Hull’s students scored above state averages, according to report on latest MCAS results

By Carol Britton Meyer

Hull Public Schools students fared well overall on the 2024 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exams compared with achievement levels statewide, with room for improvement, according to a presentation at a recent meeting of the school committee.

Fifty-four percent of students in grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded expectations on the English Language Arts exam, well above the state average of 39%.

In addition, 46% of students in the same grades met or exceeded expectations above the state average of 41% on the math exam.

In other MCAS news, 58% percent of grade 10 students met or exceeded expectations on the ELA exam – slightly above the state average of 57% -- while 51% met or exceeded expectations on the math exam, above the state average of 48%.

Click here to view the full MCAS presentation to the school committee

Grade 5 and 8 and high school students scored slightly higher than  the state average on the science exam (by seven percentage points in grade 5).

Total student enrollment declined from 887 in 2019 to 755 in 2024. The chronic absenteeism rate for non-high school students has steadily decreased during the last two years, and the high school rate has also decreased over that same timeframe, only much less significantly. Action steps are in place to support students in attending school regularly.

The Jacobs School has action steps in place to help students score higher on the exams, with a focus on parental engagement, support for staff, connections through after-school and other activities, and the hiring of math interventionists.

The high school also has action steps that include implementation of a common writing rubric, development of end-of-year skills assessments, exploration of innovation pathways, parental engagement, optimization of the vision for graduates, and support for the grade 8 transition to the high school.

District-wide targeted strategies for improvement revolve around the concept of “stay the course with minor adjustments.”

MCAS exams seek to assess whether students are exceeding, meeting, partially meeting, or not meeting grade level standards in English language arts, math, and science technology/engineering. While Massachusetts voters overturned the requirement that students pass the exam in order to graduate from high school by supporting Question 2 in last month’s election, students are still required to complete coursework that meets state standards.

MCAS is used as part of the state accountability system to determine how well a particular school and district are performing and to guide improvement planning.

Accountability components include achievement, student growth, high school completion, progress toward English proficiency, chronic absenteeism, and the percentage of students completing advanced coursework.

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© 2024 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Bank branch transformed into Who-ville for the holiday season

On the night before Thanksgiving, Rockland Trust Manager Jessica Abbott, her daughter, and staff transformed the bank branch at 264 Nantasket Avenue into “Who-ville” – the village in Dr. Suess’s holiday tale “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” – to the great surprise and pleasure of all who enter the bank.

“The idea was a team brainstorm. We really wanted to put smiles on our customers’ faces,” Abbott told The Hull Times. “While our goal is to be a friendly community bank, we try to not make it too business-like and to [create an] experience for everyone that’s a little different.”

GUESS WHO? The creative elves at the Hull branch of Rockland Trust Company were busy transforming the bank into their own version of Whoville, the village visited by the Grinch in Dr. Suess’s holiday classic ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ Customer Paul Samardak complimented the bank’s Violet Vargas and branch Manager Jessie Abbott on the decorations during a visit last week, while Patti Panetta, Violet Vargas, Dan O’Brien, Jessie Abbott, and Kristen Walsh were dressed in costume to put the final touch on the scene. [Skip Tull photos]

Everyone is “just in awe [of the decorations], which really came out nicely,” Abbott said. “Rockland Trust branches are encouraged to decorate here and there, but we really ran with it. We ‘re happy that it came full circle, which is what we wanted.”

Rockland Trust is continuing its Fun Fridays tradition throughout the year, “encouraging our customers to have fun” and to enjoy food, treats, giveaways, or raffles each week.

“My assistant Violet Vargas, who was part of decorating the bank for the holidays, does a great job,” Abbott said.

The Who-ville decorations will remain in place through the end of December.

-- Carol Britton Meyer

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Winter parking regulations in effect until March 31

The Town of Hull’s seasonal parking regulations for the winter months took effect on December 1 and will last through March 31.

On-street parking is prohibited on Nantasket Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Spring Street, and Main Street between the hours of 1:30 a.m. and 7 a.m.

On all other streets, during inclement weather, parking will be allowed on the odd-numbered side of each street, except in areas where such parking is always prohibited. This will provide for orderly snow removal, sanding, salting operations, as well as the free flow of traffic, especially emergency vehicles.

Failure to comply with the parking bylaw (Chapter 155 Section 19) regarding impeding snow removal will result in parking violation fines and potential towing of the offending vehicles at the owner’s expense, after due prior notice to owners when it is practicable to do so.

