Tisbury has received $78,750 in federal funding for the design stages of a reconstructed seawall along Beach Road in Vineyard Haven.
According to a letter from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the town received Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its “Beach Road Resiliency Improvements Project Scoping.”
Tisbury town administrator John Grande says it took a few years to land the grant, but funding is a significant step forward in protecting Beach Road from stronger storms and erosion.
“Beach Road is a major road for Tisbury and the whole Island,” Grande said. “This is a vital seawall, protecting access to the hospital. The goal is to keep that road open and make it more resilient to climate change. It’s a very good thing for the town and the Island that we’re able to undertake this.”
According to FEMA, the Beach Road seawall is experiencing accelerated degradation because of age, increased severity and frequency of coastal storms, and sea level rise.
“The seawall currently overtops and floods the roadway during storm events,” the FEMA memo states. “The project aims to improve public safety, incorporate nature-based solutions, and protect valuable shellfish resources in Lagoon Pond. The project would incorporate sea-level rise elevations and address storm surge and wave runup for Vineyard Haven Harbor.”
The scoping project will develop a “revised conceptual design” based on past plans.
Tisbury originally got support from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, which submitted the application to FEMA on behalf of the town.
Grande said the seawall project can cost millions of dollars. But on top of the awarded grant funding, up to 75 percent of “approved, allowable, and eligible costs” are reimbursable for the project. Any changes to the project will need to be approved by MEMA and FEMA to be eligible for grant reimbursements.
This funding is a good first step it is; however, a proverbial drop in the bucket even for the “design phase” of this project.
My hope is that more folks see clearly how important this road is in Islanders ability to reach the hospital in a timely and safe way.
The sea is rising. It is coming far faster and higher than most realize.
All projects in this area must be done with clear coordination between the state and town. The Five Corners project is linked and should be thought of as such.
Any work to rebuild of the sea wall should also include raising the roadway. If we don’t ensure that the use of our new bridge and access to the hospital will be severely compromised.