The Washington Street Collaborative Workgroup and project consultants presented two schematic design alternatives for the Francis Street Beach Improvement Project at a virtual open house, seeking public feedback on how to protect Washington Street from increasing tidal flooding while preserving public beach access.

The project team described two main concepts: a curvilinear “dune swoop” that emphasizes native dune planting and concealed flood structure, and an angular boardwalk-driven alternative that recalls Easy Street’s harbor-front geometry. Both concepts include an accessible path from Washington Street to the water, a buried bulkhead set to an elevation of about 8 feet, and a small elevated overlook at elevation 9. The team said the designs are at roughly 30% or schematic design and will inform future permitting and funding work.

“Over the past five years, a lot has happened in terms of the planning and action related to climate change on Nantucket,” said Rachel Freeman, of the Nantucket Land Bank, summarizing how prior planning has led to this focused site project. Laura (project facilitator) explained the meeting format and live polling tool the team used to collect preferences from attendees.

Why it matters: Washington Street is a key transportation, freight and multimodal corridor for the downtown harbor area. Project materials shown at the meeting used the Massachusetts Coastal Flood Risk Model (MCFRM) and consultant studies to show flood pathways that are expected to affect the corridor more frequently by mid‑century. The Francis Street Beach project is one of the Washington Street Framework Plan’s early implementation steps intended to intercept two near‑term flood pathways and identify stormwater improvements inland of Washington Street.

Design features and performance
Both alternatives share these technical elements: an embedded flood structure (bulkhead) roughly at elevation 8, accessible connections from Washington Street to the water, and native dune planting intended to conceal the structure and provide ecological benefits. Presenters noted Washington Street’s existing grade is about elevation 4 and the dune top in the concepts is roughly four feet higher.

Alternative 1 (“dune swoop”): a curving, organic geometry with natural stone secondary paths and seating pulled into dune forms. The design emphasizes native dune vegetation to mask the bulkhead and creates an elevated overlook area that the team described as an opportunity to view downtown Nantucket. Alternative 2 (boardwalk/harbor language): a more rectilinear, boardwalk-first approach with standalone benches and pull-out overlooks, intended to create larger gathering areas and a stronger harbor aesthetic.

Community feedback
Attendees used a live Mentimeter poll and small breakout discussions to record preferences and concerns. Polling showed mixed preferences between the two schemes; several respondents prioritized “absorbing, buffering, and managing water within the site” and “reducing flood risk to sustain the long‑term use of Washington Street.”

Breakout summaries and key concerns included:
- Stormwater drainage and coordination with long‑term town stormwater planning; several groups urged prioritizing stormwater conveyance and storage.
- Geotechnical constraints: one breakout reported shallow groundwater at roughly eight inches below the surface, prompting questions about capacity for infiltration features and the need for borings and further subsurface study.
- Visual/character concerns: some residents worried a curvilinear design felt out of character for the historic downtown; others favored the naturalized dune feel. Comments suggested mixing elements of both concepts could be viable.
- Maintenance and durability: participants asked how planted dunes would be maintained after major storms and whether designs would require beach nourishment or post‑storm repair.
- Regulatory and permitting questions, including whether the proposals would be reviewed by the Historic District Commission (HDC) in future phases.

Costs and schedule
Presenters said final cost estimates were not yet available and that both alternatives are expected to be roughly similar in cost; a definitive estimate will be prepared as the team advances to the preferred design. The project team said the work shown is at about 30% design; the group expects to finalize schematic design this spring and progress through 100% design, permitting, and funding steps afterward. Project materials state the current work is scheduled to continue through April 2025. The public feedback form shown at the meeting will remain open until January 21 (project page: www.nantucketma.gov/francis).

Formal actions
The Washington Street work group opened a public meeting because participants established a quorum. At the end of the session Brooke (work group member and pro tem chair) asked for a motion to adjourn; Matt Fee moved, Alan (work group member) seconded, and the roll call votes recorded three ayes and the meeting was adjourned.

Next steps
The Washington Street Collaborative Workgroup will use the community feedback and technical studies to select a preferred alternative to advance to 30% design. Future steps include more detailed geotechnical borings, a cost estimate, coordination with town stormwater improvements, regulatory reviews, and funding discussions. The project team invited further comments via an online feedback form and offered a Spanish translation of the presentation and feedback form.

Contact and materials
The project presentation and recording are posted on the project website and attendees were given the project email contact: lhill@nantucket-ma.gov (as given during the meeting).