BARNSTABLE – Erosion is a constant along the entire coastline of Cape Cod.
The Sandy Neck Board recently met to discuss the future of resiliency efforts at Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable.
The barrier beach has not suffered as much damage as Provincetown’s Herring Cove has; but according to Sandy Neck Beach Park manager Nina Coleman, it’s enough to warrant concern.
“The area we’re concerned about is really just in front of the infrastructure like the parking lot and the bathhouse,” she said. “It’s a fairly resilient beach, but overall, we do have erosion in that area.”
Three options were discussed at the last board meeting, including traditional, “soft” nourishment which would simply bring in more sand.
Another option, “hard” shore protection, would install a solid stone revetment or cantilever bulkhead near the affected areas. Coleman said that is currently not permitted, however, under government-mandated guidelines the park is subject to.
Lastly, Coleman said they could just move the parking lot back by an as-yet undetermined amount of yards, adjusting predicted shoreline loss and sea level rise.
These options were presented as a result of a study funded by a State Coastal Zone Management Grant which was conducted by CLE Engineering.
Coleman said the project hopes to prevent beach and corresponding infrastructure loss over the next 50 years.
Since 2013, the park has been forced to conduct emergency parking lot stabilizations which cost the town over $250,000.
Though Coleman said the current options won’t exactly be cheap, it will likely save the town money in the long run if the chosen solution does not end up having to be repaired each year.
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