Planning board backs expansion of stone revetment, asks CRMC to protect nearby wetland and landfill

The New Shoreham Planning Board voted Feb. 12 to send a letter to the Coastal Resources Management Council endorsing an expansion of an existing stone revetment along the shoreline and asking that construction consider nearby wetlands and the municipal landfill.

The board approved a motion to share with CRMC “that we would approve the expansion of the existing state stone revetment system as recommended by the drawings from Jim Jeremiah,” and added a request that contractors and regulators protect wetlands near the revetment and consider the long‑term stability of the town landfill, which sits landward of the structure.

Mike Shay, director of public works, described the project as routine maintenance and credited the original revetment for protecting the old transfer station. “This is basically routine maintenance on the revetment slope that was installed over the old transfer station,” Shay said, explaining that wave action and undermining have eaten away the slope behind the boulders. He said the town intends to raise the stone revetment by about 15 feet in the affected areas to prevent further undermining.

Shay told the board that erosion varies along the structure: about 10–12 feet at the southern end, roughly 4–5 feet in the middle, and about 8–10 feet at the northern end. Board members asked whether extending the revetment would simply shift erosion around the ends; Shay said the plan calls for extending the northern and southern ends perpendicular to the shoreline to reduce the chance of water circling behind the structure.

The board discussed pedestrian access along the top of the revetment during construction. Shay said the project drawings require maintenance of access and allow short-term closures if a detour across the beach is provided. A board member asked about the high‑water mark shown on the drawings (dated 2014 on the map) and requested an updated tidal/high‑water line be used if available.

Several members raised ecological concerns about extending hard structure closer to a nearby wetland. One member asked whether continuing to build out hard revetment could accelerate erosion into the wetland. Shay said he would bring that concern to the project engineer for comment.

The board’s motion (moved by a board member and seconded by Sasha) carried with all in favor; members directed staff to send the letter to CRMC reflecting support for the revetment expansion and the board’s request that work avoid or mitigate harm to the adjacent wetland and address landfill stability and relocation triggers required by CRMC.

The board recorded that the town allocates funds annually for revetment maintenance and for the eventual relocation of the landfill if the shoreline recedes further per CRMC requirements. Shay reminded the board that if the shoreline recedes 45 feet from the 2019 completed project baseline within 15 years, the town agreed to relocate the landfill 50 feet landward to restore access between the south and north shoreline.