Madison officials outline Surf Club master plan, recommend nature-based approach for failing seawall

First Selectwoman Peggy told the board the Surf Club master plan recommends a nature-based approach rather than trying to preserve an older, destabilized seawall. "We're not going to sit there and try to save that old seawall. Instead, we're going to look at a different option and use more of a nature based alternative," she said, summarizing the consultant's concept.

Peggy described emergency steps the town has taken this spring to stabilize the older seawall — concrete blocks and sandbags to reduce an immediate safety hazard — and said engineers are reviewing how the old structure is affecting the newer Garvin Point seawall. The presentation identifies dune restoration, offshore reef walls and beach nourishment as components of the preferred approach and notes the Surf Club building sits in a high-velocity wave-action zone and is increasingly exposed by higher high tides and storm erosion.

The board discussed regulatory and cost constraints on repairing the building in place: Peggy cited FEMA rules that limit how much can be invested in a structure without triggering a requirement to elevate it, saying that repairs above a 50% threshold would force an expensive elevation. That regulatory limit helped drive the recommendation in the concept plan to consider demolition and rebuilding farther from the water, rather than attempting in-place repairs.

Town staff outlined programming and capacity drivers for the proposed building: the existing indoor room currently holds about 72 people, and with the deck and tent the facility has hosted up to roughly 120 people during summer months. Staff said the town typically handles between 50 and 60 rentals at the Surf Club each year and runs a summer day-camp program that often sells out quickly, creating demand for additional indoor space for programming during inclement weather. "We do between 50 and 60 rentals a year at the surf club," a staff member said.

The concept plan seeks to separate an "event" space from day-programming and administrative areas so camps and other daytime uses are not disrupted by evening events. The plan's presenters said office space would increase only modestly (presentation materials reference roughly 170 square feet of additional administrative space) and that many of the program needs stem from actual operational demands for summer camps and lifeguard/maintenance functions.

Several board members stressed the project should be phased and prioritized. One member urged staff to provide a monetary valuation of the existing building and a clear explanation of what the FEMA 50% threshold means in dollars so the public can assess tradeoffs. The board also agreed the engineering review of the seawall is an important near-term deliverable.

Public reaction included criticism of the outreach and apparent lack of alternatives presented. In public comment, Jim Schwartz said residents felt the plan had become a single presented option and that meaningful alternatives and dialog were limited. "You're presenting to us... This is what it's gonna be," he said, urging broader engagement and more visible choices for smaller-scale options.

Next steps spelled out in the meeting record include waiting for an independent engineering report on the old seawall’s condition, continued public outreach (including displays at the Rising Strawberry Moon Festival, the library and the senior center), and further work with the Beach and Rec Commission, boards and commissions and the consultant to refine priorities and phasing. The presenters indicated the master plan document aims to be complete later this summer with a target for board adoption in September, after which the board will prioritize funding and consider building-committee oversight for implementation.