Westport in Brief!
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Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Quick Article Index . . .
Westport's Energy Committee is
reorganized.
|
Westport's Energy Committee is reorganized. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, August 30, 2011 Selectman Antone Vieira was elected chairman
and Edward Goldberg vice chair as the Energy Committee was reorganized at
last night's town hall meeting. New members joined an existing town board
already committed to the Hixbridge Road wind
turbine, and tried to find a mutual way forward with the controversial
commercial energy project. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, August 30, 2011 Photos by EverythingWestport.com
Many of the perennial summer residents were left without a spot on
which to park their trailers after tropical storm Irene wreaked havoc on East
Beach; in some areas as much as fifty feet of shoreline was lost. Damaged sheds, platforms and wooden walkways littered the area and,
along with large rocks, cobblestones, sand and other bulky debris, made the
road impassable, only open to foot traffic. Septic system tight tanks were exposed and raised concerns over
sanitary conditions, and as of yesterday power had not been turned off to the
tropical storm-ravaged area, posing a potential threat to unsuspecting
property owners as many electrical wires were down. They looked to Selectmen for the next step in their eventual return to
their East Beach properties. "We'll bring you up-to-date with what we have right now," Board
of Selectman Chairman, Richard Spirlet, told the
residents. Many may have lost their lots to erosion for good. And there’s no telling when many of the summer
residents can return to their Irene-ravaged property along East Beach. It's Spirlet's opinion
that some type of permanent barrier, like rocks, to protect the vulnerable
seaside road must be put into place. “We keep doing the same thing and we keep getting
the same results,” Spirlet said. “Clearly, we have
to do something different.” Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Management has frowned against installing man-made barriers to protect
eroding oceanfront. However, East Beach Road is only one of two evacuation
routes for Horseneck and Horseneck Point residents and vacationers, the other
being the Route 88 bridge. Disabling one permanently puts residents at risk
if the Route 88 bridge becomes impassable. It's Highway Surveyor Jack Sisson's opinion that the
blacktop is gone. “The selectmen are going to have to decide what to do with
that,” said Sisson. “The blacktop is gone. We’d have to start from
scratch." Westport's Russell Plamondon rents a lot on
the north side of East Beach Road and for the most part he escaped unscathed.
His neighbor across the road on the water side wasn't so lucky. "She lost maybe 50 feet of water frontage and basically has no
solid ground left on which to put her trailer," Plamondon
said. "My next door neighbor's lot was washed away by a tidal river
from the ocean to the Let, Plamondon
added. "I guess I was real lucky." Westport resident Jack De Veuve asked what
he should do with an abutter's structural debris washed onto his lot. "My lot seems to be nice and clear," De Veuve
said. "But I have someone else's platform on it. Am I responsible for
removing that?" "Should I push it out onto the street," he joked.
Left: Westport resident Jack De Veuve
asks a question while Police Chief Keith Pelletier looks on. Right:
Resident Russell Plamondon points to the spot where
his neighbor's trailer used to be parked.
Below left: Washed out lot on
East Beach Road. But many troubling issues lurk in Irene's wake, and residents aren't
hearing any definitive answers.
Selectman Steven Ouellette suggested that East Beach residents give
the select board their emails, and the Selectmen would communicate via
"group email" as answers became clear about the repair permitting
process and eventual return of the trailers. "If the Board of Health has an issue coming up and we're going to
be talking about East Beach. . .
bang, we send out an email. If you choose to show up,
good, if not that's ok," Spirlet said. "Anything involving going back, or issues involving the Board of
Health, Fire Chief, Police Chief or Highway Department, we'll work it through
the Selectmen's office for now," Spirlet said.
"We'll do the best we can." The Fire Chief said once the road is sweeped
they'd go back and re-evaluate the situation. "Right now we have service
holes (electrical utilities) in the tidal waters. I know the electrical
inspector has issues with that. When high tide is up they're in the
water." "Once the road is open, at least up to where the red spot is,
people can go back and assess their properties," the Chief said. Spirlet advised residents to have their trailer
permits in their possession when they go back down to work on their lots. "We have no intentions of keeping the residents, the land owners,
out of that area."
Left: A large, weighty sea turtle, exhausted and
battered by the strong surf and tides, lost its way and expired on the
shattered road. Right: the sea-side of East Beach Road was a jumbled mass of
wreck and ruin, with smashed sheds, platforms, fences and all sorts of rocks
and debris left behind in Irene's destructive wake.
Now What? 750 feet
of East Beach Road looks like a scene from an apocalyptic future. Completely destroyed
by Irene's wrath, the shattered road has thrown the town into a quandary as to
what to do next. - - - - - End - - - - - ©
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