Cyanobacteria Advisory Lifted

The cyanobacteria advisory posted at Goose Pond on October 5, 2023 due to a visible algal bloom/scum due to improved conditions. Normal use of the pond for recreational activities may commence.

For more information, please contact Chatham Health Division. For more information on algae blooms visit

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/harmful-algae-blooms-in-freshwater-bodies or https://apcc.org/our-work/science/community-science/cyanobacteria/.

Oktoberfest and More Tomorrow!

It's a busy Saturday tomorrow with lots going on! Oktoberfest will be going strong downtown from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the Pleasant Bay Alliance is holding the Pleasant Bay Climate Action Community Forum at the Community Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., which is also the location of the Community Health Fair from 12-2 p.m.

Oktoberfest takes place in Kate Gould Park, the adjacent parking lot off Chatham Bars Avenue, and in the Town Office parking lot at 549 Main Street. Both locations will have food, drinks, vendors, and live music.

The entire parking lot off Chatham Bars Avenue will be dedicated as event space and no parking will be allowed along Chatham Bars Avenue. The lot at the Town Offices will only be accessible from Kent Place. The entrances from Main Street and Cross Street will be barricaded to create an event area away from vehicle traffic. Only the back half of the lot will be available for parking.

To alleviate some of the parking challenges for Oktoberfest, the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants Association will be running shuttles from the Elementary and Middle Schools to downtown.

Blue pennant with Team Chatham spelled out in white letter on a wooden dowel stuck in a spray of gold foil ona table covered with a blue plastic tablecloth

Now Hiring!

Check out our new position listings and consider joining Team Chatham!

We offer competitive wages, a supportive work environment, and great benefits for eligible positions.

Rendering of the Eldredge Garage Parking Lot and Visitor Center

Eldredge Garage Site Work to Start

The Eldredge Garage Lot, located at 365 Main Street, will close to all parking beginning October 23, 2023 in anticipation of the construction of the lot and new visitors center beginning that week, culminating seven years of collaborative planning efforts to improve the site.

The property, purchased by the Town with the approval of Article 4 of the January 23, 2017 Special Town Meeting, was owned for decades by the Eldredge family and once housed a stable and gas station.

The Select Board created the Eldredge Garage Property Planning Committee in September 2017 to examine and make recommendations to the Select Board on the final use of the property after receiving input from neighbors and community members. The Committee reported those recommendations which included the construction of the parking area with electric car charging station; Visitor Center with restrooms, water bottle re-fill and device charging stations; bike racks; and open space to the rear of the property to the Select Board on November 19, 2018. The Committee also recommended paid valet parking at the lot rather than the installation of paid parking kiosks.

Chatham Valet, Inc. has been awarded the contract to operate seasonal valet parking services through a competitive bid process at the lot since 2018.

Catalyst Architects presented preliminary concept designs based on the Committee’s recommendations to the Select Board in 2018 with revisions in 2021 and final designs presented in spring of 2022. Drainage improvements at the site and in the adjacent roadway were completed while the design work was underway.

The Town received an anonymous donation of $1.5 million towards the project from a seasonal resident through the National Philanthropic Trust which was accepted by the Select Board in September 2022.

The former gas station building was demolished, and initial site work was completed in spring 2023.

Eastward Companies of Chatham was selected under the Massachusetts General Procurement Law’s request for proposals process and was awarded the contract for the construction of the project earlier this month.

The parking lot and new building are expected to be substantially complete in late spring, 2024.

Information Session Scheduled

The public is encouraged to attend an information session to review study results and selected alternative to address ongoing erosion of Crescent Beach on Morris Island and heightened shoaling at the entrance to Stage Harbor on Tuesday, October 24th at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road.
The proposed project is a unique approach which includes installation of temporary "Flow Training Structures" along with beach nourishment to mitigate a complex problem associated with ongoing natural changes to the eastern barrier beach and inlets.

The study has been funded by three consecutive Coastal Zone Management Coastal Resiliency grants, and a fourth grant has been received to complete the permitting phase of the project. The Town is seeking public input and comment prior to submission of the initial permits. The grant is funding the permitting process only; any construction will require additional demonstration of need, public support, and policy directives by the Select Board.

The restrooms at Veterans Field and Harding's Beach

are now CLOSED for the season.

