Nearly 500 registered voters attended the October 23, 2023 Special Town Meeting in the Auditorium at Provincetown Town Hall where voters overwhelmingly approved all fourteen Town Warrant Articles.
There were many important Articles that were discussed and voted on, but the main reason the Select Board called this Special Town Meeting was for voters to appropriate $2,035,000 for the purchase of properties at 22, 22R, and 24 Nelson Avenue for future housing development.
“In recent years, Provincetown voters have been tremendously supportive of our housing efforts, and I want to thank residents for showing up in such large numbers for this Special Town Meeting,” said Select Board Chair David Abramson. “While we know there is still much more work to be done to address our housing crisis, the results last night show Provincetown is committed to making progress however we can.”
Two Articles were also approved that created a General Bylaw related to Short-Term Rentals (STRs) that prohibits STRs in dwelling units owned by a corporation and limits the number of STRs an owner may register to operate to two dwelling units.
“Thank you to the Select Board and our Town boards for their leadership, to Town staff for their hard work and dedication, and to Provincetown voters for helping advance our ambitious housing goals,” said Town Manager Alex B. Morse. “Together, we are and will continue to address our housing challenges to make meaningful progress for our community.”
Voters also supported a ban on fractional ownership, approved funds for the next phase of design and development costs for the redesign of Motta Field, and more. The following is a brief overview of the 14 Town Warrant Articles passed at Special Town Meeting:
- Article 1. Prior Year Bills.
- Article 2. Establish a Provincetown Municipal Airport Enterprise Fund.
- Article 3. Establish a Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Ambulance Fund.
- Article 4. Funding for Motta Field Design Development & Construction Documents.
- Article 5. Capital Funding for Transfer Station Trash Trailers.
- Article 6. Eversource Easement for Transformer at Police Station on Jerome Smith Road.
- Article 7. Capital Funding for 3 Jerome Smith Site Readiness and Preparation.
- Article 8. Acquisition of 22, 22R and 24 Nelson Avenue for Future Community Housing Development.
- Article 9. Declaration of Surplus of Property Located at 26 Shank Painter Road and 15 Browne Street.
- Article 10. Article 10. Declaration of Surplus of Property Located at 288A Bradford Street.
- Article 11. General Bylaw Amendment – Prohibitions Related To Short-Term Rental Of Residential Properties.
- Article 12. General Bylaw Amendment – Prohibitions Related To Short-Term Rental Of Residential Properties – Additional Regulations.
- Article 13. Zoning Bylaw Amendment - Ban on Fractional Ownership.
- Article 14. Zoning Bylaw Amendment – Accessory Dwelling Units.
More information can be found at www.provincetown-ma.gov/townmeeting.