Town funding clears path for Easy Street designs; committee details multiple coastal projects and next steps

Leah, a town staff member presenting the Coastal Resiliency Advisory Committee’s first- and second-quarter report, told the committee that Town Meeting voters approved funds to move the Easy Street Flood Mitigation Project to full design and permitting and to prepare bid-ready construction documents. "I believe it's $2,400,000 for full designs, permitting, and construction bid-ready documents," Leah said during the meeting.

The committee was updated on several town coastal-resiliency projects and next steps, including the Francis Street beach-improvement collaboration with the Land Bank, three design options for the Easy Street project and a downtown neighborhood flood-barrier concept that will need coordinated public and private efforts. Committee members were told the Easy Street grant period ended June 30 and that the town now has funding to advance the chosen design to the next technical stages.

Why this matters: The projects discussed are intended to protect downtown infrastructure and low-lying neighborhoods from recurring coastal flooding and rising groundwater. Committee members pressed for additional technical studies and more outreach before the…