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EASTHAM/MID-CAPE HOSTEL | ||
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Selectmen, with Regret, Back Ruling Against
Hostel By Doug Fraser EASTHAM - The selectmen last night expressed regret that a youth hostel will likely be closed, after 40 years in town, because of a recent zoning board of appeals decision. But they also supported that ruling. "To the best of my knowledge, the ZBA did make a decision that followed the law," Selectman David Schropfer said. "With unfortunate consequences." On Aug. 9, the board of appeals ruled that a change in the lot lines on property the hostel occupies eliminated its grandfathered protection. Under town zoning bylaws, the hostel's classification as a camp is a prohibited use, and operators were ordered to close as of Sept. 15. Last night, Eastham resident Ken Fishman presented a petition, with more than 400 signatures, that supported keeping the hostel open. "It's part of the history of our community," Fishman told the board. "I was outraged." Motel owner Noreen Thompson said the hostel was a first stop for many of the European employees who come to the Cape on student work visas, until they could find long-term accommodations. "It's another service the hostel provides," she said. Kayak tour leader Dick Hilmer said there is a shortage of places that can accommodate some of the larger tours he leads, such as the Girl Scouts, who can't afford hotel rooms. Hostelling International, the parent organization for the two Cape hostels (in Eastham and Truro), and two on the Islands will file an appeal in either state land court or in Barnstable Superior Court before the appeal period lapses on the ZBA decision on Sept.13, Deborah Ruhe, the New England hostelling council executive director, told the selectmen last night. In an earlier interview with the Times, Ruhe said she was hoping to find a solution that would not involve the expense of litigation. She would not elaborate. The Eastham hostel has 45 beds, and Truro 42, in a dormitory environment. A night's stay costs $25 to $35. Town Administrator Sheila Vanderhoef said the hostel did not appear to have a case for a variance, which left the court appeal, or a town meeting change to zoning bylaws. Bob Freeman, an abutter who opposed the hostel's plans to renovate, told the meeting last night he never intended to close it down when he pointed out the zoning discrepancy. He thought his action would force Hostelling International to apply for a special permit and be under special order of conditions that would limit what it could build. Doug Fraser can be reached at dfraser@capecodonline.com.
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