Tag: millstone road

A Sidewalk for All in Harwich Port

A well-worn walking path on private property along Route 28 in Harwich Port. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw

by Jeff Shaw

Who would have thought building a sidewalk would be such a contentious issue?

It turns out that sidewalks may be the third rail of Cape Cod politics! At the very least, opposing views make for entertaining reading via letters to the editor.

I live on a street without a sidewalk, though my previous address was located in a neighborhood with sidewalks. While safety – physical separation, usually raised, between pedestrians from vehicular traffic – is the purpose of a sidewalk, they also come with responsibility. In most municipalities, if a sidewalk exists in front of your home, you are responsible for making it passable for others. Cue the snowstorms of 2011, 2012 (and maybe 2014, if memory serves), where residents had to clear sidewalks caked with feet of heavy snow. Generally, sidewalks must be clear anywhere from 24 to 72 hours depending on local ordinances or storm severity, or risk citation.

Expedited snow or debris removal is not the leading cause of opposition to sidewalks in Brewster or Harwich Port, cost and changes to the landscape are.

The view of Wychmere Harbor from Route 28, Harwich Port. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.

The sidewalk project in Harwich Port is much less contentious than the one in Brewster. First, it is a small project. A sidewalk is only to be built on the water side of Route 28, the length of which is only a 0.5 mile. The cost of the project is $1.6 million. In comparison, the length of the Millstone Road project in Brewster is almost 3 miles, at a projected cost of $6 million. A dedicated bicycle lane is also part of the Millstone sidewalk project.

Second, the short stretch of roadway in Harwich Port passes bustling commercial areas. The sidewalk project on Millstone Road is almost entirely located in a residential corridor. In Harwich Port, on one end of the sidewalk project is Saquatucket Harbor, known for fishing charters and popular dockside dining, whether the grab and go cafe or Brax Landing Restaurant. The middle section includes a peek-a-boo view as well as access to the stunning Wychmere Harbor (site of former Thompson’s Clam Bar). Finally, the other end is the gateway to downtown Harwich Port with Sundae School Ice Cream and Ember’s Bar and Grill.

Another well-worn path along Route 28. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.

Finally, a well-worn walking path already exists through multiple lawns along Route 28. (Probably to the annoyance of local private property owners. Indeed, not a good look.) While building a six-foot-wide sidewalk will improve safety for walkers and drivers, it will also enhance the landscape more than the well worn path can, even if local property owners lose a piece of their land in the process.

The project is already approved and work is expected to begin next spring.

June 9, 2023

Save Millstone Road or Sidewalk for Kids, Brewster

The intersection of Route 137 and Millstone Road, Brewster. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.

by Jeff Shaw

Like many, I tend to take Millstone Road, the 2.5-mile residential road, when getting around in Brewster. The winding, somewhat scenic road, connects Route 137 near a Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) crossing and Route 6A across from the Sea Camp property (and near a different CCRT crossing). I say “somewhat scenic” because while many homes are set back from the road and separated naturally by trees, scrub pine and deep woods, the roadway lacks sweeping views of ocean, fresh water ponds, dunes or gardens that showcase the Cape’s natural beauty.

Also like me, you may have noticed some colorful lawn signs dotting the landscape along the shoulder of the road. The signs illustrate the battlelines of a multi-year campaign on the future of the road. Indeed, the opposing positions are: “Save Millstone Road,” i.e., preserve the “scenic” character of the road or “Sidewalks for Kids,” i.e., make the road more pedestrian-friendly for all users.  

A Save Millstone Road lawn sign on Millstone Road. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.

This hyperlocal political hot potato dates back to 2015, when the town adopted a Complete Streets policy, backed by $10 million in funding. Complete street policies intend to make roads more pedestrian and bike friendly. In Millstone Road’s case, the proposal included a five foot bike lane and five foot sidewalk, in addition to the 11 foot two-way vehicle travel lane. Just shy of $6 million is available for the project. 

According to the Brewster Town Administer, almost 25 percent of the town lives on or off Millstone Road. So yeah, there are bound to be strong opinions worthy of signage.

Not living in Brewster, it is easy to say, build the dang bike lane/sidewalk already! And down with nimbyism! While tempting, I also understand homeowners worrying about paving over grassy areas, narrower driving lanes and having to double-check for passing bicycles and vehicles every time they turn into or out of, their driveway. 

A Sidewalks for Kids lawn sign on Millstone Road. Photo credit: Ellen Shaw.

The town does have a Bikeways Committee, but the link is invalid to their Comprehensive Strategy. The plan, reviewed and approved by the Board of Selectman, probably provides additional context and/or economic and community benefit information. 

Indeed, a quick glance at a Cape Cod Commission (CCC) map re: Biking in Brewster, suggests building the bike lane and sidewalk makes sense. Just look at this map.

Millstone Road is sandwiched (Cape town pun intended) between 1,900 acre Nickerson State Park (with its own 8-mile paved recreational trail network) and the 30+ mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, the majority of which runs through Brewster. Enabling more people to travel safely to these recreational areas (not to mention nearby Cape Cod Bay side beaches), is a benefit for residents and visitors. 

Further, according to the CCC map, Millstone Road is already deemed a “Regional Bicycle Road,” albeit a dangerous one given the twists and turns of the shoulder-less road.

Having written much about biking on Cape Cod, I’m super biased. I say, build the dang bike lane/sidewalk! But be sure to maximize the “occasionally buffered grass strips” that would help preserve the character of Millstone Road, too.

July 5, 2022