East Chop Bluff restoration advances after years of delay

Restoration of East Chop Bluff in Oak Bluffs will finally begin, after years of delay. 

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission unanimously voted to approve modifications to the town project during a Thursday night meeting. 

Commissioners deemed the $17 million project will overall benefit the community and environment by protecting nearby residences’ from climate change impacts like storms, improving stormwater management around the area, and restoring a scenic vista. 

Still, Tisbury Commissioner Ben Robinson argued that despite the overall benefits, the project was protecting human-made structures rather than preserving the natural environment. 

“We’re not doing it for the benefit of the environment, we’re doing it for the benefit of the built environment that we have,” Robinson said, referring to the public roadway and nearby houses. 

The work is being done on 2,400 feet of coastline along East Chop Drive. A 40,000-square-foot revetment at the site will be expanded to be 77,650 square feet, and augmented, which would prevent the shoreline from advancing toward the nearby residences. Additionally, a public walkway to the shoreline — compliant with federal disability laws — was proposed. The project will also feature a temporary pier and construction roadway while the work is being done. 

While the project was originally approved in 2018, it experienced snags that significantly delayed the process. Oak Bluffs Assistant Town Administrator Wendy Brough told The Times the town was awarded funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2019, but didn’t actually get the $10 million grant until 2022 due to COVID and other issues with the federal government. Tighe & Bond, the engineering consultant, then found “permitting discrepancies” and called for amendments to the approved design — including increasing the construction roadway and bolstering stability of the slope while the work was being done — which led to further delays. 

Brough said the restoration project is expected to begin at the end of 2025.