Plans & Studies

Open Space Plans

The Town of Provincetown owns some 99 acres of Open Space. Map of Properties (PDF).

Open Space & Recreation Plan Updated.
The Conservation Commission, Recreation Commission, and Open Space Committee updated the Town's Open Space and Recreation Plan. The Town hired the Horsley Witten Group, Inc. to help undertake that effort. See updated 2007 Open Space and Recreation Plan (PDF) as approved by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs on February 5, 2007.This update replaces the 1995 Open Space & Recreation Plan (PDF)

Property Management Plans.

 The Open Space Committee has drafted management plans which provide guidelines for conservation and passive recreation uses at the Shank Painter Pond Wildlife Sanctuary (PDF) (a/k/a Shankpainter Pond Uplands) and at the Whistle Path Woods Town Conservation Area. (a/k/a the Locke Property).

Nicky's Park
Nicky's Park Conservation Area consists of about four acres, of which about 1.5 acre is freshwater wetlandand is located between Harry Kemp Way (town way) on the southeast and State Route 6 on the northwest. Residential development forms the other sides of the area. Harry Kemp Way coincides with the 80-foot wide layout for the defunct Old Colony Railroad, property acquired by the Town of Provincetown in 1967. See Nicky's Park Management Plan. (PDF)

Harbor Plans

Municipal Harbor Plan

The Provincetown Municipal Harbor Plan was last updated in 2018.  Article 32 of the April 7, 1997 Annual Town Meeting approved the original Municipal Harbor Plan (PDF) for the Town of Provincetown. The Plan establishes a reasoned approach to the future use and management of Provincetown Harbor and its edges. Five key issue areas have been addressed in this plan, and are reflected in its recommendations: preserving the Harbor's Built and Natural Assets; promoting Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture; providing for Diverse Vessel Use and Needs; assuring Public Access to the Shoreline for Recreation; and planning for Future Harbor Uses. The Harbor Plan is implemented by the Harbor Committee (PDF).

Historic Mean High Water.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has provided the Town of Provincetown with a digitization of the Historic Mean High Water line. See that line on the Town's aerial photographs of Provincetown Harbor.

Transportation Center feasibility study.
Read the feasibility study (PDF) for a MacMillan Pier Transportation Center.

Shank Painter Road Corridor Study

Cape Cod Commission traffic engineers prepared a study of Shank Painter Road (PDF) in regard to safety and accommodation of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. As a primary access way to the downtown business district and a destination in and of itself, Shank Painter Road has minimal (or no) sidewalks or bike facilities at many segments along the road. There are many stretches of roadway with wide-open curb cuts serving businesses. The existing road design is prone to flooding during heavy rains. Roadway runoff directly discharges into nearby wetlands leading to decreased water quality and introduction of pollutants in environmentally sensitive areas.

The recommendations provided in this plan act as a planning tool for the town to make the necessary improvements including several alternative cross sections to accommodate the various categories of roadway users.

Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Report June 2016 (PDF)

2016 Hazard Mitigation Plan

The purpose of hazard mitigation is to reduce loss from future natural disasters. Storms and other natural disasters can cause loss of life, damage to buildings and infrastructure and have devastating consequences to a community's economic, social and environmental well-being.Provincetown Hazard Mitigation Plan (PDF)

2016 Vulnerability Assessment

Final Report: Increasing Coastal Resiliency and Reducing Infrastructure Vulnerability by Mapping Inundation Pathways, June 2016 (Mass. Office of Coastal Zone Management Coastal Resilience Grant Program) Final Report - 2016 Provincetown Vulnerability Assessment (PDF)

For more information contact: Office of the Town Clerk , Town of Provincetown, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 (508) 487-7013.