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Acres of Pines beach raking, seasonal sand fencing continued to await DEP file number
Summary
Acres of Pines Association sought approval to hand‑rake and install seasonal sand fencing on Lewis Bay; the commission continued the notice of intent until the DEP file number is received and instructed applicants on fence placement, property‑line verification and no‑mechanical‑equipment limits.
Frank Zapulla, a board member for the Acres of Pines Association, presented a notice of intent on Nov. 7 to hand‑rake roughly 200 feet of beach at Lewis Bay from Memorial Day through Labor Day, dry collected seaweed in a designated parking lot area for later transfer to the town compost site, and install seasonal sand fencing near the vegetated dune to protect nourishment.
Zapulla said raking would be done by hand, typically once a week, with a board member supervising and paid local crew help. He stressed the group would "leave the nourishment there, back on the beach as much as we can." Staff and commissioners pressed for clarity on fence placement — staff advised sand fencing should be kept within about 10 feet of the vegetated dune toe to be effective for dune creation and habitat protection — and reiterated that no heavy machinery may be used in the berm area.
Commissioners also flagged a potential property‑line discrepancy: one commissioner noted assessor maps did not match the applicant's plot and urged the group to confirm survey markers; staff recommended the applicant locate the survey markers used during prior beach nourishment. Because the DEP file number for the application had not arrived, the commission voted to continue the hearing solely to receive that file number; staff explained DEP typically issues the file within about a week of filing and the applicant may not install the seasonal sand fence until the permit is recorded at the registry.
Next steps: the association will supply the DEP file number when available and confirm planting/species details with staff; the commission reiterated that a permit must be recorded before any sand fencing goes up.
