Truro residents as part of a citizens' Affordable DPW Project provided a video proposing an alternate plan for a new DPW. They introduced this in the letter to the editor they provided, which is viewable by clicking this link.

To view their 5-minute video with more in depth analysis, you can click here.

This letter challenges the legitimacy of reconsidering Truro’s failed DPW funding article after supporters claimed there had been “insufficient discussion.” The author argues that debate had already been extensive and that voters themselves decisively agreed to end discussion before the article failed; reopening the matter afterward was an unfair and improper attempt to overturn the original result, and is a blow to the integrity of our town's legislative process. 

After more than 60 years of connection to Truro, the author says concerns about the future of the Walsh Property played a pivotal role in their decision to leave town. This letter expresses support for affordable housing while raising questions about the Walsh Overlay District, long-term planning, transparency, and the potential impacts of large-scale development on residents and neighborhoods.

The author writes that Truro’s expanding "by right" zoning articles diminish the rights of neighboring residents. By removing the need for special permits, variances, or committee oversight, these provisions favor developers and commercialization over residential life, community health and aesthetics. Specifically, she warns that the North Truro Highland Overlay will lead to overdevelopment, while "Right to Farm/Fish" laws could bypass local environmental protections, inviting industrial-level noise, pollution, water usage and more into residential areas. She urges voters to protect local authority and resident safety by voting "NO" on Articles 37 and 42 and "YES" on Articles 38, 39 and 40.

A Truro resident raises concerns about how the Town’s recent beach dog regulations were presented to the public and Select Board. Drawing on emails obtained through a records request, the letter disputes claims that the state was preparing major penalties and argues that Article 41 offers voters a chance to support more open communication and community involvement.

This letter expresses concern that expanded overlay zoning along Shore Road could bring unintended changes to Truro’s character and infrastructure. Citing worries about traffic, water resources, and development intensity, the author encourages broader public discussion about how future housing and commercial growth should fit within the town’s long-standing rural identity.

Roberta Lema updates her critique of Truro’s recent zoning efforts, focusing on Article 37, the proposed Highland Overlay District in North Truro. She argues the plan could transform an historic area with denser, overbuilt development that threatens Truro’s rural character, affordability, water quality, and environmental sustainability. Drawing on local history and recent rezoning debates, Roberta notes that these changes lack adequate planning and community understanding. She urges voters to reject HOD and instead pursue thoughtful, scaled development aligned with Truro’s long-term needs and values.

A Truro resident urges voters to support a non-binding measure tied to beach dog regulations. He argues that responsible dog owners have long coexisted peacefully with nesting plovers and that current leash restrictions may diminish an important part of Truro’s beach culture without meaningfully improving wildlife protection. 

The former co-chair of the first Walsh Committee writes that the current Walsh Overlay District (WOD) undermines the 2024 voter-approved Article 5 by allowing excessive residential, commercial and industrial development. Supporting Articles 38, 39, and 40, she advocates for a guaranteed—not merely promised—160-unit residential cap and the restoration of growth management to ensure essential water and environmental protections. Breslin contends that real delays Truro faces in developing Walsh stem from a lack of viable infrastructure and water feasibility plans, not citizen petitions. She urges us to secure its water supply and housing plans following residential zoning rather than relying on overlays and non-binding official promises.

A long-time North Truro resident raises concerns about the proposed Highland Shore Overlay District (“HOD”), arguing it is designed to significantly increase density, sharply limit zoning protections, and pronouncedly change the area’s character. The letter highlights unavoidable impacts on water quality, traffic, and neighborhood rights, and urges voters to carefully consider whether Article 37 reflects the community’s vision.

After reviewing Truro’s latest DPW proposal, a group of citizens with relevant professional expertise says the current plan exceeds actual costs recently paid by similar MA towns—by a wide margin. Drawing on data from those projects, they demonstrate that Truro can benefit from a smarter, more cost-effective approach than proposed in Article 4. Their recommendation: pause, reassess, and pursue a plan that better matches Truro’s size, needs, and budget. To help inform the public, they have prepared a five-minute video that lays it all out.

by Michael Forgione

Has Truro quietly moved millions of dollars in projects and debt off center stage before Town Meeting? This letter argues that delayed infrastructure spending, hidden borrowing obligations, and unusually large cash reserves may be creating the illusion that the proposed DPW project is more affordable than it really is. The author urges voters to look beyond the headline price tag before taking on decades of additional debt. 

Can Truro rely on intentions alone to limit development at Walsh to 160 units permanently? The short answer is "No." The Walsh Overlay District (WOD) allows for over 1,000 units, far exceeding the 160 units originally intended. Town officials cite Request for Proposals (RFPs) as a way they can limit development to 160. This is risky, as RFPs also require us to trust the RFP writers - with no public review – and RFPs can be amended without voter approval. Currently, there is no limit to the number of RFPs that can follow to allow more development on Walsh, bypassing effective unit limits in the future. To ensure development aligns with the community's 2024 vote, citizens will have to rescind the WOD and replace it with permanent, binding zoning that codifies a firm 160-unit cap and other terms we approved in 2024. As long as WOD zoning is in place, there is no limit to what can be built later, regardless of current promises and procedures. New zoning provides a safer, voter-approved solution that is better than town officials' well-intentioned assurances.

In tribute to five respected civic leaders who dedicated decades as Truro Planning Board Members and Building Commissioner, their widows urge voters to honor their legacy of stewardship in Truro. These leaders viewed planning as a means to balance growth with nature, ensuring Truro remained the Cape’s last rural town. Today, mounting pressures—including proposals for high-density overlay districts and unchecked development—threaten this character. These five women—each remarkable in their own right—warn that sound zoning and careful planning are the only guardrails against irreversible mistakes. To protect the town’s future and prevent Truro from becoming a mere “bedroom community” of Provincetown, they urge residents to act decisively on May 16th and to support re-zoning Walsh and restoring Growth Management.

A resident questions whether recent development plans align with Truro’s size, needs, and fiscal realities. From the proposed DPW project to broader housing efforts, her concerns focus on rising costs, unclear needs, and limited responsiveness to community feedback. She urges closer scrutiny of spending and asks whether the Select Board’s current priorities reflect the will—and capacity—of local taxpayers.

Citizen Petition Articles 38, 39, and 40 raise larger questions about how Truro should grow while safeguarding its water supply. The author explores concerns surrounding the Walsh Property, groundwater protection, wastewater planning, and future well locations, while encouraging a more deliberate growth management approach that integrates housing needs with environmental responsibility and long-term community planning.

Curious where Truro is headed with all the borrowing that has been approved recently and all that is on the table now and for the next few years?

What exactly is “Free Cash,” and how much is too much? This article examines Truro’s outdated policy of maintaining unusually high surplus balances—recently about $2 million above state recommendations and other towns.While originally intended as a safeguard, the approach now functions like a parallel budget with less scrutiny. The article explores how that very large surplus is generated and how it’s used, and proposes updates to better align reserves with state guidance and improve transparency for taxpayers.