On a mild afternoon, a few eiders bobbed up and down in the surf at Squibnocket Beach. Cars came and went from the town parking lot, which now juts out beyond the eroding shoreline on either side.
At hearings before the Chilmark conservation commission, critics renewed concerns about two beach restoration plans and how they will accommodate an eroding shoreline.
Facing a one-year deadline to complete a major restoration project at Squibnocket Beach, the Chilmark selectmen on Tuesday unanimously approved a concept plan for a new parking lot near the beach and a new boat launch at Squibnocket Pond.
Less than four months after voters approved a major restoration plan for Squibnocket Beach, the Chilmark selectmen have acquired two properties near the beach, where the plan calls for a new parking lot and a new access road to the homes at Squibnocket Farm.
Chilmark voters early this week unanimously backed a plan for restoring Squibnocket Beach, ending a seven-month public review. It was a striking departure from the contentious annual town meeting last April when an earlier plan was rejected.
Chilmark voters will gather at a special town meeting tonight for a series of decisions on the much-discussed restoration project at Squibnocket Beach. Five of eight articles on the warrant relate to the project.
Chilmark selectmen approved a warrant for a special town meeting Feb. 2 that aims to clear the way for a major restoration project at Squibnocket Beach. Voters will be asked whether to approve a plan developed by a town committee last year.
A recommendation for restoring the area around Squibnocket Beach was well received at a light-spirited gathering that stood in sharp contrast to an emotional annual town meeting in April.
A re-routed roadway running partly across a wetland, a new location for the parking lot and removal of an oceanfront stone revetment are among the draft recommendations. A public hearing is set for Dec. 18.
