'Rare opportunity': Provincetown voters approve $2 million land buy. How will it be used?
PROVINCETOWN — Special town meeting voters approved a property acquisition article on Monday night that could eventually lead to between 48 and 60 units of community housing.
Voters approved the appropriation of $2,035,000 (or any other amount) to pay the costs associated with the acquisition of land parcels at 22, 22R and 24 Nelson Ave., located north of Route 6, off Race Point Road.
"These properties present a rare opportunity for the town to embark on ambitious community housing projects in the coming years," Provincetown Town Manager Alex Morse told voters. "And while the town does not have immediate plans for the development of these parcels, securing the land is undoubtedly in the town's best interest."
The Provincetown Select Board had already completed purchase and sale agreements for the Nelson Avenue properties, but voters needed to approve the funding before the deals could be closed.
According to information prepared by the town, "without the town's intervention, the likelihood of private development looms large, leading to a proliferation of market-rate condominiums, many of which could potentially become short-term rentals."
Now that the acquisition has been approved by voters, and if the parcels are combined, the town "could explore the development of up to 18 units today, or between 48 to 60 units once served by sewer," according to explanatory material prepared by the town. The sewer connection is expected to occur between 2027 and 2030.
Voters also approved an article to place regulations in effect that "would prohibit corporations from obtaining short-term rental certificates," according to explanatory material prepared by the town.
Voters also approved an article to limit individuals to holding no more than two short-term rental certificates. There is a "grandfather" clause: Individuals or entities who currently may have three or more short-term rental certificates "may continue to engage in Short-Term Rentals ... until the dwelling unit is transferred or conveyed," according to explanatory material prepared by the town.
WARRANT ARTICLE NUMBER | WHAT IS THIS ARTICLE ABOUT? | PASSED,FAILED,POSTPONED |
Article 1. Prior Year Bills | To see what sum the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds for the purpose of paying prior year unpaid bills; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 2. Establish a Provincetown Municipal Airport Enterprise Fund | To see if the Town will vote to accept the provisions of General Laws Chapter 44, Section 53F ½ establishing the Provincetown Municipal Airport as an Enterprise Fund effective for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2024; and further to transfer any balance remaining in the Fiscal Year 2023 Airport Revenue Account on July 1, 2024, to the Airport Enterprise Fund; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 3. Establish a Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Ambulance Fund | To see if the Town will vote pursuant to the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section SF, to create a Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Ambulance Fund beginning in Fiscal Year 2024, to defray the cost, including maturing debt and interest, of acquiring, establishing, maintaining, purchasing, hiring and operating ambulance services; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 4. Funding for Motta Field Design Development & Construction Documents | To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, $250,000 to fund the design and development costs of the Motta Field Master Plan on the property located at 25 Winslow Street, which such land is dedicated for active recreation purposes under the provisions of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 45, Section 3, including all costs incidental or related thereto; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 5. Capital Funding for Transfer Station Trash Trailers | To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds the sum of $250,000 to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager or Public Works Director for the replacement of two trash trailers at the Provincetown Transfer Station; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 6. Eversource Easement for Transformer at Police Station on Jerome Smith Road | To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to grant to NStar Electric Company dba Eversource Energy and/or other utility company an easement or easements for overhead lines for distribution of electricity, and lines for control, relay, and communication purposes over, across, upon, and under and over a portion or portions of the Town owned property located at 2 Jerome Smith Road, identified on the Assessors Map 8-1 as Parcel 013, on such terms and conditions as the Select Board deems appropriate; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 7. Capital Funding for 3 Jerome Smith Site Readiness and Preparation. | To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds the sum of $200,000 to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager for the removal of the old septic system at 3 Jerome Smith Road in preparation for the Community Builders housing project; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 8. Acquisition of 22, 22R and 24 Nelson Avenue | To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $2,035,000, or any other amount, to pay costs of acquiring the parcels of land located at 22/22R and 24 Nelson Avenue, identified on the Assessors Map 9-2 as Parcels 12-A, 13, 14, and for the payment of all costs incidental and related thereto, and to determine whether this amount shall be raised by borrowing or otherwise and to authorize the Select Board to acquire said parcels by purchase, gift, and/or eminent domain for affordable and/or community housing purposes and for the purpose of conveyance; and further to authorize the Select Board to convey or lease said parcels, such acquisitions and conveyances to be on such terms and conditions and for such consideration as the Select Board shall determine to be in the best interests of the Town; or take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 9. Declaration of Surplus of Property Located at 26 Shank Painter Road and 15 Browne Street | To see if the Town will vote to transfer the care, custody, control, and management of the following described parcels of land from the board or officer that currently has custody of the land to the Select Board for affordable and/or community housing purposes and for the purpose of conveyance, and, further, to authorize the Select Board to convey or lease said parcels for the purpose of creating affordable and/or community housing thereon, all on such terms and conditions as the Select Board shall determine to be in the best interests of the Town; the land being all or a portion of Assessors Map No.7-2, Parcel No. 68, located at 26 Shank Painter Road, and Assessors Map No. 7-2, Parcel No. 70, located at 15 Browne Street, and commonly known as the Former Police Station; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 10. Declaration of Surplus of Property Located at 288A Bradford Street | To see if the Town will vote to transfer the care, custody, control, and management of the following described parcel of land from the board or officer that currently has custody of the land to the Select Board for affordable and/or community housing purposes and for purpose of conveyance, and, further, to authorize the Select Board to convey or lease said parcel, subject to compliance with G.L. c.30B, for the purpose of creating affordable and/or community housing thereon on such terms and conditions as the Select Board shall determine to be in the best interests of the Town; the land being all or a portion of Assessors Map No.15-3, Parcel No. 101, located at 288A Bradford Street; or to take any other action relative thereto. | passed |
Article 11. General Bylaw Amendment - Prohibitions Related To Short-Term Rental Of Residential Properties | To see if the Town will vote to amend the Provincetown General Bylaws by adding a new Section 13-8 entitled: Prohibitions Related to Short-Term Rental of Residential Properties, as set forth (in material provided in warrant). | passed |
Article 12. General Bylaw Amendment- Prohibitions Related To Short-Term Rental Of Residential Properties - Additional Regulations | To see if the Town will vote to amend the Provincetown General By-Laws by adding a new Section 13-8 entitled: Prohibitions Related to Short-Term Rental of Residential Properties, as set forth (in material provided in warrant). | passed |
Article 13. Zoning Bylaw Amendment- Ban on Fractional Ownership | To see if the Town will vote to amend the Provincetown Zoning By-Laws by adding a new Section 4195, entitled: Time Share, Interval and Fractional Ownership Units, as set forth (in material provided in warrant). | passed |
Article 14. Zoning Bylaw Amendment-Accessory Dwelling Units | To see if the Town will vote to amend the Provincetown Zoning Bylaws, Article 2 Districts and District Regulations, Section 2450 Permitted Accessory Uses (as defined in material provided in warrant). | passed |
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Provincetown special town meeting approves property buy for housing
