As the potential hefty costs for an upgraded high school weigh on members of the Chilmark Select Board, town officials decided to postpone their decision on upgrades to Menemsha Harbor, which include a revamp of the dock that was last reconstructed over 30 years ago.
During the select board meeting on May 5, after they heard recommendations from its commercial dock and replacement working group, the board decided to postpone further discussion on any harbor upgrades until its second meeting in June. Board members said they want to better understand the fiscal impact of the pending high school project before making any final decisions.
The Commercial Fishing Dock Working Group, composed of Ryan D. Rossi, who is Chilmark harbormaster, Peter Neilley, Thomas Ruimerman, and Matthew Mayhew, as well as select board member Jeffrey Maida created four conceptual plans, which they presented last week, for repairs and upgrades to the Menemsha Harbor commercial fishing dock. The plans were developed with Childs Engineering, the Bellingham-based firm hired for the project.
The existing dock was last reconstructed in 1987 and had approximately 10 to 15 years left in its lifespan if significant repairs and preventative maintenance are not completed, as of a March 2022 waterfront inspection report by Childs Engineering. Of the four options, the working group recommended the select board consider option one and option three.
Option one focuses on repairs to existing structures and extends the dock’s life by an estimated 10 to 20 years. It lacked, however, improvements to resiliency, like significantly addressing sea level rise. Because of this, the working group said that it was unlikely to attract major grant funding. It is estimated to cost around $1.5 million.
Option three is a more comprehensive approach that includes replacing the bulkhead and constructing a new dock at a higher elevation to account for sea level rise. It is estimated to cost roughly $8.8 million.
Meanwhile, option two would repair the wharf and raise it to a higher elevation for better protection against rising sea levels. This was estimated to cost around $9.2 million. Option four would be a full upgrade of the existing dock, like in option two, but also the addition of a new floating dock system rather than a fixed timber wharf. It is estimated to cost $8.6 million.
Option one and three were presented by the working group as the most viable paths forward that aligned with the Chilmark Master Plan.
The working group and select board both stressed adherence to the master plan, which identifies maintaining the character of Menemsha, while continuing functionality, as a primary focus.
Rossi mentioned that the Seaport Economic Council, a state government group that helps coastal communities develop to facilitate economic growth, showed interest in providing up to $3 million in grant funding if the town chooses to go with option three.
“It addressed sea level rise, but also their main goal, or their driving factor for wanting to help on this project, is because we are one of the only commercial fishing ports in the Commonwealth that allows dockage for commercial fishing vessels, free of cost,” added Rossi.
The select board ultimately decided to table the decision until after the high school project vote on June 2, which asks Islanders whether to move forward with the $333.5 million high school project that would mean Chilmark residents pay their $21,310,800 share. The dock upgrades will be discussed again at the second select board meeting of June. The agenda is not yet posted on Chilmark’s town website.
“I think it’s going to be difficult to just take the issue to the voters until we know about some of these projects,” Rebecca Haag, the newest select board member, said toward the end of discussions last Tuesday.
Chilmark Town Administrator Tim Carroll highlighted that the school vote is right around the corner and important to Islanders.
“The school votes in June, so that’s going to be a big one,” said Carroll.