Town launches strategic retreat/relocation study, awards dune resilience work and installs tide gauge

Leah Hill, the town’s coastal resilience coordinator, briefed the Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee on several ongoing projects during the Jan. 13 meeting.

Hill said the strategic retreat and relocation program has kicked off and is in the data‑collection phase; SCAPE was hired with subconsultants including Arcadis and a legal team and a real‑estate specialist. "One of the tasks is to develop a transfer of development rights like program," Hill said, confirming TDR‑style incentives and zoning reviews are within the scope of the multi‑year effort. The project will include a community engagement plan and anticipated outreach to CRAC during appropriate phases.

Hill also reported that the Surfside wastewater facility dune‑resilience project was recently awarded funding by the Office of Coastal Zone Management to develop a 10% concept design for more resilient discharge beds. The Francis Street Beach Improvement project is near completion. Hill added that the Steamship Authority is pursuing a planning grant (roughly $1,000,000) for a Nantucket terminal planning effort, and that CRAC may be asked for a letter of support at a future meeting.

Hill said the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation donated a tide gauge and weather station that was installed at the Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery last Thursday; the town plans to publish the real‑time data (tide, water temperature, wind speed) on a public web page. Members asked whether the station would be visible on Weather Underground; Hill said that was the intention, pending technical setup.

Committee members discussed how retreat and relocation incentives might intersect with other policy goals—Matt Fee suggested tying allowances for increased ground cover to acceptance of relocated affordable housing units—while Doug Rose and others urged creative incentives and CRAC participation in planning outreach.