For more information, visit the town’s website, www.town.hull.ma.us.

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Constable earns praise, 3% raise in first performance evaluation as town manager

By Carol Britton Meyer

Town Manager Jennifer Constable earned high marks and a pay raise in her first performance evaluation during this week’s select board meeting.

An executive session was held before the start of the meeting to conduct contract negotiations with Constable and to discuss her evaluation summary.

Once the board returned to open session, Chair Irwin Nesoff explained the process before presenting a summary evaluation compiled by Clifford & Kenny, the town’s law firm, from individual evaluations from the five board members.

town manager jennifer constable

Each board member met individually with Constable to discuss her self-evaluation, and feedback on her performance also was accepted through a random sampling of department head comments.

Constable was evaluated on her performance in 10 areas related to individual characteristics, professional skills, relations with the select board, policy execution, reporting, citizen relations, staffing, supervision, and fiscal management.

In six of the 10 categories, Constable was rated between 4 (achieved) and 5 (exceeded) the requirements. On the other four, she was rated between 3 (ongoing) and 4 (achieved).

“Overall this is a very positive evaluation, with the town manager coming out of her first year and working with a majority of new select board members,” Nesoff said. “This is a very strong evaluation, and we congratulate her.”

Based on Constable’s performance during her first year on the job, the board approved a 3% raise retroactive to her August 16, 2024 anniversary date. Constable’s initial salary was $190,600.

Constable thanked the board for its support and said she’s looking forward to working with members and the community.

“We’ve accomplished a lot,” she said.

“This was the first time the board has gone through this exhaustive process, and the town manager was very cooperative, assisted by the Clifford & Kenny firm,” Nesoff said.

The select board unanimously voted to accept the consensus evaluation.

“The summary document will be made public, and people can request to see it at town hall,” Nesoff said.

In other business…

The select board granted approval to hold National Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday, December 14, at Hull Village Cemetery. The event is hosted by American Legion Post 140. The wreaths will arrive at 10 a.m., with a short ceremony beginning at about 11:45 a.m., according to Legion representative David Irwin.

The wreaths will be laid on veterans’ graves around noontime to remember and honor their service.

“We’ll need 20 to 25 volunteers to help out,” Irwin said. “We’re hoping for good weather and a smooth operation.”

The Wreaths Across America commemoration started last year, “with Daley & Wanzer taking the lead,” Constable said. “It was a great success, and it’s good to see it come back.”

Irwin praised the efforts of American Legion Commander Jim Richman in helping to create this tradition.

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HRA hires technical operations manager, to seek clarification on status of two-way road plan

By Carol Britton Meyer 

The HRA has hired a technical operations manager to assist with writing requests for proposals and other tasks as the authority seeks to develop a plan for the future of its property.

The authority also is seeking to fill an administrative role to manage other tasks.

mark hamin

At Monday night’s meeting, Chair Dennis Zaia introduced Mark Hamin, who had already spoken with individual HRA members.

“Mark will be the first line of answers for things we are wondering about,” Zaia said.

Hamin is a principal strategic planning consultant with Sustainability Designer, where he works on a variety of projects involving strategic planning, design, and media communications. He is also familiar with various municipal, regional, and state agencies and has worked on a number of municipal, regional, and redevelopment authority projects. He also is a lecturer at the Rhode Island School of Design.

He grew up on the South Shore and is “very familiar with a lot of the issues related to coastal communities in Massachusetts as well as ones related to land use and coastal zone management.”

Hamin is looking forward to lending his editing and writing abilities to help the HRA fine-tune their RFPs and other elements,” Hamin said. “I’m delighted to be involved.”

In other business…

⦁ Member Joan Senatore asked about an $55,000 outstanding liability to MassDevelopment that she recently came across when reviewing the authority’s books. HRA member Bartley Kelly said the amount has been in the authority’s financial statements since 2017 and represents the balance due to the state agency for planning work undertaken with the town and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation for developments that did not occur. The amount would need to be repaid once the HRA moves forward with the Urban Renewal Plan, he said.

Click here to review the HRA’s financial documents

⦁ As HRA members head into developing what they are calling “Option 3” for the draft Urban Renewal Plan, Zaia said a good starting point might be “trying to channel what Doug Thompson [shared following the four meetings he facilitated] – to see what we can all agree upon. Maybe there’s a way to designate what the HRA property was 50 or 60 years ago to get us started.”

