Council hears $5.5 million seawall estimate; engineering work and permitting needed before construction

Council discussed marina stabilization and seawall options after EDAC recommended taking advantage of low water levels to perform geotechnical work. An engineering firm provided a general contractor maximum price estimate including engineering, contingencies and dewatering that staff described as close to $5.5 million. "The $5,500,000... I'm telling you today is a real number," the town engineer said, and staff noted the master plan figures from earlier years (about $1 million) are outdated and insufficient for current costs.

Council members asked for a clearer project scope, permitting timeline (Army Corps and other federal permits could add months), and a financial analysis examining whether the town would recover project costs through marina improvements. Staff said geotechnical borings and a targeted update to the marina master plan would be the immediate next steps and that geotech work may be possible while water is low but could still require permitting that delays field work.