No innkeeping for this innkeeper in December 2007, since the renovation is dragging on and will likely not be completed until February, what with breaks for Christmas and New Year's. Writing is what I will be doing for most of the day: Christmas cards to former guests, Christmas cards to old friends, revision of manuscripts ... This morning I even took the time to compose a letter to the Provincetown Banner editor about an important local matter:For Sale: two bedroom cottage with marsh view; 1.24 acre property has five-bedroom septic plan. Eager second-home buyers answered the classified ad. In this case, a contractor built someone’s dream house: five bedrooms, of course, but also a private art gallery and two-car garage.
The above tear-down was not within the National Seashore, but similar shenanigans are going on within the park, too, as pointed out December 13 in the Banner. Trophy houses are sprouting up and down Cape Cod like kudzu. Take the new construction at Cahoon Hollow. Some folks with cash-in-hand bought a beach shack, tore it down, and soon a two-story modern dwelling with ocean view hugged the coastline. Now it’s up for sale. This trend has me worried.
Once the traditional cottages go, the character of Wellfleet will change forever. How shortsighted of us to allow these changes to occur! What, if anything, can be done to preserve the old Cape look? For one thing, citizens need to voice opinions and encourage both the National Seashore Advisory Commission and town boards to oppose McMansionization. Within the Seashore, there are rules as to how much change is allowed. Those rules need to be enforced and strengthened. Tourism is our biggest industry. Vacationers come to the Outer Cape from all over the world. Part of their pleasure is the local scenery. What a shame if we do not have the sense to preserve it!