⦁ Resident Anne Murray, during the citizens’ comment period at the end of the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, expressed concerns about comments by Senatore and Zaia at an earlier meeting about emails they received from a resident, whom they mentioned by name, that Senatore called “disheartening” and to which Zaia also objected. The woman was on the Zoom meeting but did not respond at the time.

“I think [that situation] could have been handled more tactfully without names,” Murray said.

She also asked for clarification of the 2018 town meeting vote regarding the two-way road plan, indicating that an HRA member had said earlier that the plan had been approved at town meeting, which she said is not the case.

Murray urged HRA members to “go back and watch the meeting tape,” as she had done.

Zaia asked Murray to hold further comments until Town Manager Jennifer Constable “can provide a definitive statement of the town’s role with the two-way road plan, because this has consumed so much of our time.” He was referring to numerous related discussions during HRA meetings. “We’ve beaten the two-way road proposal to death, and I want to get clarification from the town manager.”

This is a project “within the town’s sphere,” member Adrienne Paquin said. “We are a partner and may have been an instigator. … Hopefully we can get some clarity from town hall on [the proposal]. This is no longer in our hands.”

HRA member Bartley Kelly responded to Murray’s remarks at Zaia’s request.

After a back and forth between Murray and Zaia, Kelly said, “I think I’m being called out here” for remarks he made at earlier meetings about the two-way road plan.

He said that a 2018 town meeting vote authorized the select to enter into an agreements to “alter, discontinue or abandon” parts of Nantasket Avenue within the HRA’s footprint (as deemed “prudent and beneficial to the town”) “to effectuate a two-way road plan going forward. That motion was approved by more than a two-thirds vote.”

Kelly added that the select board, as the town’s traffic commissioners, is the only board with that authority, although the HRA “may be a partner in that proposal if the authority loses or gains land as part of that plan. That was the authorization, plain and simple,” he said.

“I have to disagree,” Murray said.

Zaia said when he and Senatore get together with Constable in a meeting planned for the near future, he will ask her for clarification about the two-way road plan, among other business.

“This [issue] is overwhelming to this person,” he said, referring to himself.

• The authority has decided to withhold the release of the Keller Williams Real Estate report because it will directly affect its future negotiating position. Zaia said that components of the report contain the value of the property and members believe it is in the interest of the authority and the town to withhold the report until the draft Urban Renewal Plan is completed.

⦁ Upcoming HRA meetings include: December 16; January 13 – to discuss the draft Urban Renewal Plan; and January 27 – to review applications for use of the HRA property for the 2025 summer season (which have a January 20 application deadline).

A replay of the full meeting will be available on Hull Community Television’s broadcast channels and on demand at www.hulltv.net.

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Scenes from a spirited holiday weekend in Hull

Legions of volunteers took part in the Nantasket Hull Rotary Club’s annual Thanksgiving meal deliveries last Thursday. More than 250 volunteers coordinated the preparation, packaging, and delivery of 1,100 holiday dinners and bags of donated groceries to local families. Using Daddy’s Beach Club as a home base (where 200 were served inside), the volunteers packed up the meals – complete with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, vegetables, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pie – for a hundred residents to pick up, while the remainder of the dinners were hand-delivered in less than four hours. On Saturday, members of the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce welcomed the man of the hour, Santa Claus, and his helper to the organization’s Hull Holiday Showcase. The annual celebration of the town’s talented artists, dedicated local businesses, and community groups attracted crowds of shoppers all day at the Nantasket Beach Resort. [Skip Tull photos]

Traffic, access, ledge removal among concerns for 12-unit Rockaway Annex condo plan

By Carol Britton Meyer

Neighbors and town officials raised concerns about the impacts of a proposed four-story, 12-unit comprehensive permit project on one of the highest points in Hull during a zoning board of appeals hearing this week.

A second site visit to 25 Ipswich Street was held on Saturday, December 7, at 10 a.m. “to dot all the i’s and to cross all the t’s,” ZBA Chair Patrick Finn said during Tuesday’s meeting.

FROM THE TOP. The Residences at Rockaway, a 12-unit townhouse complex, has been proposed for Ipswich Street on the hill overlooking the bay, behind the Hull Community Garden.

The proposed Residences at Rockaway plan includes six modular, townhouse-style buildings with two units each set on a .63-acre lot. Three units would be affordable. Parking would be in garages under the units and in the driveways.

