Nantucket Coastal Conservancy Looks Ahead To Challenges In 'Sconset In 2025

To the editor: As we look ahead to the New Year and the challenges it will pose for Nantucket’s precious natural shorelines, we are filled with renewed commitment. We are more determined than ever to do everything we can to protect and preserve our island’s coastal resource areas in this era of climate change and rising sea level.

Our current challenges are greatest in Sconset, where an abandoned geotube seawall still occupies almost a thousand feet of our public beach at the base of Sankaty Bluff. Now in its tenth winter storm season, the fully exposed seawall continues to narrow the fronting beach, and starve downdrift beaches of natural nourishment. Sadly, our Select Board fails to hold the owners of the project accountable, despite SBPF’s many broken promises to bring the installation into compliance by providing the required sand mitigation, maintenance, and monitoring.

Meanwhile the Conservation Commission has been hearing an application to expand the geotubes four-fold to 4,710 feet – almost a mile long. In a preliminary vote taken in early December, four of the five Commissioners hearing the application voted to grant waivers to allow the expansive new project. In doing so they ignored clear evidence that the geotubes are causing harm to the coastal resource areas protected by the law, and that there are practical alternatives to the proposed expansion. The Chair of the Commission, a scientist certified by Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, was the sole vote against granting such a waiver, citing the Nantucket Wetland Bylaw.

While this preliminary vote by the Commission is disappointing, it is not unexpected: since 2020, a majority of the Select Board has consistently voted to oust experienced, qualified commissioners in favor of people who are open to hard-armoring Nantucket’s shoreline, despite the strict statewide limits against coastal engineering structures.

Thanks to the foresight of Coastal Conservancy founding member Catherine Flanagan Stover and the wisdom of Nantucket’s voters, Annual Town Meeting will have the final say as to whether Town property can be used for this massive expansion proposal.

Protecting our island’s pristine natural coastline remains a formidable challenge. But we are inspired by the numerous islanders, both year-round and seasonal residents, young and old alike, who continue to offer their support. Please join us. Together we will prevail, in 2025 and beyond.

With hopeful expectations for the New Year from the Board of Directors of the Nantucket Coastal Conservancy.

Burton Balkind
President, Nantucket Coastal Conservancy