Is The Partial Collapse Of The Geotubes An Immediate Threat To Public Safety?

Does Baxter Road face an immediate threat after a partial collapse of the geotube installation protecting the bluff? Town officials won’t say, but for now, the town hasn’t declared the erosion control project's partial collapse an emergency, suggesting they likely don't believe the road will become impassable soon.

The ‘Sconset Beach Preservation Fund has said the collapse, which they have attributed to vandalism, “threatens public safety.”

“This damage poses serious risks to the Sconset Bluff, Baxter Road, nearby utilities, and public access to one of Nantucket’s most important and cherished landmarks, the Sankaty Head Lighthouse,” SBPF wrote in a statement. “This section of geotube was constructed at the most vulnerable and erosion-prone stretch of the Sconset Bluff, directly in front of Baxter Road, where previous storm events demonstrated an imminent risk to the roadway and surrounding infrastructure.”

SBPF representatives did not respond when asked to clarify how soon they expect a serious threat to the safety of the road to materialize.

When asked directly whether there is an immediate threat to public safety, town officials did not reply. So far, the town has only commented on the collapse to say that they won’t comment, avoiding all other questions from the Current.

None of the town bodies empowered to do so have deemed the situation unfolding along the bluff an emergency. The Conservation Commission has indicated that an emergency declaration would be needed to permit immediate repair work.

Most of the erosion control project remains intact, including geotubes directly above the portion of the installation that was punctured, and there is no evidence that the road is currently unsafe.

SBPF claims that a failure of any part of the erosion control project compromises the whole array.

“Because the system functions as an integrated whole, damage to any portion compromises its overall integrity and increases the risk of further failure, particularly along the bluff-top adjacent to the road corridor at Baxter Road,” SBPF warned in a statement.

“This should be understood first and foremost as a serious threat to public safety and public infrastructure,” Meridith Moldenhauer, a representative of the Sconset Beach Preservation Fund, said. “Until repairs are made, the damage materially increases the risk to Baxter Road and the utilities it supports.”

The geotube array, first installed in 2014, has always been controversial, but there are no known previous instances of vandalism. Some local conservation groups have worried that the erosion control project will actually increase erosion at either end of the array by redirecting wave action, a fear that was backed up by a recent state report, which raised serious concerns about a proposal to expand the installation. SBPF is partnering with the town on the installation, which has hit several snags, including the sharply critical report from the state. SBPF has also struggled to supply required mitigation sand, which would limit the impact of the geotubes on nearby beaches.

Filled with a slurry of sand and water, the geotubes protect Baxter Road and the homes along it. They have staved off a plan to relocate the road that could ultimately cost tens of millions.

Separately, SBPF indicated that “an independent review by the geotextile manufacturer confirmed that the cuts were caused by a sharp instrument and are inconsistent with storm-related debris, wave action, or material failure, indicating deliberate damage to the system,” bolstering the case that the damage was the result of deliberate vandalism.