Harwich Planning Board Unanimously Approves Four-Unit Condo Conversion on Route 28

HARWICH — June 23, 2026 — Harwich Planning Board approves four-unit condominium conversion at 297 Route 28. The board voted unanimously Tuesday night to grant multifamily and site plan review special permits for the project, which converts an existing single-family structure — footprint unchanged at roughly 40 by 70 feet — into four one-bedroom units owned by Ellery Althaus and Joseph Nolan, with agent and contractor David Requina of Northeastern Trade Services, Inc. representing the applicants. Because the parcel sits in FEMA Flood Zone AE, no basement is permitted; the 23 conditions of approval include a prohibition on short-term rentals, no deliveries or trash pickup before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., and a requirement that the applicants capture roof runoff from the adjacent Bagel Hound restaurant into an on-site stormwater infiltration system. The board also endorsed a two-lot approval-not-required plan at 175 Pleasant Lake Avenue and swapped Lot 4 and Lot 5 in the Bentley Road subdivision covenant, tying release of Lot 5 to a $150,000 performance bond due by April 14, 2027. Town Planner Christine reported the Cape Cod Commission staff has recommended Harwich's Local Comprehensive Plan as consistent with the regional policy plan, with a certification hearing set for Thursday at the Commission.