Annabella Zinnini studies the waves at Squibnocket. The town hopes to manage erosion at the Atlantic-facing shoreline through engineered changes, including a raised causeway.
Timothy Johnson

Appeal Could Delay Shoreline Project at Squibnocket

<p>A project to re-engineer the eroding shoreline at Squibnocket Beach has hit a new potential roadblock with a group of residents asking the state for further review.

A project to re-engineer the eroding shoreline at Squibnocket Beach has hit a new potential roadblock with a group of Chilmark residents appealing to the state for further review.

Building an elevated causeway, removing a revetment along the Atlantic-facing shoreline and relocating a town parking lot are the key components of two plans that comprise the Squibnocket project, which went through two years of exhaustive debate and study before winning approval in 2015 and 2016 by town voters, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the conservation commission.

The two projects together have been billed as managed shoreline retreat, although some residents have questioned the need to install solid structures near the eroding shoreline. Concerns have focused mostly on the steel-and-concrete causeway, which would stand about 11 feet high and provide access to the homes at Squibnocket Farm, an isolated promontory.

The conservation commission unanimously approved both projects on May 25, following four public hearings.

A June 13 petition signed by 20 Chilmark residents asks the state Department of Environmental Protection to overrule the conservation commission by issuing a superseding order of conditions for the causeway.

Led by Blacksmith Valley resident Doug Liman, the appeal claims the town violated local zoning laws and the Wetlands Protection Act in permitting the causeway project. It calls for additional approval by the town zoning board of appeals and argues that a notice of intent understates the potential harm to wetlands and the barrier beach.

“I take issue with the construction of something of this magnitude without all alternatives being explored and without the true impact on such a sensitive resource area being demonstrated,” the petition reads in part. “I take issue with the project not conforming to local zoning bylaws. And I take issue with the project being mislabeled as the moving of an existing causeway.”

The Chilmark selectmen announced the appeal at their meeting last week. The Squibnocket Farm Homeowners Association, which is funding the causeway portion of the project, has filed a request for dismissal. Town counsel Ronald Rappaport has written in support of the dismissal, the selectmen said.

The town has twice received a major Coastal Zone Management grant for its portion of the project, but both times the deadline came and went as public debate continued. The town reapplied this year, and with all the permits in place, had hoped to begin construction in September. It is unclear whether the appeal will hold up both projects, or if the town portion could move forward on its own.

Selectmen said the town had not received a response from the DEP.

The petition is signed by the following: Robert S. Dietz, Matthew Dix, Chris Fischer, Paul S. Hornblower, Rosalie Hornblower, Andrew Kaufman, Doug Liman, Sophie McNally, Rebecca Miller, Willits Sawyer, Abigail Soloman, Jason Teuscher, Kate Treitman, Elisabeth A. VanVeen, Carina Wallance, Daniel Wallance, Gregory J. Wallance, Lisanna Wallance, Luke Weinstock and Lynne Williams.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/09/2016 - 09:28

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Emily Earth

They'll destroy the magic. Brave petitioners, and all Squibby lovers:

Fight the good fight with all your might! Let your voices be heard! There is a way that will not compromise the integrity of the land. Find it!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/10/2016 - 10:59

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Harriet Hornblower 01827

Having spent many a summer and fall at Squibnocket Farm, I have concerns about the elevated causeway and removal of the parking lot to the beach at Chilmark. I believe my grandfather leased or gave the parking lot to the Town of Chilmark. Today the lot is appropriately located. So I wonder where this parking space would be relocated to.
Secondly I have letters and photographs testifying to the impact of winter storms on this landscape. As anyone the least bit interested in geological and metereological history of Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod would know the beaches and channels shift, even radically so.
Building the proposed elevated causeway would not guarantee it could survive a storm like the hurricane of 1939 and would be costly to repair. Furthermore, it ruins the zeitgist of the landscape.
Sincerely,
Harriet Hornblower

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/10/2016 - 22:29

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Martha Magee Here, There, Everywhere

I'm with Harriet and Emily and all who love Squibnocket.

Don't it always seem to go
that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise
and put up a parking lot

OO La La La

Don'tcha do it

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/11/2016 - 20:20

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Steve McQuiggan Chilmark

The current state of the beach at Squibnocket is due to the poorly designed and constructed wall that was first built after hurricane Bob in 1992, and has had multiple repairs since then. The slope of the wall actually adds to the erosion, rather than abating it. When Bob broke through the road to Squibnocket Farms it pushed a lot of sand from the beach into the pond. That sand essentialy never came back. The town and the road association missed a golden opportunity after Bob and two more storms made a mess of the area. That was when an elevated causeway or even a large culvert should have been installed. An ideal rebuild would have allowed some exchange between the pond and the ocean at times of extreme tides. If that had been done, the beach would probably be four times as wide as it is today.
But, the post Bob and "No Name" rebuild was a sloppy, quick fix done to save money. Penny wise and pound foolish, as they say.
For the record, I wish the original plan and design and been able to move forward without these Summer people throwing a monkey wrench in the works because they don't want their view "spoiled". Can these Hollywood types please find another island to infest? Thank you.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/14/2016 - 17:35

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Islander Too

It does seem as though lack of a sand at Squibnocket beach is driving a lot of this megaproject.
I can't help feeling that a steel causeway is not the way to go at beautiful Squibnocket.
Destroying the place to "save" it? There are other beaches in Chilmark . . .

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/16/2016 - 16:22

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Lacey MV

McQuiggan, Your Them and Us point of view does not help, and only serve to divide. Sound suggestions offered up with a positive spirit do.

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