BARNSTABLE – A group of property owners in the Blish Point neighborhood of Barnstable Village continue to deal with impacts from winter storm flooding.
Several residents in the area between Maraspin Creek and Millway Beach appeared before the Barnstable Town Council last week as they continue to continue to fight for assistance in putting in place mediation efforts to avoid future floods.
The coordinator of the Blish Point Citizens for a Flood-Resistant Neighborhood Peter Halesworth that it is important for residents to work together with the town.
“We know there is still much work to be done,” he said, “and the sooner all levels of government, stakeholders, and citizens are working together for flood resistance, the better.”
Blish residents chided members of the council for not doing more to establish a plan to protect their properties.
“We are mutually dependent, as a growing amount of tax dollars from our neighborhood – $2 million in property tax levied in 2018 – is exchanged for town services.” Halesworth told the council, “This $2 million pays for the salaries of all the firefighters – for all of the town’s precincts. If our home values decrease, the town’s wallet will suffer and impact services.”
On behalf of his neighbors, Halesworth praised work being done on the state level to secure infrastructure improvements to the area.
A $2 billion environmental bond bill passed earlier this month by the State Senate includes an amendment with $1.3 million in funding for flood prevention efforts for the Blish Point neighborhood.
The funding would finance a study, design and construction for flood resistance efforts to protect the neighborhood’s 30 homes.
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