Harwich Waterways Committee Unanimously Backs Tiered Harbor Fee Increase Plan

HARWICH -- January 21, 2026, Harwich Waterways Committee backs a tiered harbor slip fee increase with a taxpayer discount option. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to endorse Harbor Master John Harker's proposal to raise 48 of the harbor's 64 scheduled fees by 10 percent, with recreational slip holders charged at a 15 percent rate and offered a 10 percent discount upon annual proof of Harwich property ownership, a net 5 percent increase for local taxpayers. The measure is projected to generate between $135,000 and $150,000 in new annual revenue across Saquatucket, Wychmere, and Allen harbors; the two competing proposals differ by just $1,940 in projected revenue. The Select Board holds a public hearing on the fee schedule Monday, January 26. The committee also unanimously approved a 57-foot seasonal aluminum pier at 19 Walkerwoods Drive on Walker's Pond and a revised float relocation plan at 11 Riverbend Road that increases the proposed dredge volume from 70 to 98 cubic yards.