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Council approves $250,000 state grant to study coastal flood barrier near Tenean Beach
Summary
The Boston City Council unanimously suspended the rules and approved a $250,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to study natural resilience measures to protect Tenean Street and nearby MBTA Fairmount Line tracks from high‑tide and storm‑surge flooding.
The Boston City Council voted on Sept. 23 to accept $250,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for a study of natural resilience barriers at Tenean Street and Tenean Beach in Dorchester.
The grant will fund a study of potential natural‑infrastructure protections to reduce flooding from high tides and storm surge near the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Fairmount Line commuter‑rail tracks. Councilors said the study is intended to inform future construction or mitigation projects to prevent rail service disruptions and roadway flooding.
Councilor Ryan Durkin, chair of the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation, and the district councilor said the matter intersects resilience, transportation and environmental planning. Durkin and district councilors stressed the urgency of studying solutions to avoid commuter rail shutdowns and added vehicle congestion when rail service is interrupted.
“This is an issue about resilience,” Councilor Durkin said, and he asked the council to suspend the rules and approve the grant so the study can move forward without delay. The council voted in favor of suspension and passage for Docket 1657.
The council did not adopt specific construction plans at the meeting; the action authorizes the city to accept and expend the grant funds to complete a study. Future project design or construction would require additional approvals.
