Butcher Comments 0n Boathouse LINDA AND BEN BUTCHER
105 Eel River Road
Osterville, MA 02655
Barnstable Conservation Commission
200 Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
RE: Submission SE3-6019
Dear Commissioners,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the proposal to build a
boathouse at the rear of 117 Eel River Road – directly on the shores of South Bay. We
offer the following comments:
• We agree with the statements made by several of the Commission ers, approving
this proposed boathouse would be a dangerous precedent. A precedent that would
lead to more boathouses being proposed and built.
• The proposed siting (within the floodplain and 50-foot buffer and directly on the
edge of the beach) maximizes the impact both visually and on the environment.
• This impact is exacerbated by the significant size of the proposed building (as shown
in the exhibit to the most recent Submission to the Commission.
a) This is a “boathouse in full” - not a “shed.”
b) To accommodate the stated use (storing a Laser with its 20+-foot stepped
mast), the actual building would have to be bigger than the one shown.
• There is a public boat landing less than 200 yards along the shoreline to the North.
This provides an easy alternative for hauling boats.
• We have not experienced any issues with theft or vandalism in this area of the West
Bay waterfront.
• Exhibit F shows our property (105 Eel River Road) as having a ‘shed’ - we do not.
We understand and accept our neighbor's (Pam Randon) desire to the increase the
utility of her boating facilities. However, on several counts, this proposed boathouse
just seems like too much. We very much encourage the Applicant and their consultants
to consider smaller and less intrusive alternatives – further upland and away from the
shoreline.
This proposed boathouse construction would alter the character of the immediate
shoreline. The boathouses that would potentially be built following the setting of this
precedent would alter the character of the Town’s shoreline.
We would encourage the Commission to deny this Application under their discretionary
authority to do so.
Sincerely,
Linda and Ben Butcher