Graphic of green house silhouette with overhead depiction of neighborhood next to it

West Chatham Zoning Forum

The Chatham Planning Board welcomes your participation at an in-person Community Forum on Saturday, October 28^th at 11AM in the large meeting room at the Community Center to discuss the proposed Protective (Zoning) Bylaw amendments to establish the West Chatham Neighborhood Center zoning district.

The input from residents, business owners, and others will inform the Planning Board of final amendments to the West Chatham Neighborhood Center district zoning. The Planning Board has held previous public forums and collected input to ensure the proposed changes are in alignment with the desired character for the area.

This work builds upon the recommendations received from the Route 28 Visioning Project completed in 2014 and subsequent efforts which studied the Route 28 corridor from the Crowell Road intersection to the Harwich town line with the goal of bringing the Town’s Protective Zoning Bylaw into conformance with the Town’s Long-Range Comprehensive Plan. The feedback from this community forum and the results of extensive previous studies and community outreach and engagement will inform a bylaw amendment for the West Chatham Neighborhood Center for Spring 2024 Town Meeting.

To best prepare for the Forum, the Planning Board requests those who intend to participate RSVP to Principal Planner Ryan Christenberry All are encouraged to attend. The meeting will also be recorded by Chatham TV and be available for on-demand viewing through the Chatham TV video archive.

A man wearing glasses with white hair and beard in a light colored button-up shirt

A Passing of Note

Lonnie K Pickett, Jr., former long serving manager of Chatham Municipal Airport passed away on October 1, 2023 after a brief illness.

Mr. Pickett was an Air Force photographer and self-taught artist whose oil paintings of military aircraft hang at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii and at the Pentagon. He will be remembered by his family and friends for his love of flight.

A gathering will be held in Mr. Pickett's honor at Chatham Municipal Airport on October 28th from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Rotary Club Chowder Fest on November 4th at the VFW, George Ryder Road

Real Estate & Personal Property Taxes Due November 1st

Real Estate and Personal Property tax bills for FY2024 were issued on September 21st. If you don't receive your bill within 10 days of issuance, please contact the Treasurer/Collector's Office at 508-945-5108.

The total amount of taxes, betterments, special assessments, and other charges you owe for fiscal year 2024 is payable in two payments (semi-annual). Your first payment is due by 4 p.m. on November 1, 2023, and should be at least one-half of the tax and any betterments, special assessments and other charges shown. The balance is due May 1, 2023.

Payments can be made on-line. Checks should be made payable to the Town of Chatham.

If your payments are not made by their due dates, interest at the rate of 14% per annum will be charged on the unpaid and overdue amount. Interest is computed on overdue first payments from November 1, 2023, and on overdue second payments from May 1, 2024, to the date payment is made. You will also be required to pay charges and fees incurred for collection if payments are not made when due. Payments are considered made when received by the Collector. To obtain a receipted bill, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and both copies of the bill with your payment.

If you have questions on your valuation or assessment or on abatements or exemptions, or to change your mailing address you should contact the Board of Assessors 508-945-5103.

If you have questions on payments, you should contact the Collector's Office at 508-945-5108.

Black dog in blaze orange vest standing in the woods.

The Color of the Season

This time of year, orange is everywhere!

Keep yourself and your furry companion safe and fashionable by wearing blaze orange anytime you venture out into the woods this fall.

Hunting season is underway for upland game birds including pheasant and quail through December 30th and for ruffled grouse and wild turkey through November 25th. Taking deer by bow and arrow is permitted by licensed hunters through November 25th. Deer season by shotgun runs November 27th through December 9th and by primitive firearm (black powder) from December 11th - December 30th.

Next Select Board Meeting - October 31, 2023 @ 5:30 p.m.

All are welcome to attend and participate in our open and public meetings. The agenda for each meeting is posted 48 business hours prior to the scheduled meeting time and can be accessed through the Select Board’s webpage.

Attend in-person at the Town Office Annex, Large Meeting Room. Join the meeting on-line or participate by phone by dialing 1-508-945-4410 and entering Conference ID 203 386 491#.

The Mainsheet

The name of our e-newsletter was selected from submissions by our community.
In nautical terms a mainsheet is the line connected to the boom which allows a sailor to control the speed of a boat. We think that is fitting for an e-newsletter that can be used to quickly send out important information to our community or at a more leisurely rate for less pressing matters. It reflects Chatham’s maritime history, is reminiscent of the front page of a newspaper, and it is a fun play on Main Street, where you go to be part of all that is happening in Town!

Town of Chatham website www.chatham-ma.gov