State Awards Oak Bluffs $1 Million for North Bluff Improvements
The ongoing waterfront redevelopment project along the North Bluff in Oak Bluffs got a major boost Tuesday with the announcement from Gov. Charlie Baker that the town will receive $1 million in state grant money for further infrastructure improvements.
The ongoing waterfront redevelopment project along the North Bluff in Oak Bluffs got a major boost Tuesday with the announcement from Gov. Charlie Baker that the town will receive $1 million in state grant money for further infrastructure improvements.
In total, nearly $8 million in state Seaport Economic Council grants will go to support 17 maritime projects across the commonwealth, the Baker administration said in a press release.
The town of Gosnold will also receive $425,000 to convert a Coast Guard boathouse on Cuttyhunk to a visitor welcome center for tourists arriving by ferry and recreational boaters.
“These grants are investments in a commonwealth and a workforce on the rise,” Lieut. Gov. Karen Polito said in the press release.
The North Bluff project in Oak Bluffs dates back for years and began in 2008, after a portion of the seawall at the town beach collapsed.
In 2016, with the aid of state grant money and Community Preservation Act funds, the town set out to rebuild the seawall with a pedestrian boardwalk on top of it. Renourishment of the beachfront soon followed, using sand dredged from Sengekontacket Pond and funded by the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program action grant. Most recently, new wooden groins were installed, and this summer 2,000 native rosa rugosa bushes were planted along the bluff.
The project is also seen as a coastal climate resiliency project to help the town address sea level rise and stronger storms.
The state grant announced Tuesday aims to enhance transportation and pedestrian connections with the Oak Bluffs business district. Planned improvements include adding bus and taxi loading lanes and a rotary, redesigning the queuing area at the high-speed ferry terminal, updating signs for wayfarers, and a new shelter for passengers transferring from ferry to bus, according to the state announcement.
The grant is contingent on matching funds from the town.
The Seaport Economic Council provides funding for coastal communities to support innovative projects that promote job creation and economic growth, among other things. Lieutenant Governor Polito chairs the council.
Comments
Congratulations to all who
Nancy Dowling EdgartownCongratulations to all who made this happen!
will the new renovation
rob the roofer new jerseywill the new renovation support vehicle traffic back onto east chop drive?
I hope not.
Kelce OBI hope not.
Sure hope not, until the
Nancy East ChopSure hope not, until the bluff can be reinforced as needed.
This is for the North Bluff,
EdThis is for the North Bluff, not East Chop.
The entire North Bluff area
Appreciative Native OBThe entire North Bluff area is a wonderful enhancement of Oak Bluff's waterfront. It is great to see necessary infrastructure (the seawall and beach protecting Seaview Ave. and the downtown area) and recreation- the beach, boardwalk and pier. Very good and innovative work! I am sure considerable time and effort went into wrangling engineers - state and federal bureaucrats, permitting, grant writing and all of the little things that go into these grants. In looking at the limited staffing in the Town Hall, I wonder how this work gets done while at the same time trying to get a town hall off the ground, attending to daily business and dealing with a pandemic. We appreciate all of your efforts.
Good job. Looking forward to
Chris Mara EdgartownGood job. Looking forward to them getting it done. BTW, rosa rugosa are NOT native. They came from east asia. They are effective in controlling erosion but they can be like a weed in getting rid of them.
...and perfect for a beach
Kelce OB...and perfect for a beach area.
This is a wonderful and well
Judy Venonsky Pennington, NJThis is a wonderful and well executed project. The article mentions Rosa rugosa as native; it is native to Asia not North America. It is not invasive however and I have noticed companion plantings which are native. Not so much a critique as a correction to the article.
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