Business Owners Respond to Commission’s Harbor Study

BARNSTABLE- Responses to a survey created to analyze the value of harbors across Cape Cod are being submitted by local business owners.

The study is being conducted by the Cape Cod Commission, along with the Urban Harbors Institute from UMass Boston.

Harbors in Chatham, Provincetown, Dennis, and Falmouth are the subjects of the study. Specifically, it will dive into how businesses interact with Stage Harbor and the Fish Pier in Chatham, Provincetown Harbor, Sesuit Harbor, Inner Harbor, and Great Harbor.

The Cape Cod Commission wants to analyze what business owners are doing for maintenance in response to coastal hazards such as flooding and erosion, and to evaluate the employment landscape.

“What we want to understand is what the economic impact of those harbors are (sic) and, essentially, what the benefit is of maintaining these harbors long-term,” said Community Development Planner with the Cape Cod Commission Jennifer Clinton.

Clinton also said they want to clarify how many of these businesses are within walking distance from their respective harbors.

Clinton said that feedback to the study has been beneficial so far.

“As more people return from their winter break, we’ve been seeing a lot of activity in the past couple of weeks, which is great,” she said.

Over 500 businesses have been contacted directed, and about 50% of businesses located within a quarter mile of a harbor had contact information available on the web.

A general request for the responses of local businesses has been submitted through the Cape Cod Blue Economy Foundation, a network that Clinton said is large.

The study is expected to run through the second or third week of March, according to Clinton, and an initial analysis of the data should be released by the start of the summer.

Clinton said the survey should only take up to 10 minutes to complete, and that all responses are appreciated.

To complete the confidential survey, click here. Those who complete the survey will be eligible to win one of five $100 Visa gift cards.