TOWN OF PROVINCETOWN - BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

SPECIAL MEETING – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13 2007

 

   JUDGE WELSH HEARING ROOM


Chairman Mary-Jo Avellar convened the meeting at 10 AM noting the following Board of Selectmen attending: Mary-Jo Avellar, Michele Couture, Austin Knight, Pam Parmakian, Lynne Davies

 

Other attendees: Town Manager Sharon Lynn, Asst. Town Manager David Gardner

 

Cape Cod National Seashore attendees: Superintendent George Price and Chief of Facilities for the Park Ben Pierson,

 

Recorder: Vernon G. Porter 

 

The following are meeting minutes, in brief. 

 

Intersection of Route 6 Herring Cove

 

Four-section highway at the intersection will go back to a two-section roadway.  Route 6 will ultimately be turned over to the Town by 2010, will the Town be willing to make improvements to bike path access.  The dip in the road between the two lanes should be corrected with this improvement.  Traffic light was removed because it frequently malfunctioned.  The light has been replaced with a stop sign.  Improvements at 90% design and will be looking at starting construction in the fall.  Preliminary work beginning in mid September but full construction will not begin until after women’s week so as to not impact the shoulder season crowds.

 

The two-lane configuration at the intersection serves to traffic calm and well as provide additional safety at the intersection.  No caution lights are currently being planning, but the Highway Safety Review might make a recommendation for that.

 

The intersection is not currently planned for a three way stop.  The stop will be on Province Lands Road coming from the parking lot. 

 

Walking traffic will be further considered in the plan.  PP cautioned that the area is utilized as a drop off adding pedestrians into the intersection.  The potential to move the abandoned lane out further to Shank Painter Road and incorporating the area into a bike and pedestrian path approach to the intersection and the beach area.

 

Potential discussion for bike path at the Bradford and Moors Road intersection.

 

Reconfiguration of Parking Lots 

 

Restriping the parking lot and adding a bike land. 

 

Bike Trails

 

Potential to explore the connection between the Rail Trail and the Provincetown Bike Trail system.

 

Priority 1 improvements will be made first.  It is not anticipated that the funds will allow all repair to the entire system.  The trail will be widened from 8 feet to 10 feet outside of the wetland areas.  Within the wetland areas, the trail will not be widened but will be repaired.  It is anticipated that the Trail could not be widened within the wetland area and any serious improvements might require the trail to be removed from the wetland area entirely.  The steep hills within the trail will be addressed.

 

The park is conscious to maintain the character of the trail system. 

 

Cell tower proposal at the Wastewater Facility will be going forward to look at providing service throughout the trail system.  The Town will seek the Parks support for that.

 

Bike trail design is at approximately 50% design.  Project construction would also begin come fall.

 

Bath House Replacements

 

Bath House has some structural issues and needs to be replaced in the next few years. 

 

Solar and Wind Energy for Shower House, snack shop and fee booth.  Exterior and interior work on the building.  Replaces fixtures with low flow water fixtures and waterless urinals.  Improvements for more energy savings at snack shop. 

 

Grant allowed a study to considering a solar option, a wind option and both.  The Park supports the both option. 

 

The design is complete and the funds are available.  

 

Wind tower is modest in size, similar to Highland Light Tower?  One area of concern is the impact on birds and bats. 

 

Province Lands Visitor Center Upgrade

 

Other Projects in the Province Lands

 

  1. Old Harbor Rehabilitation Project Spring of 2008
  2. Province Lands Visitor Center Rehab projects to be complete in Spring 2008
  3. Race Point Ranger Station Rehab underway and
  4. Overlay on Province Lands Road Spring or Fall 2008
  5. Seal Coat on Race Point Rd spring or fall 2008

 

 

 

2009 Projects on Moors Road

 

  1. Envir Assessment 2008
  2. Planning and Design 2008
  3. Repair and Resurface existing road surface in 2009
  4. Hopefully after EA is done, install paved shoulders on both side of the road for bikes and pedestrians from park boundary to Herring Cove parking lot.

 

2.3 million dollars for the alternative transportation system to allow for the Flex to go bio-diesel.  The Seashore received 13% of the federal funds last year in this category.

 

Bio-Diesel Fuel Project

 

Alternative Fuel adhoc committee throughout the cape meeting with towns and DPW’s to talk about different options to converting the fleet to bio-diesel. 

 

The seashore already uses bio-diesel within its fleet.

 

The Seashore fuel facility on Race Point Road will require pump replacements within the next 5 years or so. 

 

Discussions between the town and park to co-locate the replacement pump facility.  Mark Forrest, Congressmen’s Delahunt’s Office, announced that planning funding was still available.  Is there a consensus that a co-location would be acceptable within the community? 

 

Potential to also locate the fleet facility in addition to the fuel pump facility.  This conversation will need to continue.

 

Ethanol pumps have been approved for the outer cape.

 

Deer Tick Control

 

Park service has not done any control procedures.  Are there any programs within the park service that could do control procedures?

The park does do education regarding ticks.

 

Airport

 

Airport Lease.  Park is having conversations with the Airport Commission and TM.  Discussion will continue to come up with a long-term solution.

 

Monitoring from Unmarked Cars

 

Concern expressed by the BoS regarding the surveillance of citizens within the park in the evening.  The park claims they are not filming from an unmarked cars.  The unmarked vehicles are not equipped with cameras.  The rangers are federal law enforcement officers with the power of arrest.  They are monitoring for illegal activity within the park.  This is within the legitimate law enforcement authority of the rangers within the park.  There are illegal activities occurring in the park.  Drug use, sex in public, theft, archaeological degradation are all issues within the park.

 

Concern with undue car stops.  The park maintains that probably cause is necessary for any car stop.  Ranger citations are adjudicated within the court system and the park has few citations thrown-out. 

 

No open alcohol containers are allowed within the park without an alcohol permit or at an approved concession.  Perhaps better signage would prevent further problems.  The park does not adequately publish the fact that alcohol is not permitted. 

 

Meeting adjourned to Race Point at 11:40 pm.

 

Minutes transcribed by:  Vernon G. Porter

                                         December 14, 2007