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Planning board approves three shorefront permits on Westport Island
Summary
The Westport Island Planning Board voted to issue permits for three shorefront projects — the Barbara Craig pier reconstruction, the Fife/Jean Pfeiff dock and the Gwen stair-and-pier proposal — after finding each application met the board's shoreland criteria; staff will prepare findings and permits for the select board.
The Westport Island Planning Board voted to issue permits for three shorefront projects after reviewing each application against the town's section 15 land-use standards and related shoreland criteria. Chair (speaker 1) moved to issue the permits and a committee member seconded; the board approved the motions by voice vote and the Chair declared the votes unanimous.
Tim Forsyth, speaking for applicants, described the projects and federal/state approvals. On the Barbara Craig application he said the existing ramp and float would be replaced and the structure's elevation 'will be increased' to meet base flood elevation so it 'does not protrude any further into the resource' than the existing structure. For the Fife/Jean Pfeiff site Forsyth described a 6-by-50-foot pier, a 3-by-36-foot ramp and a 10-by-20 float and confirmed a PCN/NRP filing with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a DEP permit-by-rule were part of the application record.
Votes at a glance
- Barbara Craig (reconstruction of existing pier): motion to issue permit moved by Chair (speaker 1), seconded (speaker 4); board approved by voice vote and Chair declared it unanimous. Staff will prepare findings of fact and the permit documentation.
- Fife / Jean Pfeiff (dock: 6x50 pier, 3x36 ramp, 10x20 float): Chair moved to issue permit; the motion passed by voice vote after members confirmed the application included Corps/DEP notices and a letter to the town historic preservation commission and tribal contacts.
- Gwen (25 Plummer Road; steep site with stairs and short pier sections): application approved after members reviewed site constraints, installation logistics and shoreland criteria.
Board members flagged implementation questions — how contractors will deliver and stage materials, and whether contractors will protect salt marsh and shorelines during installation — and asked staff to include those points in the findings and permit conditions. The board also noted that owners or contractors should follow any measures required by the Army Corps or DEP filings.
The board directed staff to prepare final permit documents and findings for the Select Board as required by the ordinance; the meeting closed after administrative follow-ups.
