Harwich panel approves change of plan for 297 Route 28 with new drainage work

The Harwich Conservation Commission voted July 15 to approve a change of plan for 297 Route 28 that replaces the existing house and garage with a four‑unit residential building and adds drainage improvements tied to a neighboring commercial roof.

The applicant’s presenter described the revised plan as a conversion from a previously approved five‑bedroom single family structure to a four‑unit residential configuration (each unit with a kitchen) and said the Planning Board required stormwater upgrades for the adjacent former A&W (now Bagel Hound) building. Staff recommended approval, noting the proposed roof runoff infiltration into four locations would reduce concentrated flow to a single catch basin at Brooks Road and Route 28.

Under the amended plan site coverage increases by roughly 210 square feet to accommodate a revised dumpster location and a new 4‑foot walkway to the rear of the building; the applicant said the structure will remain within the 30‑foot height limit imposed under the residential zoning. The presenter emphasized the drainage work would manage approximately 3,800 square feet of roof area and described the roof‑drain infiltration as the cleanest source of runoff.

A commissioner moved to approve the change of plan after staff confirmed the only resource area on the parcel is land subject to coastal storm flowage; the motion carried. The commission instructed staff to draft the amended plan conditions for the record and to proceed with the standard documentation.