Hull’s fire chief told the ZBA that he is concerned about access for emergency vehicles and neighbors said the addition of dozens of cars on the narrow roads would impact their quality of life.

The comprehensive permit process, more commonly known as Chapter 40B of Massachusetts General Laws, allows developers to circumvent most local regulations in exchange for an affordable housing component if the town has less than 10% of its housing units designated affordable. Hull current percentage of affordable units is 1.6%, according to the state’s formula.

This is the first comprehensive permit proposed for Hull to move through the review process; an earlier plan had been contemplated but did not move forward. The zoning board of appeals is the sole permitting authority.

However, in this case, the developer agreed to meet informally with various town boards at Finn’s request in order to gather as much feedback as possible. The site is located in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood behind the former Veterans of Foreign Wars post off Salisbury Street near the Hull Community Garden and the Manet Community Health Center.

Town department comments due in 30 days

The board set a deadline of 30 days from December 3 – the date of the meeting – for town departments to provide input about the proposal if they have not already done so.

Following several hearings since the summer, the review process is expected to wrap up with additional hearings scheduled for January 7, February 4, and February 18, if needed.

The developer will also meet with the design review board on December 12.

Concerns expressed during this week’s nearly three-hour meeting related to drainage and the proximity of the proposed development to abutters – including 26 Barnstable St., with the owners expressing concern about the proposed height of the retaining wall and the closeness of four of the buildings to their property line, as well as the potential negative impacts from blasting to remove a large amount of ledge from the site.

the project consists of six four-story buildings with two units each.

‘The turning radius is not adequate’

Dan Sullivan, a direct abutter, said he is concerned about the effect of an expected 24 or more cars a day traveling on the narrow streets leading to the development.

“The area near my mailbox is scarred from trucks and snowplows that can’t make the turn from Salisbury Street to North Truro without going over my lawn. The entire street area should be reconfigured,” he said. “The turning radius is not adequate.”

In addition, Fire Chief Chris Russo is concerned about whether there would be an adequate turning area for emergency vehicles on the site itself, as well as the lack of fire hydrants.

Hull resident and developer Alan Mckenzie noted that he was initially planning to propose 40 units, which would include several more affordable units than the current proposal, “but neighbors were concerned that the value of their property would go down, so we went back and forth with different options. I think the current plan is very responsible.”

Noting that the buildings would cover about 28% of the parcel, Finn asked how much of the lot is taken up by ledge. The developer will supply that information to the board later.

Traffic study completed

An engineer reviewing the proposal submitted her comments to the developer, who is in the process of addressing them. These relate to drainage, erosion control, and water pressure, and the suggestion to add dry wells or rain gardens to the site.

A traffic study has also been completed at the expense of the developer, who is also working on a landscaping plan.

Mckenzie was also asked to consider paving part of the streets leading to the development while paving the site, and to consider improvements to the intersection of George Washington Boulevard, Barnstable Street, and Salisbury Street near the medical center, where a number of accidents have occurred. That could be difficult since the Boulevard is controlled by the state, Finn noted.

The deadline for the ZBA to complete its review is February 24, unless it is extended at the request of the town or the developer.

Town Manager Jennifer Constable asked if the traffic plan would be reviewed by the peer reviewer; she was told that it will be. She also said she hopes the developer would consider making some improvements to the nearby roads since a minimum of about 24 cars (two for each unit) would result from the new development.

‘This is 12 units on a single-family lot’

Finn noted that most of the abutting properties are 50 to 60 feet away from the proposed development.

“We see a lot of properties closer to [abutters] than this in Hull, but this is 12 units on a single-family lot,” he said. “It’s a density and quality of life issue … The neighbors will be watching.”

Since the town is well below the 10% state affordable housing threshold, if the ZBA were to vote against granting a permit for the project, the developer could appeal to the state, with little chance of a successful outcome for the town.

A replay of the full meeting will be available on Hull Community Television’s broadcast channels and on demand at www.hulltv.net.

For more information, including project renderings, click here.

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© 2024 The Hull Times. All rights reserved.

Board signs agreement to allow existing marijuana dispensary to open a retail sales operation

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board this week unanimously approved a Host Community Agreement with Alternative Compassion Services that will allow the business at 175 George Washington Boulevard to sell retail marijuana.

Alternative compassion services at 175 george washington boulevard, which is on its way to becoming hull’s first retail marijuana shop.

