Posted on January 9, 2019
The popular waterfront parking lot at Herring Cove Beach will be rebuilt farther inland than planned due to an emerging “hot spot” of erosion that is expected to last several years at least.
But the construction project can’t come too soon for a local tourism leader who says the disintegrating parking lot has begun to take an economic toll.
“Many visitors start their trip to Provincetown spending the day at the beach, and then later spending time in town,” Provincetown Tourism Director Anthony Fuccillo said. “The latter part of the day in Provincetown is negatively affected if the beach parking isn’t available.”
The Cape Cod National Seashore’s $3.3 million reconstruction of the northern 208-space parking lot kicked off Oct. 17. But changes must be made to plans developed in 2013 due to coastal conditions in the area that have led to rapid erosion on the northernmost end of the proposed lot, according to Seashore Superintendent Brian Carlstom. The completion date of the project is this spring, according to a sign at the beach, although no apparent work was underway Jan. 2 due to the federal government shutdown.
In the past decade, winter storms have torn up pavement, covered parking spaces with sand, and loosened and pocked a seawall. Due to public pressure, though, the Seashore continued to repair the lot each summer at a cost of $300,000 to $500,000 annually. The construction now underway is meant to stop that outflow of repair money for at least 20 years, Carlstrom said in December.
Source: The Washington Times
