Engineer says NHESP comments addressed; commission to consider Order for Scarsdale revetment

Bob Perry of Cape Cod Engineering updated the Dennis Conservation Commission on the Harper Nominee Trust revetment proposal at 104 Scarsdale Road, saying state reviewers asked for clarifications on road ownership, abutters, and a sediment management plan and that the applicant provided the requested materials before the holidays.

Mr. Perry said the project team revised the beach nourishment volumes to a "rationale-based" program of "approximately 155 cubic yards per year" and submitted a landscape restoration plan that calls for dense beach grass plantings interspersed with shrub groupings to restore the upper coastal bank. He said the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) indicated a formal comment letter would be issued by Jan. 22 and that, if reviews remain favorable, the applicant hopes to begin construction in February for a roughly six-week window timed to finish before the April 1 work cutoff.

Mr. Perry also discussed regional sediment management and suggested that, where feasible, placing nourished sand at public locations such as Corporation Beach could provide broader public benefit and lower cost than site-specific placement. The commission voted 6-0-0 to close the hearing and direct staff to draft an Order to be considered at the Feb. 5 meeting.

The commission did not vote on construction details or a final Order at this meeting; commissioners asked staff to include NHESP's standard nourishment conditions in the draft Order if appropriate. The next procedural step is the Feb. 5 meeting, when the commission will review the draft Order and any NHESP correspondence.