The planning board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial School, 81 Central Ave., for a site plan review and to consider ACS’s request for the issuance of a marijuana overlay district special permit.

In early November, the board unanimously agreed to enter into an HCA with ACS to sell retail marijuana in addition to the medical marijuana that has been sold at the current location for the past two-and-a-half years.

Town meeting earlier authorized allowing up to two retail marijuana establishments in town.

What Town Manager Jennifer Constable called “a fairly standard Cannabis Control Commission template” includes general definitions, that ACS will operate as a marijuana retailer and medical marijuana treatment center in the marijuana overlay district, the laws under which the facility will operate, their security plan, and that ACS will hire locally – as well as minorities, Indigenous people, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people – whenever possible.

ACS will pay an annual community impact fee not to exceed 3% of gross sales related to any infrastructure improvements, public safety, inspectional services, or other expenses “as reasonably related to the actual costs imposed by the company.” These will be submitted to ACS by the town on an annual basis.

ACS hosted a community outreach meeting Monday night, according to ACS President Stephen Werther, who signed the document at the end of the HCA discussion.

“We very much appreciate your hard work,” he told the board.

The next step is submitting their application to the state CCC.

Regarding the remaining number of potential HCAs, Constable clarified a question that arose during an earlier meeting as to whether the combined medical and retail operations at the ACS site constituted the two maximum HCAs that can be awarded at the town’s discretion.

“The legal opinion is that this is one HCA, leaving an additional HCA that can be issued,” she said.

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Festival of Trees, Flying Santa highlight museum’s season of holiday activities

By Carol Britton Meyer 

The Hull Lifesaving Museum is celebrating the holiday season with a Winter Wonderland Festival of Trees, featuring 20 beautifully decorated evergreens – twice as many as last year – that will create a magical atmosphere and double the cheer.

Other events include a visit by Flying Santa on December 7; the December 14 annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count; and an opportunity for children to drop off letters to the jolly fellow in a special mailbox.

To kick off the festivities, Wonderly Lights of the South Shore “very graciously professionally decorated the outside of the museum for the second time,” Museum Director of Development Maureen Gillis told The Hull Times.

Wonderly Lights, which offers professional holiday and Christmas light installation, reached out to the museum again this year in support of its “saving lives then, changing lives now” mission and offered to install white lights on the outside of the building to help attract more visitors during the winter months.

Museum open for entire week

The second annual Festival of Trees will be open to the public from Saturday, December 14 to Friday, December 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The entrance fee is $20 for families and $10 for individuals. The museum will be open for the entire week for this special event.

Visitors will cast their votes for “Best in Show,” with the winner earning “a year of bragging rights,” Gillis said.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For $100, businesses and individuals can create a “dazzling holiday masterpiece” while spreading joy to local veterans and their families, who will be gifted the trees at the end of the week to brighten their holiday season. The trees will be delivered by resident Craig Wolfe on December 21.

“There’s a limit of 20 trees, and spots fill quickly!” Gillis said.

The museum supplies beautiful trees and sturdy stands; the decorators provide their own unique creative talents, lights, ornaments, and tree skirts.

Showcasing creativity and community spirit

The names of sponsors will be prominently featured on an elegant sign beside their trees. “This is the perfect opportunity [for community members] to showcase their creativity and community spirit,” Gillis said.

Decorating night is planned for Friday, December 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants will enjoy light refreshments and holiday cheer generously provided by Jake’s Seafood Restaurant as each tree is brought to life.

To sign up as a sponsor or for more information, contact maureen@hulllifesavingmuseum.org.

The Festival of Trees is sponsored by Home Depot, Jake’s Seafood, Lowe’s, Craig Wolfe, and Wonderly Lights of the South Shore.

Proceeds from the event will support the museum’s many programs throughout the year.

Santa will arrive by helicopter

According to tradition, Santa will pay a visit to the museum at 1117 Nantasket Ave. on Saturday, December 7, arriving by helicopter, which lands nearby, for photos with children and families. The museum is proud to have been a “Candy Cane Stop” on Flying Santa’s voyage for many years, and again this year. The expected arrival time is about 12.30 p.m., subject to weather conditions.

“Flying Santa, a New England-wide program, has been celebrating those who guard our shores for years, first by dropping off gifts for lightkeepers and now by visiting Coast Guard families with a gift for every Coast Guard child at the Point Allerton station,” Gillis explained.

