, has been closed for resurfacing leaving only one runway, the east-west 15–33, open. Every 20–25 years the runways have to be ground down and resurfaced. This job has been going on since March and it will be finished by the end of October. This has left only one runway open all summer and one of the flight paths has been over Calves Pasture and the hill behind the old County Jail (Maushop Ave). The Hyannis Park neighborhood behind the Cape Cod Hospital has also been affected by this increased traffic and noise this summer. The end is in sight because the two Jet Blue flights a day to NYC will end Sept. 5th, and as summer winds down there should be fewer private aircraft coming and going. This runway is all set for 20–25 years. I was reminded that this runway, east-west, was closed during the summer of 2017 from March until October, but we don’t remember that because it was quiet for us.
There are plans to lengthen the takeoff and landing areas of the east west runway, but construction would not begin before 2028 and there will be a series of public involvement meetings long before then. There is more info about noise on the Airport’s website or contact: Security/Noise Abatement Coordinator Christina Lounsbury 508–775-2020 x106 clounsbury@flyhya.com
Willow Street Clearing: Some have asked about the clearing of these four acres and here is a clear answer from the CC Times:
Storm prep: Eversource Energy clears land in Yarmouth for line trucks, crews
Denise Coffey Cape Cod Times When another nor’easter or major storm hits Cape Cod, Eversource Energy plans to have equipment and manpower centralized in a new staging area on Willow Street.
The company is designating an approximately 4‑acre emergency staging lot for crews and equipment on their Yarmouth property, Eversource spokesman Christopher McKinnon said. It will supplement existing staging area agreements they have with other partners on Cape Cod.
“This new lot will give us the flexibility to stage approximately 100 line trucks and other equipment or to set up a temporary base camp where crews can eat, sleep, refuel, and continue their important restoration work,” McKinnon wrote in an email to the Times.
Town Elections: Here is a comprehensive article I am passing on from today’s Cape Cod Times about the upcoming elections in Barnstable. Barnstable Nov. 7 election: Who is already running for town council, school committee?Susan Vaughn Special to Cape Cod Times
Four incumbent Barnstable town councilors and two new candidates have been certified as candidates to be in the Nov. 7 town election, Town Clerk Ann Quirk said. They received the required 50 signatures to be certified as of Monday.None of those who took out nomination papers to run for the School Committee and the Housing Authority have been certified yet, Quirk said in an email. Those two boards require 150 signatures to be certified. All signatures for certification are due on Sept. 15 for all three boards.Twenty-one residents have taken nomination papers for 13 town council seats, and eight seats are being contested. The four certified incumbent town councilors are Gordon Starr, precinct 1; Betty Ludtke, precinct 3; Kris Clark, precinct 11; and Paula Schnepp, precinct 12. Craig Tamash also has been certified to run against incumbent Nikolas Atsalis in precinct 4. Felicia Penn has been certified for the precinct 13 seat currently held by Jennifer Cullum, who has taken out papers for the School Committee.Cullum and longtime Precinct 7 Councilor Jessica Rapp Grassetti have termed out of their positions after 12 years, Grassetti said Monday.“I’ve enjoyed my time and the great people. All in all I think it was good,” Grassetti said, adding that she feels it is also good to have challengers.The even-numbered precinct candidates run for two years during the first two years of an election cycle after the latest census (2020) and the odd-numbered precinct candidates run for four years. In the next election in two years, the even-numbered candidates can then run for four years.The town council challengers who have taken out papers, but have not been certified include: Frank Frederickson against Starr, precinct 1; John Crow against incumbent Paul Cusack in precinct 5; Seth Burdick and Wendy Solomon, precinct 7, currently held by Grassetti; Louis Parke against Jeffrey Mendes, precinct 8; Charlie Bloom against Tracy Shaughnessy, precinct 9; Toby Leary against Clark, precinct 11; and Kyle Condinho against Schnepp, precinct 12. Three incumbent councilors who are not being contested so far are Eric Steinhilber, precinct 2; Paul Neary, precinct 6; and council president Matthew Levesque, precinct 10.Five people have taken out nomination papers for the School Committee and not been certified. They are incumbents Michael Judge and Kathleen Bent as well as Cullum, Chanda Beaty, Louis Parke. None have been certified and Joe Nystrom, the third committee incumbent up for re-election, has not taken out papers.Three candidates for the Housing Authority have taken out papers, but not been certified. They are incumbent Deborah Converse, and Ronald Beaty and Louis Parke.