Barnstable leaders have taken step one towards figuring out whether or not the city will purchase Baxter’s Boathouse wharf on Hyannis Internal Harbor, a waterfront property that is been labored by the identical household for greater than 100 years.
The Town Council voted March 20 to spend $160,000 for an evaluation of the land and the buildings, docks, pilings, and bulkheads.
Assistant City Supervisor Andrew Clyburn mentioned the overview will assist city leaders higher perceive the property’s present situation and wishes, and the impact of each on the property’s current worth and future capital funding necessities earlier than they resolve whether or not to pursue the acquisition.
The positioning includes three parcels at Zero, 167 and 177 Nice Road totaling .56 acres. It contains Baxter’s Fish and Chips restaurant, docks of various sizes, and 75 parking areas. Buildings on the property date largely to the Nineteen Forties, in response to city officers.
The city already owns the neighboring property, listed as a city approach to the water, and the land abuts the Woods Gap, Martha’s Winery and Nantucket Steamship Authority.
Baxter’s Fish and Chips restaurant is on the finish of Nice Road in Hyannis on Hyannis Internal Harbor. Barnstable City Council is contemplating buying the property. The picture was taken on Feb. 25, 2025.
A complete analysis
Clyburn mentioned the overview will embrace an architectural constructing analysis, architectural code analysis, constructing hazardous supplies testing, a website survey, a waterfront infrastructure evaluation that can embrace the usage of divers for underwater investigations, architectural employees delicate prices, and environmental allowing overview.
Town Planning and Development Director Jim Kupfer mentioned that, for the reason that constructing is usually over water and held up by piers, it is going to be necessary to look at the pilings for soundness. City engineer Griffin Beaudoin mentioned it should even be necessary to look at flood zones on the property, amongst different issues.
The $160,000 can pay just for the preliminary property examination, with the cash coming from the city’s normal fund reserves. In line with Clyburn, this fund was licensed final July at “simply shy of $31 million.”
‘We expect it is the appropriate factor to do’
The southern finish of Nice Road transitioned from residential to industrial use within the early 1900s, with the location initially serving as a fish offloading and packing level earlier than evolving into the Baxter household’s enterprise. This included a trucking firm that shipped items so far as New York, a fish market and, opening of Baxter’s Fish and Chips in 1957, and institution of the Baxter’s Boathouse Membership with Baxter’s Fish and Chips in 1967.
Property homeowners Ben and Sam Baxter mentioned they really feel strongly about giving first dibs to the group that has supported the household over the a long time.
“I do know the city will not be going to get into the restaurant enterprise. It’s concerning the land, the riparian rights, the waterfront, and the continuation of the harbor,” mentioned Sam Baxter through the March 20 listening to
The household believes “the city might do higher with the land sooner or later” than anybody, he mentioned.
“We expect it’s the appropriate factor to do,” added Ben Baxter.
Which comes first, evaluation or asking value?
Councilors weren’t in full settlement about whether or not to determine an asking value for the property first, or do the evaluation first. However members acknowledged that the city might want to stability the prices of acquisition and any future funding within the property with the broader monetary wants of the city, together with ongoing tasks just like the sewer system and college funding.
Councilor Jeffrey Mendes argued for negotiating a purchase order value first, saying a lot of his constituents have requested him how a lot the city may very well be taking a look at paying. Emphasizing that he’s not towards the venture, he mentioned the arguments behind buying the property make a number of sense, however “we must always know what we’re getting concerned with earlier than we begin doing due diligence.”
Councilor Felicia Penn, nonetheless, was among the many majority supporting the concept of doing due diligence first.
“I believe the Baxters are being very beneficiant to the city and permitting us to do discovery first earlier than the promoting value is bantered about on the desk,” she mentioned, including, “You need to do diligence first so you may work out what the vary of costs can be.”
The properties are collectively assessed at $2,744,300. An appraisal worth has solely been mentioned in govt session. First assistant city lawyer Tom LaRosa mentioned the appraisal is exempt from disclosure underneath the state public data regulation, although if councilors wished to, they might waive the exclusion — however this must be accomplished in govt session first.
Clyburn mentioned the city would begin negotiations with an appraisal worth, which he mentioned is “considerably extra” than the evaluation worth.
An ‘funding in Barnstable’s future’
For a lot of, like resident Cliff Carroll, the potential to protect Hyannis Harbor as a group asset comes as soon as in a lifetime and is a imaginative and prescient price pursuing — one that would increase public entry to the waterfront, stop overdevelopment, and relieve stress round Ocean Road that’s busy with dockside-related site visitors.
By buying the land, he argued, the city might guarantee preservation of the waterfront and forestall it “from being bought to non-public builders who might prioritize industrial pursuits over the group well-being.”
City may very well be eligible for vital grants
If the city strikes ahead, it might discover funding via state and federal grants what can be unavailable for privately owned properties. This might embrace the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Grant Program and municipal vulnerability grants, which might help in restoration and addressing long-term sustainability of the infrastructure by shoring the realm towards extreme climate and sea-level rise.
Clyburn famous a “strong public course of” can be a part of figuring out the long-term imaginative and prescient for the location.
Heather McCarron writes about local weather change, atmosphere, vitality, science and the pure world, along with information and options in Barnstable and Brewster. Attain her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com.
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This text initially appeared on Cape Cod Occasions: Barnstable takes a step forward on buying a wharf but questions arose
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