Robbins Report

The Bookstore Finally Gets the Message

Wellfleet - The Bookstore finally gets the message - or do they?

   The Bookstore Restaurant in Wellfleet is a gloomy scene these days.

Photographs and story by Peter Robbins

Let me say first off, I am happy with the scuttlebutt infiltrating the various boards in the town of Wellfleet. At last night's meeting of the Wellfleet Board of Health, an initial plan was presented for consideration.  It showed progress now that the Parlante Family Matriarch Caroline J. Parlante is taking charge.  East Cape Engineering, the same firm that designed the "Pearl" proposal, not only did their homework, but prepared and proposed several types of systems that could address the issues of the 20-plus years of ongoing contamination.

Michael Parlante was not present, but his mother, the company's president, was (see state certificate of corporate ownership on right. A full-size version is at the bottom).

In preparation, the Board of Health had drafted a cease and desist order to be filed in Barnstable Superior Court in the event another stall tactic was presented. It was not! The feeling around town was that Michael Parlante may not have conveyed the seriousness of the problem to his mother Caroline. It was also expressed that Mr. Parlante thought, because of who he is and was, there would be no problem with the issue, and he would be allowed to continue operating the restaurant with the failing septic system.

Kudos to the Board of Health

My hat is off to the Board of Health for sticking to their guns and also to Caroline Parlante for taking charge of a serious problem. There seemed to be a give and take on the issue and the engineer left with a clear understanding and direction as to what was needed to obtain an approved plan. Although estimates for an installation, once a plan is approved, could be as much as three weeks away, additional consideration has to be given to construction.  Graciously, the board having not received a set of plans by the deadline, apparently reviewed them during the meeting without citing an issue.

Caroline Parlante appears to have taken over, and to her credit, is doing the right thing. It is this writer's understanding, that appropriate action would have been taken in the first place if she had been made aware of the seriousness of the issue. The appearance of the rear parking lot may change due to required grade changes and retaining walls needed to keep the leaching field above the required vertical distance from the water table.  That is the price of doing business in a sensitive area, a price that could range from $130,000 to $200,000.

The board is only allowing a system design for the licensed 95 seats.   Who will enforce that? With 246 seats presently, and no enforcement in the past, how long before this system fails too? That question may require some additional research. Certainly there must be an enforcement agency in the town to look into this? Is it the building inspector? Is it the fire department? Is it the police department?

Perhaps a CapeCodToday.com reader knows which town department enforces these issues.  If you do, I would love to hear from you.  I think the message is clear to whomever is the enforcer! The Board of Health will only allow a system for what the Bookstore is licensed for. They did their job, now you do yours!