Business Meetups are hosted monthly by the Town of Eastham's Community Development staff. Meetups provide a venue for regular updates on Town initiatives that may be of interest to local businesses, while strengthening connections between the business community and the Town.

Outdoor Dining Update

In 2020 and 2021, the Town of Eastham worked to support local restaurants’ ability to adapt and respond to ever-changing business conditions by offering an expedited local permit for outdoor dining, made possible through special State authorization. This State authorization for temporary outdoor dining permits is set to expire in April, leaving current permit holders with reduced options for continuing to use the outdoor dining areas they created under the temporary permit - and no cohesive regulatory process for creating new outdoor dining spaces. 

Over the last few months, a team of Town staff from Planning/Community Development, Building Inspections, Health & Environment, Police, Fire, and Administration have worked to develop new local regulations and an application process, providing a pathway for current permit holders to keep their outdoor spaces in place, and a streamlined process for new restaurants to add an outdoor dining space. The draft regulations propose the following:

• Outdoor dining areas to be allowed by permit as an accessory use to an authorized principal restaurant;
• The regulations provide options for minor or major site plan approval, with an emphasis on administrative approval as long as the outdoor dining area meets basic design guidelines, does not exceed 40% of the square footage of the principal restaurant, and does not propose any major parking or traffic flow changes;
• Limit of one accessory outdoor dining area per principal restaurant;
• Outdoor dining areas under this permit would be exempt from design and approval requirements under the Eastham Corridor Special District (ECSD);
• Picnic tables or self-service seating areas would not be required to obtain an outdoor dining permit.

The draft regulations will be presented and discussed at a series of upcoming public meetings. We invite all restaurants and businesses to attend and provide input.

Board/Committee Presentation Schedule:

Tuesday, February 22 @ 6 PM – Conservation Commission

Wednesday, February 23 @ 9 AM – Planning Board Workshop

Thursday, March 3 @ 2 PM – Board of Health

Monday, March 7 @ 5:30 PM – Select Board

Wednesday, March 16 @ 5 PM - Planning Board Public Hearing

Meeting agendas and remote participation information will be available through the Town calendar at www.eastham-ma.gov.

Exterior Improvement Program

Support for exterior business improvements was identified through Eastham's Rapid Recovery Planning process (2021) as a key strategy for COVID-related business recovery. Town staff are working on a program proposal to improve local storefronts while providing an expedited approval option for eligible projects. The program would be funded through local ARPA funding. The vision is to offer a matching award of 80% of project costs (up to $25,000) for eligible façade and exterior improvements. The first year of the program would be a pilot with a maximum of four (4) participating businesses with businesses selected on a first come, first served basis.

Want to share your feedback on this program idea?

Contact Economic Development Planner, Lauren Barker

economicplanner@eastham-ma.gov

North Eastham Master Plan

The Town has selected Union Studio Architecture & Community Design to lead development of a Master Plan for three Town-owned properties in North Eastham. The “North Eastham Village Center Master Plan” will include conceptual designs for the use of each property, as well as a comprehensive plan showing how the sites tie into the larger community. The development of the Master Plan is expected to take approximately one year, and community members will be invited to participate at multiple points throughout the process.

The three Town-owned properties that will form the basis of the Master Plan are: the 11-acre town-owned parcel known as “T-Time” (4790 State Highway Route 6); the nearby 3.5-acre Town Center Plaza property (4550 State Highway Route 6), which the Town is under agreement to purchase; and the current Council on Aging property (1405 Nauset Rd.). Additional professional technical assistance for the project will be provided by Horsley Witten Group, a Cape Cod-based engineering, designing, and planning firm; Peregrine Group, which provides real estate advisory services; and the Cape Cod-based CapeBuilt Companies, a construction and development business.

Email your topic suggestions for this meeting to Lauren Barker, Economic Development Planner, at economicplanner@eastham-ma.gov.

This will be a hybrid meeting - with both in-person and remote options to attend. A recap email will sent after the meeting for those who are unable to join.



Use the Zoom info below or join us at Town Hall!

MARCH BUSINESS MEETUP

Tuesday, March 9, 2022 @ 9 AM

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Meeting ID: 884 7373 6765

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Our Community Development staff are available to meet one-to-one to share Town project updates and answer your questions. We also LOVE site visits and business tours! Just click "Schedule a Meeting" to set up a time that works for you. We look forward to connecting with you!