Here you’ll find information about all the comings and goings on The Neck …

The latest news, updated directories, links to areas of interest, and helpful information.

If you’re not yet a member, here’s why you should be … In 1967, SNPOA was formed with the mission to preserve the character of the neighborhood, have a collective voice in town affairs and foster a neighborhood spirit. We’ve effectively done this over the years through committees tasked with maintaining our beach, beautifying our neighborhood (including our efforts on behalf of the Bridge Street “bridge”), ensuring safe roadways and traffic patterns and attendance at the key town boards of Waterways, Conservation and Capital Appropriation Committees. And then, of course, we have friendly gatherings and sponsor informational meetings. Your participation in SNPOA is important to us all!

Items of Special Interest May, 2024 Dear Sesuit Neck Property Owners: Our warmer temperatures remind us that summer days on Sesuit Neck are soon to be here. Gardens are bursting with colorful spring flowers as we look forward to relaxing days at the beach or on the water. We hope that all our members have had a healthy and happy winter. Our Welcome-to-Summer SNPOA Gathering will be on Sunday, May 26. Please note that this is taking place over Memorial Day weekend - earlier than usual! We will hold our members only welcome to summer event at the Dennis Yacht Club on Sunday, May 26 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. We are looking forward to a wonderful get together. Please plan to join us to re-connect with old friends and meet new friends. In addition to enjoying refreshments and each other’s company, we will have a brief business meeting. Please RSVP for the May 26 Meeting! Please respond to Kate Bailey by email at baileyhouse1@msn.com or by phone 410-353-4929. SNPOA will supply appetizers at no cost to attendees starting at 5:30 pm. It is important for you to let us know if you plan to attend the meeting so we can be sure to order enough food. Remember to bring a credit card as well as cash to use at the bar as the Dennis Yacht Club has requested use of credit cards but occasionally requires cash. The SNPOA Annual Meeting will be on Sunday, August 25 Looking ahead, our Annual Meeting will take place at the Dennis Yacht Club on Sunday, August 25 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Please make a note in your calendars! Why join SNPOA? SNPOA works all year long to keep abreast of any situations that might impact our members and the character of Sesuit Neck. When such issues arise, we follow up with the Town of Dennis or others so we can assure our members stay informed and be represented as necessary. If you are aware of new neighbors who have moved to Sesuit Neck, please welcome them, and let them know about SNPOA. Be sure to pass along a copy of this newsletter and the Membership and Dues Form (see enclosed) for them to fill out and mail in. Also, if you know of other neighbors who are not involved with SNPOA, please urge them to join us by completing and mailing in the Membership and Dues Form. Update on the proposed Public Harbor Redevelopment For several years the Town has been involved in a process to develop a plan for the upgrade and redevelopment of the public harbor facilities along Sesuit Neck Road. The major elements of the proposed plan have been presented to SNPOA on a number of occasions. The harbor master building and public restrooms will be upgraded and moved to the south end of the site. The garage/workshop building will be moved to the eastern edge of the site. The number of parking spaces for individual vehicles will remain about the same while the number of spaces for truck/trailer combinations will be reduced to some extent. Earlier this year, the concept of a second entrance to the site only for truck/trailers was reintroduced to reduce the potential for backups on Sesuit Neck Road and to improve internal vehicle circulation in the site. The addition of this second entrance was reviewed and approved by the SNPOA Board. At this point, all of the preliminary engineering and design work has been completed and initial cost estimates are being reviewed by the Town. The next challenge will be to develop a funding strategy including the potential for some State and Federal grants. Both the final plan and funding strategy will need to be approved by the Select Board and Town Meeting. Traffic and safety SNPOA members often express concern about traffic and safety on Sesuit Neck. This is in part due to rapid growth in the harbor area in recent years. As a result, a few years ago SNPOA began a campaign seeking that the Town of Dennis enforce compliance with existing zoning, parking and other pertinent ordinances, rules and regulations. Over the years, we have seen a marked increase in the number of walkers on our roads. Please be aware of this and make an effort to keep your shrubs and bushes well trimmed by the side of the road. This will allow walkers to use both sides of the street and be able to see approaching vehicles as well as help drivers to have a clear view of walkers. As always, please drive slowly and carefully on our roads. Lessons at Dennis Yacht Club Open to SNPOA Members Junior Tennis and Pickleball Lessons at the Dennis Yacht Club The Dennis Yacht Club's junior tennis and junior pickleball program is open to children of SNPOA members. Age restrictions apply - children must be 3 by June 1st and no older than 14-years-old. The junior tennis and pickleball programs will begin on June 24 and run for 8 weeks. Junior Sailing Lessons at Dennis Yacht Club The Dennis Yacht Club’s sailing program for children is open to SNPOA members’ children. Age restrictions apply - children must be entering kindergarten in the fall to no older than age 13. The sailing program will begin on