New Shoreham committee awaits final edits on Corn Neck Road master plan as grant timelines approach

The New Shoreham Coastal Resilience Committee said it will circulate a near-final draft of the Corn Neck Road master plan to members after consultant GZA provides final edits, and discussed how grant deadlines should shape next steps.

“I'm just waiting for the last edits from GZA before I will send the draft master plan to the committee,” said Judy, Chair, Coastal Resilience Committee. She said a subcommittee of Mary, Nigel and Nora already reviewed and cleaned up the draft for distribution.

Committee members and Town staff said timing matters because several grants and reimbursements are coming due. Allison, Town Planner, said the town’s direct National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) award runs “through the end of this year, calendar year, 12/30,” and that she has requested an extension to June. She told the committee most of the project’s money is coming through the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank Municipal Resilience Program (MRP) and that the town has not yet asked that lender for an extension but expects that will be possible.

Allison said the state included New Shoreham in a separate, state-level NFWF application this summer; the state expects to learn whether projects are awarded in November.

Why it matters: committee members said they want the council to see and respond to the draft master plan before the state’s NFWF awards are announced. That would give the committee and the public an explicit council endorsement or guidance before pursuing additional grant phases or implementation funding.

What the committee agreed: Judy said she will send the draft master plan and the presentation slides from the town council session electronically to committee members “in the next day or two,” and that she intends to press GZA to finish the edits. Town Manager Amy Land and staff said they will coordinate the council review and suggested inviting councilors to an upcoming community outreach meeting so they can see consultant visuals and ask questions.

Funding context: Allison told the committee that most of the technical work and conceptual designs need to be at an engineering-readiness level before larger implementation grants will be viable. She said some conceptual and engineering plans (for example, for Town Beach and Scotch Beach items) were ready and therefore were prioritized in early grant applications.

The meeting did not adopt new policies or spending; members recommended a staff-led working session or council review once the draft is distributed.

Votes and formal actions: at the start of the meeting the committee approved minutes from its Sept. 2 meeting (vote recorded in the transcript by voice as "aye"; specific tally not specified in the meeting transcript). The meeting later adjourned by motion and voice vote.