Harwich Zoning Board Grants Three Special Permits at July Special Session

HARWICH -- July 9, 2026, Harwich Zoning Board approves three special permits and accepts one withdrawal at thin-quorum July session. Chair Brian Sullivan opened the July 9 special afternoon meeting by warning all four applicants that, with only four of five board members present, any approval required unanimous support. The board granted permits 4-0 in all three contested cases: a habitable-space addition for George and Eleni Safaris at 7 Holly Lane; a full raise-and-replace two-story dwelling for Christen A. Punch and William Punch III at 5 Highland Lane; and a deck-to-sunroom conversion for Susan H. Sear at 118 Headquarters Road. The Punch case drew pointed public comment from neighbor Luther Grant, a licensed builder and Title 5 septic inspector, who submitted photographs showing an existing driveway the application said did not exist, a factor-of-ten acreage typo in the site plan, and a 2005 Board of Health recorded decision restricting 5 Highland Lane to three bedrooms and 1,174 square feet, entered into the hearing record as the board noted the Board of Health, not the ZBA, holds jurisdiction over that restriction. The Punch applicants must obtain a Board of Health variance, scheduled for August, before construction may begin. A fourth case, an appeal by Robert and Linda Allen of 46 Witter Drive, was withdrawn without prejudice and accepted 4-0.