June 26 and run for 7 weeks. Space is limited as class sizes are small. Junior Tennis and Pickleball Lessons at the Dennis Yacht Club This year the Dennis Yacht Club is opening up the junior tennis and junior pickleball program to children of SNPOA members. Similar to junior sailing, age restrictions apply - children must be 3 by June 1st and no older than 13-years-old. The junior tennis and pickleball programs will begin on June 26 and run for 8 weeks. Space is limited as class sizes are small. Adult Tennis and Pickleball Lessons at the Dennis Yacht Club The Dennis Yacht Club's adult tennis and pickleball program is open to SNPOA members. Clinics are held on weekday mornings. The adult tennis and pickleball programs will begin on June 24 and run for 8 weeks. Junior Sailing Lessons at Dennis Yacht Club The Dennis Yacht Club’s sailing program for children is open to SNPOA members’ children. Stay tuned for registration information about the 2024 DYC Sailing program. As a reminder, the DYC parking lot is for exclusive use by members with stickers only. SNPOA members who wish to participate in any program should plan methods of arriving at the club accordingly. Registration is now open. Prepayment is required. Sign up at dennisyc.com. Please direct any questions to dennisyachtclub@gmail.com. Local Conservation Efforts on Sesuit Neck As many of you know, the Dennis Conservation Land Trust has moved its headquarters to Not Enough Acres Farm on Sesuit Neck Road. This is a nonprofit organization, which has already protected over 80 acres on Sesuit Neck. We are delighted that they are our neighbors. Old Cranberry Bog Over the past months, SNPOA has held discussions with Town of Dennis officials regarding parking issues at the side of the old cranberry bog on Stephen Phillips Road. We also have discussed the condition of the town property including the possibility of restoring the area to its natural condition before it became a cranberry bog. These discussions will continue going forward. Historic District Homeowners on Sesuit Neck are reminded that our area has been designated as an historic district. Any changes to our properties must be approved under the jurisdiction of the Old Kings Regional Historic District Committee at the Town of Dennis. Let’s keep our neighborhood clean! We encourage everyone to help keep our neighborhood clean of litter by looking after your own street frontage area and carrying a bag on your walks to pick up trash you might see along the way. Harborview Beach SNPOA participates in the Dennis Adopt-A-Beach program. Please observe all posted rules and regulations and respect the lifeguards assigned to our beach. We would like to express our great thanks to George Machon for the continuing and wonderful job he has done to clean our beach and other areas on Sesuit Neck. Dues and Communications Annual SNPOA dues of $50 (unchanged for many years) are due by June 30. We have enclosed the Membership and Dues Form. Please update your contact information on the form as needed, and send it along with a check made out to SNPOA for $50 to SNPOA, PO Box 1334, East Dennis MA 02641. Please provide us with your email address(es) so you can receive important emailed notices and information This is the fastest and most direct method of communication with our members. As much as possible, we will try to send hard copy versions to members without email access so if you do not have an email address it is important to be sure we have your proper mailing address for both the winter and summer seasons. Directories Directories that include a listing of members are available to all SNPOA members who have paid their dues in full. We plan to have a number of new directories available at the August 25 Annual Meeting. The information is also available on the SNPOA website. Please note that the sole purpose of the directory is to aid communications and neighborhood interactions within the Sesuit Neck Property Owners Association. The directory cannot be used for any business, political or similar purpose. Please respect the privacy of our members. SNPOA Website As a reminder, please take a moment to look at the SNPOA website. It has a wealth of valuable information including a wonderful history of the area, links to many local attractions and institutions, and photographs taken by SNPOA members. It also includes an online Member Directory on the password protected membership page. Please visit www.snpoa.org SNPOA Board We are very sad to let you know that our Board Member and Secretary, Carol Hurley, passed away in February. We offer our sincere condolences to her family. She is greatly missed by us all. Our thanks to Sarah Rothermel who will take over the Secretary’s duties. We are delighted to welcome two new members to the Board – Ford Stewart, who joined last spring, and Megan Hobson, who is joining us this spring. Many thanks to Kate Bailey who is handling arrangements for our members’ meetings at the Dennis Yacht Club. Special thanks to our past SNPOA President, Cindy Harper, who continues to maintain and update our member database, and to Chris Wilkins, former Board member, who continues to maintain our website and send out emailed communications. If anyone has an interest in joining the SNPOA Board, please let us know by email at SNPOA_Correspondence@snpoa.org or by mail at SNPOA, P.O. Box 1334, East Dennis MA 02641. The SNOPA Board  President  Vice President  Treasurer  Secretary  David McLean  Russ Corsini  David Joy  Sarah Rothermel  Kate Bailey  Joel Crowell  David Drake  Susan Good  Megan Hobson  Mary Little  Lance Neumann  Ford Stewart  Sarah Rothermel  Suzanne Sullivan

We would love to see photos you may have of the Sesuit Neck area, especially those from years gone by. You may send your photos to: SNPOA Pics or we can carefully scan your photos for viewing on the SNPOA website.

