In a letter sent to the board Monday, Trustees attorney Dylan Sanders reiterated the organization’s longstanding position that the Dike Bridge is not under Trustees’ ownership, and therefore it is not responsible for funding any repairs.
After the Edgartown select board requested that the Trustees of Reservations devote a portion of its beach sticker sales revenue to urgent Dike Bridge repairs, the regional land conservation nonprofit is now urging the town to look towards state funding.
The Trustees is currently seeking approval from the town conservation commission to sell oversand vehicle permits for its Chappaquiddick properties accessible via the Dike Bridge. On Oct. 23, the select board sent a letter to the conservation commission recommending that the Trustees only receive approval on condition that a portion of the organization’s permit sales go towards funding repairs to the Dike Bridge’s aging bulkhead.
In a letter sent to the board Monday, Trustees attorney Dylan Sanders reiterated the organization’s longstanding position that the Dike Bridge is not under Trustees’ ownership, and therefore it is not responsible for funding any repairs.
Mr. Sanders also said the commission doesn’t have the authority to require the Trustees allocate funds to public infrastructure and recommended that the Trustees and the town work together to secure state funding for the estimated $4.3 million in needed repairs.
The last time the bridge saw significant capital repairs was in 1995. Costs totaled $182,256 and were paid for by the state.
“Neither the Town nor the Trustees can bear the necessary expense,” Mr. Sanders wrote. “But by working together, and with the support of the Town’s state legislative delegation, the Trustees are confident that the funding needed to rebuild the Causeway and bulkhead can be secured.”
In a recent conservation commission hearing, residents also claimed that chronic vehicle traffic by Trustees permit holders was a primary cause of the disrepair. Mr. Sanders countered those claims.
“The Causeway’s condition is a function of the fact that the bulkhead is 170 years old, that it has been exposed to harsh and often extreme elements throughout that time, and the fact that the eastern portion of the bulkhead was not rebuilt in 1995, when the western portion of the bulkhead was rebuilt,” Mr. Sanders wrote.
The public hearing to review the Trustees’ oversand vehicle access will continue on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
Comments
Would it hurt the Trustees
Danny East ChopWould it hurt the Trustees coffers if the bridge goes into disrepair?
TTOR needs to start acting
Mark VHTTOR needs to start acting seriously and responsibly on this. Without an "open" Dike Bridge, there will be no market for their over-sand permits and therefore, there will be no revenue. It's time for the Trustees' posturing to stop, and for them to recognize that the financial responsibility for the bridge's repairs needs to be shared with the town.
The Trustees must financially
Rich EdgartownThe Trustees must financially support a portion of these bridge repairs. In turn, they must be granted long term OSV access for permit holders (subject to reasonable conditions). It's time for all parties to move forward. It's time to get practical. Stop the finger pointing and the endless meetings regarding OSV access.
Stop the finger pointing,
Albert GosnoldStop the finger pointing, stop OSVs
The Trustees have lost so
Jim EdgartownThe Trustees have lost so much trust over the past few years. Their financial reports show hundreds of millions of dollars they have in cash. Why aren't they contributing their fair share?
Jim, they have other
Albert GosnoldJim, they have other properties that they manage.
Give them credit for being financially responsible.
Who gets to determine what is fair, Jim?
Just close the bridge down
Freddy TisburyJust close the bridge down for one year and see if The Trustees change their mind. Close it completely.
Edgartown owns the land at
Carlos Degotta Vineyard HavenEdgartown owns the land at both ends of bridge what’s the question . They own it no matter how many feet are stomped, crying unfair doesn’t change the land deeds, and as far as Trustees loss of revenue it would be reverse less traffic equals less rangers.
A chronic problem with the
Gary VHA chronic problem with the Trustees is that they rarely properly maintain their properties. A good look at many of their lands show eroded trails, broken/deteriorated steps, dilapidated bridgeworks. Their policy is to buy, build and forget. They always seem to forget about maintaining a property and move on to the next shiny new object to purchase. I would love to see them spend a years’ worth of budget money exclusively on maintenance projects for the properties only! As for the Dike bridge, cooperation between the Town and the Trustees, working together, seems like the common sense approach. They both have a stake in having a safe and well maintained access to Pogue.
It’s time for the town to use
Lulu EdgartownIt’s time for the town to use eminent domain to take the necessary rights to put this constant bickering behind us. We need to open the beaches to the public, our tourist economy depends on it.
The trustees, the town and
Mike EdgartownThe trustees, the town and the homeowners on cape pogue should all evenly split the costs.
as far as I can tell, this
don keller Vineyard Havenas far as I can tell, this bridge is only about 75 ft. long.
Someone is thinking much too complicated on how to repair it.
I just can't wrap my head around what could cost $4.3 million.
Get 2 80 ft 20 inch I beams, pound 2 steel columns in the middle ( ask the guys at the Vineyard wind projects how to do it) cover it with 10 ft wide precast road panels and put a railing up.
Simple-- couldn't cost more than $2 million --likely less than one,and would last until sea level rise washes the whole place away.
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