Info from the Cape Cod Chronicle which is on the web, www/capecodchronicle.com MCI BUY UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED - History In The Making Chatham Votes Unanimously To Buy Acres From MCI/WorldCom - by Tim Wood CHATHAM -- It was that rarest of occasions: a festive Town Meeting. With no discussion, voters Tuesday night unanimously -- and happily -- approved spending $950,000 to purchase 91 acres of land in South Chatham and Chathamport from MCI/WorldCom, Inc. It was, those involved agreed, history in the making. "Tonight marks an historical and dramatic moment in Chatham history, the coming together of a grassroots organization, known as the Friends of Forest Beach, and the community of Chatham with conservation foremost in our minds, "Chairman of Selectmen Douglas Ann Bohman said in introducing the single warrant article. After the 20-minute meeting -- the briefness may have been unprecedented in itself -- many of the 300 voters who attended lined up to thank and congratulate Jim and Maraide Sullivan, the couple who began the effort to preserve the land six months ago by forming the Friends of Forest Beach. "I'm delighted," Maraide Sullivan said, a wide smile spread across her face. "This is really a great feeling." "I'm so glad you arrived here!" one woman said, taking Sullivan's hand and shaking it vigorously. Charles Cahoon, a South Chatham resident who also played an instrumental role in the effort, said it was successful because it included people from a cross section of the community. "This truly has been a community effort," he said. "We've maintained that all the way through." The property includes 68 acres of beach and marsh, which Eel River passes through, in South Chatham, as well as 5.6 acres of upland. Bohman said the beach will be used for passive recreation and the creek and marsh will be reserved for shellfishing and wildlife. The upland will be allowed to return to its natural state. "No homes, no 25 cent binoculars, just beautiful preserve," she said. The Chathamport property includes 140,000 square feet of beachfront along Ryder's Cove, adjacent to the town landing, and more than 13 acres across Route 28 that contain six buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Both sites were previously used for marine radio communications. Crews arrived at the South Chatham property this week to begin removing more than 90 utility poles from the upland and marsh. Plans call for cutting the poles off at ground level and lifting them out of the marsh by helicopter, but when that will take place is uncertain. Likewise, it remains to be seen when the 300-foot communications tower, a South Chatham landmark since being built in 1947, will be taken down. It was initially scheduled for next week, but may be delayed, depending on the progress of the project and the weather. Selectmen, the Long Range Planning Committee and the Municipal Buildings Study Committee will be looking at possible uses for the Chathamport property, Bohman said. While the Ryder's Cove land may offer an opportunity for a public beach and expanded parking for the nearby town landing, ideas expressed for the former radio buildings -- which include four residences and a dormitory -- include a maritime museum and a radio museum. MCI, she added, has already donated items for a possible radio museum. The price essentially represents a donation of the land by MCI/WorldCom. A draft purchase and sales agreement calls for the town to pay the company $800,000, which covers the cost of removing the poles and tower. The additional $150,000 is for demolition of the two buildings on the South Chatham parcel, as well as insurance, tax abatements and maintenance of the Chathamport buildings. The town had its eyes on the MCI property for years, but had been unable to make much progress through the corporate bureaucracy until the merger with WorldCom brought in a different regime. Working together, the Friends of Forest Beach and town officials were able to negotiate an agreement for town acquisition not only of the South Chatham land, but the Chathamport property as well, in less than two months. "That was a surprise, a bonus gift," Bohman said of the Chathamport land. "Because so many people got involved we now have an opportunity to receive a wonderful gift," Sullivan said. "Actually a bigger gift than what we had hoped for because we have an opportunity to acquire significant property in Chathamport. So tonight we can't help but thank everyone for all the time you have invested not only for ourselves but for future generations." Both the selectmen and MCI officials have yet to sign the purchase and sales agreement. Robin Halter, a spokesperson for MCI/WorldCom, said she did not know when the corporation's board would approve and sign the agreement. The draft calls for the pact to be executed by March 31. Bohman said she thought the agreement could