Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a link to an agenda and details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise noted.
Thursday, Feb. 22
- Animal Welfare Committee, 10 a.m., Veterans Memorial Community Center
- Open Space Committee, 4 p.m.
- Public Pier Corp. Board, 5 p.m.
- Planning Board, 6 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 26
- Select Board, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 27
- Licensing Board, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 28
- Harbor Committee, 2 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Housing Workshop Canceled
A joint meeting of the select board, planning board, community housing council, and Year-Round Market-Rate Rental Housing Trust that had been scheduled for Feb. 20 was canceled last week — partly because not enough members of the community housing council could attend and partly because the agenda was becoming thin.
A “Lease to Locals” program formulated by a company called Placemate, the first item on a draft agenda for the workshop, had already been approved by the select board at its Feb. 12 meeting. (See story on page A4.)
The planning board had wanted to discuss a request by member Michael Gaucher for a financial incentive program for the construction of accessory dwelling units, but that was not on the draft agenda.
The planning board had also specifically asked for a housing workshop to discuss select board member Austin Miller’s upzoning amendments, but those were not on the draft agenda either.
Seeing a list that had three other zoning amendments from the planning board and little else, select board chair Dave Abramson said at the board’s meeting last week, “I don’t need to attend a meeting to discuss three zoning articles. I have better things to do.” He pointed out that the select board would have a separate hearing on those zoning measures after the warrant for town meeting was set.
Select board member Erik Borg asked Town Manager Alex Morse if the planning board had been seeking more information about Miller’s proposal.
“I don’t think they’re opposed to ever moving forward,” Morse said — but time before this town meeting was running short.
Select board member Leslie Sandberg said that delays were sometimes needed for complex proposals and were not tantamount to killing them.
“We can start working on this now, and hopefully we can get it to a point where everyone can get behind it to some extent,” said Morse. “But I would recommend at this point that we don’t have a housing workshop on Tuesday.”
Select board members agreed, and the workshop was canceled. The remaining zoning measures will be discussed at public hearings of the planning board and select board in March. —Paul Benson