This is your website; if you have any suggestions for additional content and/or revisions, please fill out the form below. We welcome your input! More Items of Interest Woods Hole Harbor Report Harbor Planning Harbor Planning The Harbor Planning and Zoning Committee of the SNPOA Board has prepared a memorandum for submission to the Waterways Sub-committee that outlines change regarding issues that should be addressed in the long range harbor plan. To: Dennis Waterways Commission’s Sub-Committee for Operations and Oversight INPUT REQUESTED FOR THE SCOPE OF THE LONG RANGE PLAN FOR SESUIT HARBOR Jointly submitted by: THE QUIVET NECK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION and THE SESUIT NECK PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION                 We encourage you to explore the issues and problems presented in this document so that they can be included in the Plan. We see this submission as a living document and our input may change as things further develop during the planning process.                 The overriding theme of our input centers around managing and limiting growth in what already is a heavily used waterway and supporting land structures and activities. Areas we suggest should be included in a Long Range Plan for Sesuit Harbor:                 1)       The Plan should cover the area from the jetties to the Bridge Street culvert – i.e., including  the Dennis Yacht Club, Northside Marina and the west and east side town docks. 2)       The environmental impact must be balanced against the needs of an active refuge harbor. The 2008 Sesuit Creek marsh restoration was one of the largest salt marsh restoration projects in Massachusetts history. The restored flow allows river herring, a prey species for commercially and recreationally important fish in the Bay, to reach Scargo Lake to spawn. Since a substantial amount of money was spent on the restoration project it is important not to jeopardize the recovering marsh ecosystem with pollution/disturbance from increased harbor activity. 3)      The historical designation of the harbor should be respected and enhanced, including Old Kings Highway Historic Commission approvals as appropriate. As importantly, the natural beauty of the harbor and surrounding area should also be protected and enhanced for both residents and visitors. Some thought might be given to installation of memorial plaques that share the history and layout of Shiverick Shipyard on the west side and the Salt Works on the east side. 4)      The Plan should study reengineering ingress/egress to the west marina, including optimizing safety relative to the boat ramp and car/trailer parking. 5)      It should establish guidelines and controls on both the general public and commercial growth of the waterway and marinas. Among the critical factors to be considered are water safety and capacity, parking limitations, traffic safety in surrounding neighborhoods, light and noise pollution and preferences (if appropriate) around town residents, slip and mooring holders, etc. 6)      Limitations should be placed on commercial facilities such as ticket booths, visitor facilities, etc. 7)      Guidelines should be set around facility management, safety and policing resources. 8)      A master plan should be developed for a major dredging of the inner and outer harbors as well as ongoing maintenance. 9)      The Plan should develop or outline (if regulations exist) safety regulations around the gas docks, boat lifts, boat racks, ramps, etc. 10)   The Plan should include a plan for signage that is effective and falls within the Dennis Historical Society and Old Kings Highway Historic Commission guidelines. 11)   Lighting plans should be drawn up that are effective for safety and security but abate as much light as possible to local residents and sailors living on boats. 12)   Noise regulations should be enforced or further refined for the Harbor, including hours of operation, delivery truck access, etc. We believe the overall goal should be to maintain Sesuit Harbor as a Town of Dennis asset for all to enjoy by managing and limiting growth to the most appropriate uses that its size limitations permit as well as retaining and enhancing its natural and scenic characteristics.                              We appreciate the opportunity to provide our input. Thank You.     Important & Helpful Information SNPOA Mission SNPOA Membership Definitions Unusual Activity of the Non-Emergency Kind: Whom to Call Town of Dennis Beach Rules & Regulations Town of Dennis Zoning Laws & Town Codes Weather Update FOR CURRENT HURRICANE INFORMATION VISIT The National Weather Service Hurricane Center and The East Dennis NOAA Forcast SNPOA Mission The Sesuit Neck Property Owners Association is a volunteer organization formed to preserve the character of the neighborhood, have a collective voice in town affairs and foster a neighborhood spirit. We’ve effectively done this over the years through the committees tasked with maintaining our Harborview Beach, beautifying our neighborhood (including our efforts on behalf of the Bridge Street “bridge”), ensuring safe roadways and traffic patterns and representation on the key town boards of Waterways, Conservation and Capital Appropriation Committees. SNPOA Membership Definitions 1. Membership in SNPOA is restricted to property owners or voters in the Town of Dennis, who reside in the area known as Sesuit Neck, which includes the area east of Bridge Street running northerly to Cape Cod Bay and bounded on the south and east by Sesuit Creek, and the area west of Bridge Street to the intersection of Sesuit Neck Road and Rte. 6A. 2. A household is considered a single member and voting is restricted to one vote per member. 