PROVINCETOWN — Christine Barker’s ambitious and long-delayed proposal for the redevelopment of the derelict Old Reliable site on Provincetown Harbor has been altered in an attempt by the developer to move the project forward. It has been on the drawing board for about five years.
Barker has eliminated a 570-foot floating marina and trimmed 400 feet off the planned public pier in a revised permit application currently under review by the town’s conservation commission.
The alterations followed an ongoing legal dispute with businessman Patrick Patrick, the owner of Marine Specialties, who has claimed that the project, which would involve the demolition of the Old Reliable Fish House, crosses onto land he owns.
The plan still calls for the construction of two hotels with a total of 50 rooms, 13 condominiums, two restaurants, and some retail space, spanning 227, 227R, and 229 Commercial St. Those elements are all part of the review being done by the commission, which is set to continue its hearing on Tuesday, July 16.
The latest tweaks include a proposal to construct a smaller 300-foot pier similar in its footprint to the earlier one at the site, which was built in the mid-1800s and long ago reduced to a scattering of pilings. The shortened pier would lie outside a meadow of eelgrass that the commission and the state Div. of Marine Fisheries feared would be affected by Barker’s previous vision for a 1,270-foot pier and marina. Those concerns were expressed at the March 19 opening hearing on Barker’s notice of intent.
A notice of intent is a permit application required for work done in wetlands resource areas. If the local conservation commission approves the work, it issues an order of conditions.
In a letter to the commission, Barker’s project manager Marshall Puffer said Barker plans to seek permits for the floating marina separately. While he didn’t mention the walkway that will connect the pier to the marina, that element will likely be part of that separate permitting process.
Back in 2019, Barker’s original plans won enthusiastic support from town officials and the business community but stalled because of concerns raised about the potential environmental impact and challenges from neighboring landowners. Barker bought out one of three abutters who appealed to the Land Court, and a second dropped a complaint following adjustments to her plans. Only Patrick still has legal proceedings pending.
In a five-page letter addressing concerns raised at the March 19 hearing, Puffer said that Barker is currently in negotiations with Patrick. The commission will be updated when the two sides reach an agreement.
No dredging of the harbor will be required for the project, Puffer said, and the old pilings that remain will be completely removed rather than cut off at the mudline.
Removal of the marina component from the current permitting process dispenses with concerns voiced on March 19 regarding possible consequences for existing moorings in the harbor.
Since the last hearing, Barker hired Stan Humphries, a coastal geologist with Environmental Consulting & Restoration, to review project plans.
On March 19, the conservation commission had discussed the 50-foot buffer zone, a waterfront resource area where new buildings have not been allowed. The former Old Reliable Fish House, which would be demolished, lies within the 50-foot buffer. The foundation of the building is at grade and therefore blocks the potential formation of a coastal dune, said Humphries in his report. Barker’s new building would be raised on pilings “with minimal structure or equipment at grade elevation in the 50-foot buffer,” Humphries said.
Melyssa Millett, the town’s environmental planner and conservation agent, took note of other efforts Barker has made to improve conditions and mitigate concerns.
“One change to the landward side of the project since it was last heard is that the parking area (below the hotel building) has been pulled back to allow for sand nourishment to be placed between the two existing mapped dunes, which should provide additional flood protection, and potentially allow for a healthier dune system to form in that area,” Millett said. “This was one recommendation listed in the original comments on the project from the state agencies and conservation commission.”
The commission will continue the Barker hearing at 6 p.m. on July 16 at town hall.