be finalized by that date or soon after. Pole Removal Begins Restoration Of South Chatham Property - by Tim Wood CHATHAM -- The day after voters unanimously agreed to spend $950,000 to purchase 91 acres of land from MCI/WorldCom., Inc., the sound of chainsaws echoed throughout the Forest Beach marsh as workers cut down poles that for decades supported antenna wires that helped keep the world's ships in touch with land. By early this week, most of the 90-plus poles, along with a 105-foot antenna tower, had been taken down. Most lay on the marsh awaiting removal by helicopter, expected to happen next week. Jay McCarty, supervisor for ENSR, the company hired by MCI/WorldCom to remove the poles, said plans call for the 300-foot tower that dominates the marsh to be taken down this afternoon (Thursday). A crowd is expected to show up to watch as the tower -- a landmark since 1947 -- is dropped to the marsh. "MCI will be here," McCarty said. "There will probably be a lot of people watching." Removal of the poles -- except three which hold osprey nests -- by MCI was part of the agreement between the company and the town. The operation, expected to last a total of four weeks, will essentially restore the marsh to its original state, if you can ignore the concrete pilings and poles stumps that will be left behind. With no dissension and very little discussion, voters last Tuesday approved town purchase of the MCI land, which breaks down to four parcels: the 68-acre marsh and beachfront near Forest Beach and 5.6 acres of upland off Bay View Road in South Chatham; 13 acres of upland on Orleans Road in Chathamport; and 140,000 square feet of beachfront along Ryder's Cove, adjacent to the Ryder's Cove town landing. The land previously housed transmitting and receiving facilities for the RCA/Marconi ship-to-shore wireless radio station, once one of the busiest and most powerful marine radio stations known by the call letters WCC. The Chathamport parcel includes a half dozen buildings associated with the station that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Of the $950,000 price tag, $800,000 covers the cost of the pole removal and cleanup. The remaining money will be used for insurance, maintenance and demolition of two buildings on the South Chatham upland parcel. The funds were taken from the town's free cash account, essentially money remaining at the end of the fiscal year after all the town's bills are paid. The expenditure wiped out most of the account, delaying some capital expenditures and leading some to wonder why officials did not choose to tap forthcoming Cape Cod Land Bank money for the purchase. Although the purchase is probably eligible for land bank funding, because the initial money will come in over a period of about a year, the town would have to borrow the cost of the MCI purchase for later reimbursement, according to Acting Town Manager Donald Poyant. Interest costs would add to the total price tag. Poyant explained that the first tax bills to include the 3 percent land bank surcharge will be sent to property owners in October, with the second bill going out in May 2000. The 50 percent match the state will provide, which will be based on total collections, is not expected until September 2000. "It will take a whole year for all of this to come in," Poyant said. "It's not like we can say it's all there on day one." He added that the reduction in free cash is short-term, as the account will be replenished when the current fiscal year ends June 30. Meanwhile, only eight poles were left standing Monday at the South Chatham MCI site. Last week, a four-man crew cut the poles off at ground level and gathered up the wires that held them together. The crew, which specializes in demolition of communications facilities and is based in Pennsylvania, made short work of the poles, using an excavator or their own muscle to topple each post. Crew member Rich Mountain said it was a relatively straightforward, simple job. On Monday, McCarty said the crew was busy removing cabinets that held electronic equipment from the transmitting building. Most will be scrapped, although one is being kept by MCI and a second is being donated to the town for inclusion in a possible radio museum, one of several uses under discussion for the Chathamport facilities. On Tuesday, construction began on a walkway out to the 300-foot steel frame tower, located on the southwest side of the marsh. Plans call for the structural supports to be weakened and the tower toppled, after which it will be cut into sections and lifted out of the marsh by helicopter. Both the tower sections and the poles will be flown to a staging area at the Forest Beach parking lot, which will be closed to the public during the operation. McCarty said the helicopter work, scheduled for next week, may take just one day. "The helicopter guy says we won't be able to keep up with him," he said.