BUSINESS E-NEWS

March 2023

Welcome to the latest edition of Business E-News, presented by the Town of Eastham's Community Development Department!

This newsletter shares information on Town projects, programs, and initiatives with a special focus on the Eastham business community. Our goal is to release newsletter updates quarterly, or more regularly as relevant news or activities arise.

Additionally, Town staff are always available to meet with you one-to-one to share additional details and answer questions. To set up a meeting, contact the Community Development Department directly at (508) 240-5900, ext. 3228.

In this issue, we share updates on the Exterior Improvement Program for Businesses, provide info on the Town's new Accessory Outdoor Dining Bylaw, and get you up to speed on the North Eastham Master Plan and Route 6 Improvement Projects.

Wishing you and your business a happy and prosperous spring!

Town of Eastham Community Development Staff

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town of Eastham, along with other Massachusetts towns and the Commonwealth, enacted temporary solutions to facilitate outdoor dining at restaurants.

State-level, emergency authorization for temporary outdoor dining is now set to expire at the end of March. For restaurants that created temporary outdoor dining spaces during the pandemic, the Town of Eastham has developed a set of new local zoning regulations to help these businesses make their temporary outdoor dining areas permanent.

Six Eastham businesses will get a glow-up this spring, as funded projects get underway through the Town's new Exterior Improvement Program!

Ben & Jerry's, Casa Del Cabo, Eagle Wing Inn, Inn at the Oaks, Main Street Mercantile and Ocean Park Inn were each awarded project funding through a competitive application process, which concluded in December 2022. The Exterior Improvement Program aims to help local businesses take on deferred maintenance and improvement projects, creating big-impact changes to exterior facades and outdoor spaces throughout Eastham.

Awarded businesses were selected in a thorough review process, with various levels of evaluation by Town staff and an independent Application Review Committee. The top-ranking projects showed potential for highly visible improvements in Eastham’s business and commercial spaces, economic impact through use of local contractors, and alignment with the Town’s 5-Year Strategic Plan and economic development priorities.

Newly launched in 2022 with Eastham’s local American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Exterior Improvement Program offers a maximum of $25,000 in funding per awardee and a streamlined project review process to help businesses tackle deferred maintenance and aesthetic improvements to their spaces. Awardees must contribute a funding match of 20% of their total project cost. In the first program year, the Town received 20 project proposals from Eastham business and property owners, with project requests totaling nearly $400,000. The program is currently being considered for a second year of funding through the Town's annual budget process.

The Town of Eastham is seeking a business representative to serve on the Strategic Planning Committee and assist with updating the Town's 5-Year Strategic Plan!

• How can the Town better serve the local business community?
• What business-focused goals or initiatives could be incorporated into the Strategic Plan?

Share your insight on the unique needs and challenges of Eastham businesses and help the Strategic Planning Committee create a plan that works for the local business community!

For more information, contact Paul Lagg,

Director of Community Development at plagg@eastham-ma.gov.

On January 23, Town consultant Environmental Partners presented to the Eastham Select Board to share findings of a full-corridor evaluation of Route 6 through Eastham. The firm presented concepts for future improvements to Route 6, and discussed newly collected traffic data that will help to steer next steps for planning, design, and construction.

The presentation slides can be viewed on the Town website here.

The full meeting video can be viewed here.

Eastham’s Master Plan project team, led by Union Studio Architecture and Town staff, will present the final project concepts and findings for the North Eastham Village Center Master Plan Monday, March 20, at 5:30 PM. This presentation was rescheduled from the originally advertised presentation date in December to allow the project team more time to finalize its final recommendations and report.

What Information Will Be Presented?

The project team will present conceptual plans intended to help guide future design of a village center in North Eastham, using the Town-owned T-Time, Town Center Plaza, and Council on Aging properties as a basis for redevelopment. The team will share findings related to potential community impact; infrastructure needs to support redevelopment of the properties; and options for funding and development strategies.

How to Watch

Members of the public may attend the meeting in person at Town Hall (2500 State Highway) or participate remotely. The meeting agenda and remote participation information will be posted on the Town website.

The meeting video will be made available on the Town website later in the week.

To learn more about the project, visit www.northeasthammasterplan.com. 

Want to learn more about Town initiatives and how they may impact your business?

Have questions about a project you're planning and need assistance navigating the Town's licensing or regulations?

"Schedule a Meeting" with Town Community Development staff using the link below! We are happy to assist you with achieving your business goals in Eastham and look forward to connecting with you!