Family at center of Provincetown dune shack battle declines offer for special use permit
PROVINCETOWN - The family at the center of a battle over dune shacks with the National Park Service (NPS) has declined an offer from the federal agency for a two-year special use permit.
Sal Del Deo has been coming to his dune shack since he was 17 years old. The Park Service began putting eight of the dune shacks up for bid, yet some are still occupied by families. Applications will be assessed over six criteria including financial commitment and experience. The goal is to provide long term stability to the shacks and the park. Families who have cared for the shacks for decades can apply for their shacks like everyone else. The leases are in 10-year increments.
The Del Deo family said the superintendent of Cape Cod National Seashore offered them a two-year special use permit for the shack. The family declined the offer, saying they want the NPS to cancel plans to open up all the leases and evict all the families from their shacks.
"We remain committed to finding a comprehensive solution to save all the shacks and work productively with the National Park Service to create a sustainable and enduring protection for the Traditional Cultural Properties of the Provincetown Dunes," Del Deo's son, Romolo Del Deo, said in a statement.