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Westport commission, highway staff and conservation discuss mobility mats and road maintenance at Beach Avenue
Summary
West Portland Trust will trial two mobility mats on Beach Avenue this season and coordinate with town conservation and highway staff on sand-replacement and maintenance; the highway department said heavier work may require DEP permitting and routine grading happens before April 1.
The Westport Commission on Disability heard plans May 18 to place mobility mats at Beach Avenue this season and agreed to coordinate pre-season maintenance with the highway and conservation departments.
Ross Rand, executive director of the West Portland Trust, told the commission the trust expects to deploy two mats “in a similar configuration as we did last year” but warned that repeated storms have reduced sand levels and increased cobble, which hurts mat stability and safety. “Those mats need a certain degree of stability underneath them to ensure access,” Rand said.
Highway Department staff member Chris said the town maintains Beach Avenue through April 1 each year and can grade the road and move overwashed sand back onto the beach during the maintenance window. He cautioned that “it’s quite the process” for heavier in‑place work and that some more extensive mechanical work would require permitting from the Department of Environmental Protection. “We put it right back,” Chris said of overwashed sand, describing the routine of hauling sand off the roadway and returning it to the shoreline.
Commissioners discussed less invasive surface options for the upper portion of Beach Avenue — including geogrid underlayment or a hard-packed surface rather than full paving — to reduce divots and improve passability for wheelchair users without jeopardizing barrier‑beach protections. Sean Leach, chair of the beach committee, said the barrier‑beach resiliency group is studying longer‑term solutions and that any changes on town property should preserve public access to water.
Members also reviewed mat logistics: the mats discussed were described in 50‑foot sections, anchors and pins are in limited supply, and the typical deployment window is Memorial Day through Labor Day. Rand said the group will share photos and coordinate a pre‑season meeting with commission members and conservation staff to align placement and sand‑replacement plans.
The commission did not adopt a formal policy at the meeting but directed staff and volunteers to coordinate on inventory, pre‑season inspection and any DEP permitting requirements before undertaking mechanized beach work.