The arrival time is not definite due to weather uncertainty. After stopping at the museum, the helicopter carrying its special passenger will pass over Boston Light as a tribute to that icon and on to another Coast Guard station.

Bird Count for lovers of outdoors and nature

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count on December 14 will be an exciting day for anyone who loves the outdoors and nature. Participants are encouraged to dress warmly and bring a camera and binoculars. There will be a midday break at the museum for coffee, tea, cookies, and restrooms. To learn more about this event and other holiday activities at the museum, email Maureen@hulllifesavingmuseum.org or call 781-925-5433.

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Committee’s survey aims to take stock, set priorities for increasing access to Hull’s miles of coastline

By Carol Britton Meyer 

A committee taking stock of the areas in Hull where residents have access to the water is asking residents to participate in a survey to help compile information on the community’s use of the beach and bay.

Citizens are encouraged to complete an online Hull Community Waterfront Access Survey to share where and how they access the waterfront and which access sites are most important to them, among other questions. Input gained from the responses will help the waterfront access working group prioritize its efforts.

The survey is available at http://tinyurl.com/hullwaterfront, with a Sunday, December 15, deadline.

The working group was formed following an independent study of known waterfront access points by the Woods Hole Group, which was hired by the town.

Assessment of town-owned waterfront property under way

Its role is to work with the consultants to identify and develop an assessment of town-owned waterfront property, with the ultimate goal of providing public waterfront access wherever possible.

Sites will be prioritized based on potential use, fair distribution, and neighborhood benefits, balanced with cost considerations.

“One of the best things about Hull is its physical location, surrounded by water,” working group Chair Scott Taylor told The Hull Times, noting that there are more than 160 public waterfront access points in town.

He first became involved with access issues a number of years ago with regard to the access point across from his family’s Hampton Circle home, collecting 90 names on a petition asking the town to address safety issues at that location.

As it turned out, a number of other petitions were being circulated asking for similar waterfront access issues in their own neighborhoods to be addressed, as well as inquiries to town officials related to waterfront access.

Around 2021, he was part of an effort to seek Community Preservation Act funding to address some of these issues, but the window for applications for that round of funding had already closed.

Study paid for with CPA funds

A couple of years ago, the Woods Hole Group study was commissioned, paid for with roughly $30,000 in CPA funds.

The study includes an assessment and prioritization of existing waterfront access; information about whether public access has been established and what type; parking availability, including handicapped parking spaces; and any coastal/wetland resource areas – coastal beach, dune, bank, saltmarsh, among others – present at those locations.

Taylor explained that while he has his own interests concerning waterfront access, “they have to be balanced with the needs of everyone else. I wanted to be part of this effort to fairly and accurately judge these access sites.”

Existing town-owned waterfront parcels without existing public access were inventoried as part of the study for review by the working group to determine the top five parcels to be evaluated further for potential creation of new public waterfront access.

After reviewing the Woods Hole report, the working group created teams to look at the sites mentioned.

“We learned a lot. We found access points that weren’t in the report and thought if we didn’t know about them before, maybe other residents don’t either,” Taylor said. “There also may be individuals who may have lived here all their lives who know of others that were not included.”

These realizations led to the development of the survey, with the goal of collecting data from the town as a whole to provide the working group with more “widespread knowledge.”

All residents encouraged to take the survey

While not everyone will participate, all residents will have the opportunity to do so.

“We would like to hear from as many as possible,” Taylor said. “We want to clarify the town’s waterfront access points, whether town-owned or not, to make it clear where they are and where [public] waterfront access is allowed.”

The overall purpose of the survey is to collect information that will be helpful to the working group, which will not make any decisions.

“We’ll be providing a summary of all the information we gather about waterfront access points and make recommendations,” Taylor explained. “The next step is to consider how to make improvements with community participation.”

A “no action” approach is not acceptable, he said. “We need to provide a working document the town can move forward with to solve some of the issues [related to waterfront access]. We’re doing our best to sift through all of the information we can find and make good recommendations.”

Taylor said that the study will recognize that some of the town’s many summer and year-round residents own waterfront property, while others do not.

“Whatever we recommend has to respect the rights of all residents, guests, and abutters,” he said. “We want to ensure the protection of and improve [public]waterfront access. It’s priceless.”

More information is available at the 2024 Waterfront Access Working Group tab on the planning board’s page on the town’s website or by clicking here.

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