Developer Christine Barker’s plans to redevelop a long-shuttered restaurant include rebuilding Benjamin Lancy’s Wharf. Her proposal, which goes before the zoning board of appeals on Nov. 21, includes a 264-foot pier.
The proposal for the condemned Old Reliable Fish House calls for a pier that will provide a pathway from Commercial Street over the beach and water, said Acting Town Manager David Gardner. The new pier would be for recreational purposes including boating and fishing. Gardner said the pier is the most enticing part of the entire project because it provides a huge public benefit.
“That would be great for the town,” Gardner said.
Along with providing pedestrian access from Commercial Street to the water, a major pier would be good for the developer herself. Barker’s project includes a hotel, bar, and restaurant at 227R Commercial St. There is the potential for outdoor seating and much more on a pier, Gardner said.
This is a complex project requiring special permits related to density — the developer wants 31 hotel rooms on the property and the town allows only 20 by right. They also need permission to exceed the height limit, which 33 feet in Provincetown. The tallest part of the proposed hotel, which would be the façade facing the waterfront, is 67 feet.
But the project also requires permits from the state Coastal Zone Management and the state Dept. of Environmental Protection. It must meet the requirements of Chapter 91, which is meant to assure that public waterways, beaches, and harbors are accessible for use by the public.
The owner of this property has “pier rights,” Gardner said. But the permitting process is still lengthy.
