Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Provincetown are in-person, typically with an online-attendance option for both committee members and residents. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a link to an agenda and details.
Thursday, Jan. 5
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Monday, Jan. 9
- Select Board, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Tuesday, Jan. 10
- Licensing Board, 5:15 p.m., Town Hall
Wednesday, Jan. 11
- Harbor Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall
Thursday, Jan. 12
- Planning Board, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Conversation Starter
Inclusionary Bylaws Questioned
Near the end of the housing workshop on Dec. 19, select board Chair Dave Abramson asked the members of the select board, community housing council, and Year-Round Market-Rate Rental Housing Trust to think about what kind of proposals they want to see at town meeting in 2023.
“Should we be focusing on changes to zoning?” Abramson asked the group. “Should we be focusing on short-term rental restrictions, or pushing toward the deed restriction program?”
Abramson went on to describe what he did not want to see: zoning articles drafted just before deadlines for the benefit of individual developers.
“The two bylaws that were pulled from town meeting — to add a fourth story in the TCC district and to add dormitory worker housing to inclusionary — these two bylaws were put in specifically for one project at 227R,” Abramson said. He was referring to the address of the former Old Reliable Fish House, which Christine Barker proposes to redevelop.
“I know that the applicant and their attorney met with town staff and town counsel, and when these bylaws didn’t happen, that person was calling people, bullying planning board members and other members of the select board,” Abramson continued.
“I think if we’re going to get two rooms from someone that’s getting 10 market-rate, million-dollar units, and we’re getting these trickle-down units, it needs to be discussed at a fair and open hearing at the planning board,” Abramson said.
A proposed bylaw to allow four-story buildings in the Town Commercial Center district was briefly discussed by the planning board and the October 2022 housing workshop but never found much support.
A bylaw amendment that would add workforce or dormitory-style housing to the town’s inclusionary bylaw, however, made it through two planning board discussions on Sept. 8 and Sept. 22 and was added to the warrant for fall town meeting. The planning board thought better of it soon after and withdrew its support at its Oct. 13 meeting. The measure, which by that time was Article 8 on the warrant, was withdrawn on town meeting floor with no discussion.
Christine Barker, the developer of a mixed-use hotel, restaurant, and residential project at 227R Commercial St., recently told the state’s Land Court she would be resubmitting her project under the town’s inclusionary bylaws, which still only allow affordable units (see related story). She has until Jan. 30 to submit her plans to the planning board. —Paul Benson