3.Membership is restricted to those households who are current with Association’s annual dues which are currently $50. Unusual Activity of the Non-emergency Kind: Report to Dennis Police at 508.394.1314 If you see any unusual activity such as late night gatherings and lights on the beach … or cars parked where they shouldn’t be parked … or anything that you think is just plain strange, be sure to report the incident to the Dennis Police Department. If what you’re witnessing is not an emergency, please report it to the Dennis Police Department’s business number 508.394.1314. If it is an emergency, call 911. Town of Dennis Beach Rules & Regulations Harborview Beach on Sesuit Neck and Cold Storage Beach on Quivet Neck are both classified as public beaches with Resident Only parking areas. Only Dennis real estate tax payers or year-round residents securing a Dennis Resident vehicle pass are permitted to park in a Resident Only beach lot. You may purchase your non-refundable and non-transferable Resident Only vehicle sticker at the Dennis Town Hall, 685 Route 134, South Dennis,MA 02660. Howes Street, Corporation, Mayflower, Chapin Memorial and Scargo Beaches are classified as public beaches with public parking areas. Seasonal vehicle passes, weekly guest passes, and the daily parking tickets are available. Town of Dennis Beach, Harbor, and other fees can be found on the Town of Dennis website, Sticker Fee Schedule. As you might imagine, there are lots of regulations that govern our use of the beaches. Here are a few of them: No alcoholic beverages are permitted on beaches or in parking areas AT ANY TIME. No littering or glass containers are allowed AT ANY TIME. No animals or pets are permitted on beaches, in parking areas or in parked cars from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Use of open fires is prohibited at all times. You may find a complete listing and maps of our beautiful Dennis beaches Beach Maps and the the beach regulations Beach Regulations on the Town of Dennis website, As for public rights along the shoreline, private tideland (the legal term for all land beneath the waters of the ocean, including lands that are always submerged as well as those in the intertidal areas – between the high and low tide marks) belong to the upland property owner, unless legal documentation proves otherwise for a specific tideland parcel. However, the tideland property owners do not have rights to the water itself. Also, the public retains the right to continue to use private tidelands for three purposes: fishing, fowling and navigation, with some limitations. For more information, access the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s Public Rights Along the Shoreline Fact Sheet. Town of Dennis Zoning Laws & Town Codes Sesuit Neck properties have been zoned as “Residential 60 – Rural Residential,” requiring a minimum lot of 60,000 square feet and “Residential 40 – Low Density Residential,” requiring a minimum lot of 40,000 square feet. Some of the allowed and disallowed uses for our land are as follows: Agricultural use Permitted use 1 or 2 family dwelling unit Permitted use Multi-dwelling unit Authorization needed with special permit Lodging house Prohibited Bed & breakfast Authorization needed with special permit Motel Prohibited Non-profit educational Authorization required after a special review For profit educational Prohibited Child care facility Permitted use Religious Authorization required after a special review Cemetery Authorization needed with special permit Commercial uses Prohibited Commercially registered vehicles or trailers Prohibited Of additional import to Sesuit Neck residents, is the Town of Dennis Codes, covering 1) Town Meeting Enactments – comprised of both Administration Legislation and General Legislation, 2) Selectmen’s Regulations, and 3) Board of Health Regulations. These regulations range from alarm systems, alcoholic beverages, jet skis, unregistered vehicles, noise, use of tents, and so on. Here you may access the complete Dennis Town Codes document. Check here for a complete listing and definitions of the Dennis Zoning By-Laws. Here you can find the Dennis Zoning Map. Another interesting site is the Town of Dennis, MA Planning Weblog.. This is your website; if you have any suggestions for additional content and/or revisions, please fill out the form below. We welcome your input! First Name/s Last Name Email Add your Suggestions and Ideas here