b'C H A P T E R T H R E EWhen citizens gathered for the December 9 special meeting, the cost had finally been resolved.Article 17 of the warrant held that the town would issue bonds in the amount of $600,000 to pay for the acquisition. The vote was called and the tellers counted 360 in favor, with 45 opposed. In July 1987, the official papers changed hands, and Elarbormaster Peter Ford set about relocating his department to the OMBY site. Town-ordered improvements would continue being made at the yard well into 1988.Chathamselectmenmeet with boatyard ownerby Tim Wood Their cor you make a public acees CHATHAM -Selectmen met briefly recently withthere and it gets overly useed, d, whatss going to hhapappenp*the owner of the Old Mill Boatyard, informing himto the overflow?\' stated ElIdredgdredge. e. "TThhososeepeople arethat the town is interested in exploring public acqui very aware of the problems we fa face, but they don ntHarbormaster Peter Ford said another considersition of the facility as a municipal marina. \'nt the solution \'inth eW ation is the loss of services currently provided by Old\'" ir bhac *kyard. Residents of Stage Harbor and ChamplainMil! Boatyard should the town take over its operaRoads, as well as members of the Stage Harbor YachtRichard Batchelder, president of the Friends oftion. Retail sales, boat storage, hauling and launchClub also met with officials, raising concerns overChatham Waterways, said there is already a parkinging are things the town would not be able to carry on. the impact town ownership of the boatyard would problem intheareaduring the aummer months. More Ford said hes ntre i f the othe r boatya\'r ds in townIn the fall of 1986, the destiny of the Old Mill Boat Yard was coming close to a decision.FCW President Batchelder wanted to make sure that no decision would be made without adequate discussion.From The Chronicle, November 9,1986.It had been four years since Stage Harbor aficionados had coalesced in a move to protect their waterway from over-commercialization.But that was hardly their only objective, and by 1987 they had fanned out to try to resolve several other dilemmas.OMBY today, sixteen years after voters approved spending $600,000 to buy the yard and turn it into Town property.Now it provides space for the Harbormasters office, as well as a landing for both recreational boaters and commercial fishermen.The sway-backed roof line (center) is a pointed reminder that this is one of Chathams historic sites.Gordon 7.ellner44'