Harwich board OKs five septic variances on Highland Lane
Board of Health · Meeting of September 15, 2026
Harwich Board of Health approves five septic variances for a Highland Lane rebuild over an abutter's objection. Applicants Tom Stello of TS Land Surveying and Chris Childs of Patriot Builders, representing owners William and Kristen Punch, presented a revised plan reducing the proposed house to 2,136 gross square feet, a 658-square-foot cut from an earlier basement-inclusive design, while moving the leaching field farther from the coastal bank. Abutter Luther Grant of 9 Union Street countered, "We're not going to be able to swim in Nantucket Sound," citing cumulative small-lot development near the water.
The board also approved a pool permit at 152 Pleasant Bay Road for owners Jonathan and Stacy Lawando ahead of their sewer connection, and heard from Barnstable County epidemiologist Cassidy O'Hara that the state has recorded seven human West Nile virus cases this year, none in Barnstable County. The health director reported a Vibrio vulnificus infection in an 82-year-old shellfisher bitten by a crab, and a $1,500 Cape Cod Five grant for a community garden greenhouse.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,746 words
Source: the Board of Health meeting of September 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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