Conservation commission conditionally accepts Westport barrier beach management plan

The Westport Conservation Commission voted unanimously July 7 to accept a town'prepared barrier beach management plan that lays out how the municipality would manage overwash, emergency access and sand redistribution on town-owned barrier beach properties, the commission said. The acceptance is contingent on issuance of a file number and final Natural Heritage/endangered-species and MassDEP comments.

Justine Rooney of Woods Hole Group, the consultant who led the plan's preparation, told the commission the plan is intended as a living document that defines seasonal operations, roles and responsibilities and best practices for handling overwash and debris after storms. "We have been working on creating a barrier beach management plan," Rooney said, describing proposed elements including sand fencing, limited MobiMat placement for accessible paths, overwash redistribution and coordination with the highway department and a land trust for temporary staging of material.

The plan covers public property only, Rooney and staff clarified. When a board-of-health member asked whether the plan addressed septic systems and private lots, Rooney said the document is limited to town-owned parcels: private properties will require separate orders of conditions if owners wish to conduct work. Staff repeated that the plan "is for the town properties only and not for managing private parcels," and that private landowners will need their own permitting under the Wetlands Protection Act.

The filing responds to recurring complaints and observed practices on East Beach Road, where staff said some landowners had moved material above mean high water or concealed boulders under nourishment. "Current practice utilized by some landowners will not be tolerated under this plan," staff told the commission and added that enforcement action will be taken if violations are observed. The plan also includes recommended special conditions to reflect Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) timing restrictions (for example, related to horseshoe-crab activity) and to address fueling and other operational concerns raised by state reviewers.

Public commenters urged the commission to consider stronger steps for dune recovery and nourishment. Resident Constinski asked whether closing a roughly 700-foot stretch of Beach Avenue to allow dune rebuilding had been considered; Rooney said the plan and grant process examined thresholds for reorienting roadway use but that any road-closure or phased closures would require broad stakeholder consensus and Select Board action. Kevin, president of the East Beach Improvement Association, asked whether the NOI and plan would lead the Select Board to set aside funding for nourishment; commissioners said large-scale nourishment and budgeting decisions rest with the Select Board and state agencies, not the Conservation Commission.

Staff recommended acceptance of the plan "to encourage proper management techniques along these barrier beaches," subject to the issuance of a file number and completion of natural-heritage comments, and the commission approved the motion. Next steps include review comments from MassDEP and Natural Heritage, incorporation of DMF comments and finalization of any special order-of-conditions language before the Select Board considers the plan for town-level implementation.

The acceptance does not authorize private property work; private owners seeking to spread overwash onto seaward portions of their lots will still need their own orders of conditions and must comply with state permits and timing restrictions. The commission emphasized the plan is intended to give town staff and contractors concise, implementable guidance for post-storm response and to reduce ad hoc or incompatible practices.

The commission's acceptance came with the caveat that final agency comments and the formal file number must be resolved before the plan is finalized and the Select Board considers any town-funded nourishment actions.