During the April 10 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission, David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc., presented a proposal for the owners of 1 Goodspeed Island who seek hard armoring of the site’s crumbling coastline.
Davignon explained that winter storms have destroyed a less environmentally intrusive method of protecting the shoreline, one that employed organic materials and root systems of grasses to hold the bank in place. On Monday night, the homeowners sought a more permanent solution. Davignon said they are seeking guidance on the possibility of using a rip-rap wall of stone to create a seawall. The commissioners weren’t sure the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection would grant permission for a seawall, given that coastal erosion might just be the price paid for property along the coastline.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes on their website, “Coastal erosion — the loss of shoreline sediment — is a complex process that continuously reshapes the shoreline and can threaten coastal property. Coastal managers and property owners often attempt to stabilize coastal land and protect residential and commercial infrastructure along the coast by building shoreline-armoring structures to hold back the sea and prevent the loss of sediment. Examples of such structures are seawalls, breakwaters and rip-rap embankments.
Shoreline armoring has both beneficial and detrimental effects. Armored shorelines can prevent sandy beaches, wetlands and other intertidal areas from moving inland as the land erodes or sea levels rise, but they also have the potential to eliminate habitat for marine organisms and beach front for the public by restricting the natural movement of sediments. The key to shoreline stabilization, if it is required, is to use a site-specific stabilization method that balances the needs of the public and the needs of the natural system.
Consulting environmental agent Brandon Faneuf suggested he have a discussion on the conceptual seawall, hard armoring proposal with the DEP and return with comments at a later date.
Nathan Collins of Next Grid solar came before the commission to discuss site conditions at the Bowman Road array that Faneuf had recently called “the worst” solar array he had ever seen.
Next Grid is seeking a Certificate of Compliance on a parcel adjacent to the developed solar array for the purposes of residential development. Collins told the commissioners that a checklist of issues received months ago had been addressed. The commissioners plan a site visit before taking further action or entertaining the requested Certificate of Compliance.
A Notice of Intent filed by Quinn Henshaw for the removal of trees for future property development located off Prospect Road at Chesapeake Run was conditioned. A Request for Determination of Applicability, 2 Dupont Drive, for a new septic system for an existing three-bedroom home received a negative decision. A three-year extension to an Order of Conditions was granted to James and Sharlene Craig for property located on Aucoot Road.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, April 24, at 6:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell