Wellfleet National Seashore Homeowners Association

The ice-age geology of the Outer Cape and the history and restoration of the Kugel-Gips House on Northeast Pond in the CCNS are discussed and illustrated in “Pleistocene Modern - Where Architecture Meets the Ice Age” by Friends of the Pleistocene, March 19, 2010.

The Town of Wellfleet issued an undated press release on October 23, 2009, signed by the Town Collector, Town Treasurer, Town Assessor, and Town Accountant, on the Town website stating:

“Due to unavoidable delays in setting the tax rate the Town of Wellfleet will be accepting voluntary real estate tax payments for FY2010.

“Those taxpayers that wish to have credit for calendar year 2009 will be able to send payments made payable to the Town of Wellfleet and mailed to the Town Collector at 300 Main Street, Wellfleet, MA 02667.

“A copy of the last tax bill should be attached or the property address should be noted on the check.

“Any questions can be directed to the Town Collector at 508-349-0307.”

Five Modernist houses in the Seashore by architects Marcel Breuer, Charles Zehnder, and others are to be restored under a lease agreement with the CCNS.  Photographs of the houses are at “Modernist Cottages on Cape Cod”, boston.com (Dec. 7, 2008).

See “That Old Cape Mod”, Jaci Conry, Boston Globe & boston.com (Dec. 7, 2008).

These identical U.S. Senate and House bills would extend the authorization of the CCNS Advisory Commission from 2008 to 2018.

 The Gull Pond Area Conservation Association (GUPACA) urges its members to have their well water tested annually.  This is something all Seashore homeowners should do.  From the Summer 2008 GUPACA Newsletter:

We continue to urge all members and friends to have their well water tested annually for their personal interest and to help GUPACA build our well water quality data base. 

Bottles for testing well water may be picked up Monday through Friday from 8:00am to noon and 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Health/Conservation office at 220 West Main Street (in the Department of Public Works building).  The Health/Conservation telephone number is 508 349-0308.  Water should be drawn on Wednesday mornings and dropped off at the Health/Conservation office by 9:30am that day.  (more…)

Seashore homeowner Lisa Swanson wrote the following letter to CCNS Superintendent George Price, Jr., objecting to the Park’s complaint dated May 13, 2008 (read page one, page two) regarding a building permit issued to her for expansion of her home in a wooded location in the Park. Price’s May 28, 2008, letter responding to Swanson may be read here (page one, page two).

May 23, 2008

George Price, Jr.

United States Department of the Interior

Cape Cod National Seashore

99 Marconi Site Road

Wellfleet, MA 02667

cc: Dale Donovan; Rex Peterson; Alan Platt; Gerald Parent; Paul Murphy; Trevor Pontbriand

Re: A90 Tract #19-4152

By Email; Copies to Follow by Ground Mail

Dear Mr. Price:

I was stunned to learn recently that a complaint about the building permit issued to me at 80 Thoreau Way had been circulated between no fewer than seven local department offices, and that the matter was discussed at recent Planning Board and ZBA meetings—without any notice to me whatsoever.  (more…)

In his blog reporting on Wellfleet’s Annual Town Meeting on April 28, 2008, in Cape Cod Today, Peter Robbins cites WNSHA as a “NIMBY group” that is “trying to establish their own building rules within the park, paying no attention to existing ones”. He forecasts “fireworks” at the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on the Blasch case, which he describes as “a hole [sic] new can of worms”. Robbins describes himself as “Confronting and resolving difficult issues throughout the country and abroad”.

Wellfleet voters approved spending $100,000 to restore the 1950s Modernist “Kugel/Gips House” in a vote at Annual Town Meeting on April 28, 2008, the Cape Cod Times reported. The house is owned by the Cape Cod National Seashore but the Park does not have funds to restore or operate it. There are other CCNS-owned Modernist houses of architectural significance which the Cape Cod Modern House Trust seeks to repair and maintain. “Mid-Century Modern” houses on the Outer Cape are getting attention from preservationist groups like Cape Cod Modern and Modern Cape Cod, as well as the Provincetown Art Association and Museum.

Please let us know what other topics you would like information about, or would like to tell us your opinion about, as well as anything else you think we should be doing.  Test page.