Yarmouth board backs follow‑up resiliency projects after two‑year MVP study of low‑lying roads

The Select Board on July 21 signaled support for next steps following a two‑year Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant that assessed emergency egress and neighborhood‑scale flooding vulnerabilities along the Route 28 corridor and in nearby low‑lying neighborhoods.

Consultant Britney Hoffnagle of Woods Hole Group summarized the team's work: Year 1 modeled how coastal flooding and storms would affect emergency vehicle service areas and travel times; Year 2 produced neighborhood vulnerability assessments and property report cards, and inventoried roughly 2,073 structures in the study area. "Year 1 really focused on that emergency routing and egress analysis," Hoffnagle said.

The analysis showed Route 28 as a critical corridor whose flooding can disrupt multiple routes and increase emergency response times. The consultants identified about 11 candidate road segments for targeted work (raising, culvert improvements, dune or shoreline projects) and put the results on an interactive website for residents and decision‑makers.

Board members acknowledged the project's value for grant competitiveness and budgeting. One member moved that the board support submitting an application to prioritize focused roadway projects under the next round of resilience funding; the motion passed. The board also approved sending a letter to MassDOT asking it to incorporate resiliency strategies into upcoming Route 28 work between the Barnstable town line and Parkers River.

Officials emphasized follow‑up: property report cards are informational only, not mandatory, and any construction project would require separate design, permitting and likely additional funding sources. The board directed staff to include the 11 priority projects in a package for future grant pursuit and to pursue coordination with state and regional partners.