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Duxbury reports seawall finished under budget; $2.9 million in betterments to be assessed to 95 properties
Summary
Town staff said the seawall came in under the $20 million authorization (around $14.88M), allowing a $5M rescission and leaving $2.9M in betterments to be apportioned to 95 properties; letters and amortization schedules will be mailed and assessments can be paid or amortized over 20 years.
Town staff told the Duxbury Finance Committee on June 18 that the seawall project is complete and came in under the original $20 million borrowing authorization, allowing the town to rescind $5 million of the borrowing and reduce the line to about $15 million.
"The project came in at about 14.88," Mary McKinnon, finance director, said. The town received a $3 million Coastal Zone Management grant that offset project costs; after that grant the net amount to be assessed as betterments across 95 properties is approximately $2.9 million, McKinnon said. The same tiered algorithm used in phase one (properties on the seawall benefit most, followed by tiers two through four) will determine individual assessments.
McKinnon said the select board had approved the order of betterments and the order was recorded at the registry of deeds. Property owners will receive letters with amortization schedules and can pay in full without interest, make a down payment and amortize the remainder, or amortize the entire betterment over 20 years, with a portion added to the tax bill each January.
Committee members reported heated public meetings and said an attorney retained by a group of property owners raised questions about the process. McKinnon said, "I'm not aware of any specific suit" but acknowledged attorneys had sent exceptions to the town; no litigation had been filed as of the meeting record. Committee members emphasized the project had been long‑sought by many and that recording the order at the registry was an important procedural step.
