Meetings Ahead
Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch.
Thursday, Oct. 15
- Board of Health, 4 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 20
- Human Services Committee, 5:30 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Covid-19 Update
As of Oct. 13, there were no new cases of Covid-19 in Provincetown, 32 cases considered recovered, and one death.
Infant Child Care Reopens
Provincetown’s free infant child care program reopened on Oct. 13 for children up to 15 months only; toddlers are still not invited back into the Early Learning Center, formerly known as the Wee Care program, due to Covid-19 concerns.
The Early Learning Center is free to residents and employees of the town.
School Supt. Suzanne Scallion said seven babies may attend the infant program.
The infant and toddler program had been closed indefinitely due to staff retirements and resignations. But two teachers, whose names Scallion would not release, applied for their positions when Scallion announced her intention to reopen the infant program and when they saw the school’s other safety protocols, she said.
Edgar Miranda, the head of the Early learning Center, has retired with no plans to return, Scallion added.
Early Voting Basics
Early voting in person runs from Oct. 17 to 30, Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Friday to Sunday 9 to 11 a.m. at town hall.
You can also vote early by mail. The application is available at provincetown-ma.gov, under “Voting and Election Information.” Send the form to the town clerk by email to [email protected] or mail it to Provincetown Town Clerk, 260 Commercial St., Provincetown 02657, or deliver it in person.
An early voting package will be sent to you with a pre-addressed return envelope. Complete the affidavit and mail your ballot to the town clerk’s office or deliver it in person. If you are using U.S. mail, allow one week before Nov. 3 for delivery.
John A. Henry Trust Can Help
The John A. Henry Fund has cash for Provincetown families with a child under 18. Babysitters paid with grant funds must follow Covid-19 safety precautions. Charlotte Fyfe, the administrator, said grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis.
The trust was bequeathed in 2002 when John Henry, who owned the White Dory Inn, left his life savings to the town of Provincetown.
For the last two years, the fund has had $20,000 to distribute annually, with most of the applicants seeking help with rent, mortgage, utility, and car payments. Child care has traditionally been one of the main uses.
“Eviction will rear its ugly head again [on Oct. 17, when the governor’s moratorium is lifted],” Fyfe said. “Although we were worried in the spring, I think this winter will be really tough.”
For more information email [email protected]. —K.C. Myers
Dormitory Gets Unanimous Support at ZBA
The dormitory and workforce housing project that local business owner Patrick Patrick is proposing to build on his family’s land made it through a second town committee this month. The Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to grant three special permits to the project on Oct. 1. The select board allocated 9,150 gallons of wastewater capacity to the project last November, also on a unanimous vote.
Patrick’s proposed building would contain 28 dormitory rooms, each housing four summertime workers in bunk beds, as well as 16 small apartments, which could be occupied year-round. The seasonal workforce housing, in particular, has been cited by proponents as addressing an unmet need.
Patrick’s project needed three special permits from the ZBA, but neighbors of the property objected particularly to one: a major deviation from the “neighborhood average scale” calculations.
The proposed dormitory is about 10 times bigger than the nearest residential home. Patrick’s land, however, is zoned for commercial use and dormitory housing is an explicitly listed acceptable use in the commercial zone. The neighboring properties in the “average scale” calculation are all in a residential zone.
The next stop is the planning board, which has oversight over a broader range of concerns including congestion, noise, light pollution, and neighborhood character. —Paul Benson
