Town council approved GZA as Corn Neck Road consultant; committee awaits contract execution

At a Nov. 6 Coastal Resilience Committee meeting in New Shoreham, Glenny, Block Island Coastal Resilience Coordinator with The Nature Conservancy, told members that the town council had approved engineering firm GZA to work on the Corn Neck Road project and that the contract is readying for execution.

"On Monday night, the town council did approve GZA for the Corn Neck Road project," Glenny said, adding that the next steps are to execute the contract and hold a kickoff meeting that will include public outreach. She said the contract draft has been reviewed by the town engineer but still needs final signatures and budget approval.

Committee members were told the project has "just under $650,000 combined" in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. The chair said that, once the contract is executed, GZA’s first task will be public engagement and coordination with the committee.

Members pressed for clarity on abbreviations and for more detail on the procurement and selection committee; the chair described a review panel consisting of town staff, the town engineer, the planner and committee representatives. GZA was described as a firm familiar with the island and with revetment work the state has sponsored on Spring Street and Corn Neck Road.

Glenny said the project timeline includes a kickoff meeting and public input opportunities, and she emphasized the committee’s role in tracking contract execution and facilitating community feedback. The committee asked that contract and budget details be shared when available; the town planner or town engineer will provide them once the contract is executed and publicly released.