Nantucket working group advances curving "dune‑swoop" boardwalk design for Francis Street Beach

The Washington Street collaborative work group voted unanimously Friday to advance the curvilinear “dune‑swoop” design for the Francis Street Beach boardwalk into the 30% schematic design phase.

The vote, made during the Oct. 3 meeting, instructs the project team to refine the dune‑swoop geometry, test whether a future northward ramp can be built to meet ADA requirements, and study whether the existing kayak rental shed and restroom — a long‑standing on‑site concession — can remain in its current location while meeting permitting and utility requirements. The motion was made by Alan (last name not specified) and seconded by John (last name not specified); all voting members present said “aye.”

The decision follows technical briefings from consultants on coastal performance, grading and permitting. Kirk of the Woods Hole Group summarized recent coastal modeling, saying the two main concepts perform similarly: "the overall performance of the sand movement isn't gonna be, that different between either of the two cases." That finding helped frame the choice as largely one of geometry, cost and site operations rather than coastal resiliency.

Why it matters: The selected dune‑swoop approach aims to create a dune crest high enough to reduce near‑term storm impacts while keeping beach access and visual openness. Consultants said the design choices will affect permitting, cost and how the boardwalk ties to adjacent properties and future shorefront connections.

What consultants presented Todd (PAR team), the engineering lead, described the move to a pile‑supported boardwalk to allow natural dune migration beneath the structure and explained several design constraints. "For building code requirements, we need to maintain at least less than 30 inches of a…