Marceline Salvage Land Under Contract Plans Remain A Mystery

 HARWICH – The 29-acre former Marceline salvage property located along Pleasant Lake Avenue across from the Route 6 interchange has a purchase and sale agreement in place, but the future use of the property remains a mystery.  
 Realtor John Ciluzzi, who is marketing the property, said this week the land has been under contract since the beginning of the year. While he said is very excited about what is going to happen there, Cilluzzi said he cannot comment on the plans for the property or provide a timeline for closing on the sale.
For more than 50 years, the property hosted the salvage company owned and operated by the late James Marceline. The property consists of two adjacent lots, a 16-acre parcel at 310 Pleasant Lake Ave. with an assessed value of $1,107,200, and a 13-acre parcel at 0 Headwaters Dr. with an assessed value of $974,400. The two lots are in the industrial limited zoning district. The sale price is not identified on the website of the listing company, Premier Commercial.
The salvage yard was closed by Marceline in 2007 after the state Department of Environmental Protection came to an agreement on a consent order to correct deficiencies in the operation. He used 12,000 cubic yards of compost to seal the site.
 According to the Premier Commercial description of the property, it is the “perfect development property for industrial, retail, multi-family, agricultural, medical, renewable energy, conservation and much more.”
 Numerous activities are allowed in the zoning district either by right or special permit. Uses requiring a special permit include retail sales and outside storage, fast food restaurants, the sale of new and used cars, auto service and repair, nursing homes, agriculture and horticulture uses, institutional uses, filling stations, car washes and manufacturing. 
Religious, education and municipal uses are permitted, as are marine uses such as boat storage, fish processing and aquaculture as well as professional and business offices, warehouses and wholesale trade.
 Voters in the annual town meeting in May approved a petitioned article authorizing the select board or a designee to evaluate the possible acquisition of the Marceline salvage yard property. Attorney Michael Ford, who also serves as town moderator, stepped aside as moderator for the article. Ford said at the time that he could not comment on his involvement as an attorney.  
Ciluzzi said the town of Harwich has not contacted him regarding the property. “I assume because it is under agreement,” he said, adding that there is a lot of interest in the property and he has been contacted by potential buyers from across the nation. 
Ciluzzi said the property is right for the undisclosed use, which he asserted will be good for Harwich and the surrounding communities. 
 Select Board Chair Peter Piekarski said on Monday that Town Administrator Jay McGrail reached out to Ciluzzi this week and the realtor said a purchase and sales agreement remains in place. Piekarski said Ciluzzi provided no information about who the agreement is with or what the plan is for the property, only that the potential buyer continues to do due diligence on the site.
 The two lots are described on Premier Commercial's website as “raw and undeveloped.” The properties abut the Cape Cod Rail Trail and offer high visibility along Route 6, according to the company’s description. The land is described as having generally level topography.
 A recent traffic study conducted by the Cape Cod Commission’s traffic counts viewer, a standard measure in transportation planning and engineering, indicated the annual average daily volume along Route 6 at that site is 11,406 vehicles over a 24-hour period, according to the company’s website.
Concerns about an increase in traffic in the area were raised during comprehensive permit hearings for two affordable housing developments approved in that section of town. Pine Oaks Village Four is approved for 242 housing units and the Pennrose/affordable housing trust 60-unit project on nearby land formerly owned by Marceline off Queen Anne Road was also approved.
The real estate company’s website promotes the land as suitable for housing, including affordable, workforce and market rate units, given the state of housing in the region.