Harwich Conservation Commission Advances Chapman Bay Road Demolition-Rebuild, Issues Flood-Zone Show-Cause Order

HARWICH — May 20, 2026 — Harwich Conservation Commission continued four applications, approved two, and issued a 60-day filing deadline at its May 20 remote meeting. The most complex case involved a demolition-rebuild at 265 Bay Road, where Peter and Caroline Chapman are seeking to replace an existing dwelling and tennis court with a new house, swimming pool, and pickleball court on a property almost entirely within the buffer zone of a coastal bank; the project would reduce impervious surface by 2,718 square feet and was continued to June 3 pending a DEP file number. The commission unanimously approved the notice of intent for Thomas and Courtney Perna at 38 South Chatham Road after the applicants removed a driveway and first-floor deck entirely from the 50-foot buffer zone. At a show-cause hearing, the commission gave the owner of 188 Route 28 — the former Potted Geranium store — until July 20, 2026, to file a notice of intent with a complete site plan after unpermitted work was discovered in an AE 12-foot flood zone over the winter and a fine was paid. The commission also issued an order of conditions for 80 Hoyt Road and a partial certificate of compliance for Chloe's Path Lot 1, releasing that parcel from two prior orders so the home could be sold.