HomeMy WebLinkAboutSandy Neck Cabins PresentationSandy Neck Cabin Lease Discussions
Risk to Historical Cabins
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Presented by Dana A. Perry.
Owner of “The Perry Cottage” on Sandy Neck
Background
•Sandy Neck Cabins listed in the National Register
•Protected as a part of OKH and Sandy Neck Cultural Resources District.
•Cabins can neither be removed or destroyed. Must be maintained to protect their
historical significance.
•18 Cabins privately owned and occupied on Town land
•1982 Lease Agreements Issued by Sandy Neck Governing Board (SNGB).
•The SNGB was created/empowered by town meeting in 1981.
•The SNGB found that extending leases “accurately reflected the vote(s) and
intent(s) of town meeting in the Town of Barnstable at the time of acquisition of
lands at Sandy Neck”
•Lease agreements continued 42 years until December 2024. Cabin owners have
been (verbal) “tenants at will” since January 2025.
•The Town proposing license agreements Vs leases invoking Article 97
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License Vs Lease
•A lease:
•Historically ten years
•Termination for cause
•Right to sell property to
other than family members
(transferability)
•Right to rebuild if damaged
by fire or natural event
•Good Faith Renewal clause
•Preservation of Cabins value
through transferability,
renewal and termination
only for cause
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•A License:
•Three years (proposed)
•Terminate without cause
•Prohibits transfer of property
outside of family members.
Town can prevent transfer.
•Inhibits ability to rebuild if
damaged
•Contains clause(s) requiring
removal of cabin if license
terminated (creates paradox)
•Allows town to take cabins
without just compensation
•Obliterates Cabins value
Sandy Neck Cabins Historical and Cultural Significance
•Sandy Neck Long Range Natural Resource Management Plan notes:
•Cottages have historical and cultural significance (National Register/OKH/SNHD)
•Management of cottage sites is relevant to the preservation of history
•The Cottage Owners fulfill an integral role in protecting the historical
character of Sandy Neck
•Good Stewards of the Land. Continued protection of Sandy Neck Cabins
•A License removes certainty for Cabin Owners occupancy of the land, eliminating
incentive and capacity to continue investing, maintaining and preserving the cottages
•Continued secure, private ownership supports cabins conservation
•The town has verbally stated there is no intention to take the cabins, however a
license legally nullifies that position and undermines cabin owners' rights and
protections
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Town Track Record for Non-Protection
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The Town has history of not protecting Sandy Neck historical structures
•The “Ticket House” was to be torn down but was saved due to OKH intervention
•The “Halfway House” per the Sandy Neck Beach Park website states that the
building has been preserved “only by volunteer efforts”. Not the town.
•Cabin 104, the “Atwood Cabin”, owned by the town, being left to deteriorate until it
will need to be torn down for safety and structural reasons.
➢Preservation of cabins on Sandy Neck require they remain in private ownership that
is protected by a lease
▪Cabin owners have demonstrated:
▪Good stewards of the land
▪Ability to preserve and Protect Historical Structures
Cabin Owners Request:
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•Awareness of Situation
•Engagement as Appropriate
•Act as Historical Documentation Resource/Support
•Continued Support Protecting Historic Structures
•Support for cabin owners' efforts to secure new lease agreements