Posted on March 21, 2017
By Rich Harbert, Wicked Local
What’s the most pressing issue facing Plymouth Harbor?
The town’s first-ever harbor management plan identifies 10 main concerns for the harbor’s future, but one clearly emerged as the top priority as officials unveiled the draft plan Thursday.
Dredging the harbor will be extremely costly, but will be key to the future of all commercial and recreational activity in and around the harbor for the foreseeable future.
“Dredging is probably our Number 1 priority, but it’s costly and we’re not going to get it done immediately,” Harbormaster Chad Hunter said.
The town’s Harbor Committee presented the plan for discussion Thursday at a public hearing at Plymouth Community Intermediate School.
Urban Harbors Institute of UMass-Boston assembled the plan over the last year, working with the committee and commercial and recreational stakeholders to identify topics, goals and recommendations.
The plan identified 10 top issues facing the harbor: dredging, transient boating, moorings, public access, recreation and commercial fisheries and aquaculture, natural resources, water quality, harbor safety, climate change and tourism and education.
Hunter said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated the cost of dredging the harbor channel and anchorage at $12 million.
The federal government is responsible for funding the project, but the high cost could mean protracted delays. The town, with state assistance, is responsible for dredging other areas of the harbor.
Hunter said the disposal of dredged material dictates the cost.
Clean sand can be pumped ashore for as little as $20 per cubic yard. But contaminated material must be taken to specially lined landfills and can cost hundreds of dollars per cubic yard.
Hunter said the town is looking into reducing the transportation costs to New Hampshire and Maine landfills by seeing if dredged materials can be used as a landfill cap in Cedarville.
Hunter said the state has earmarked $2 million in an environmental bill for Plymouth Harbor. The town is trying to get the money released and begin dredging around State Pier and Town Wharf.
The management plan also details specific improvements to help the local fishing and aquaculture industry.
The town’s new pier, just weeks from completion, will accomplish much of that goal.
The pier will open in mid-April and will primarily be dedicated to commercial fishing.
A walkway near the pier will promote the fishing industry and encourage visitors to watch daily operations.
The new pier is being built without direct impact on local taxes. The state contributed $2 million and the town borrowed the other $2 million from its waterways users’ fund.
The management plan includes numerous recommendations for increasing opportunities for transient boating.
It plays on Plymouth’s strategic location between Boston and Cape Cod, looking to capitalize on visitors who can spend a night on the waterfront.
The transient plans are tied to the town’s mooring plan, which Hunter said is currently at its maximum with 650 moorings and a waiting list of 350 boaters.
The plan suggests rearranging the existing plan to add a few more spaces and make the system easier for visitors to understand.
Hunter said the town will be using Dockwa, an online reservation system, to promote overnight stays this year. He expects interest in transient boating to increase dramatically through the town’s 400th anniversary celebration in 2020.
There is also interest in the tall ship Lady Maryland visiting Plymouth this year for the Fourth of July.
The only section of the plan that found any criticism was a plan to connect Cordage Park to the downtown waterfront by running a tram along the existing North Plymouth bike path.
Residents of the condominium complex off Robbins Road said they are opposed to any plans to put motorized vehicles on the pathway.
Len Blaney, harbor planning committee chairman, said the tram idea was only included as a suggestion and would face a variety of regulatory reviews if it was ever even pursued.
Blaney said the harbor management plan is designed to act as a general guide for the town as it considers ways to improve the harbor over the next few decades. It will be especially important in seeking grants, when government agencies want to gauge community commitment and examine existing resources.
Blaney said the Harbor Committee will also use the plan to help prioritize future projects.
But while dredging will clearly be a priority, the many other aspects of the plans may be addressed as potential funding sources are identified.
Urban Harbors will hold one more public hearing on the draft plan April 6 at 6 p.m. at Plymouth Community Intermediate School. The final draft will then be presented to the Harbor Committee, which will then present it to selectmen.
Source: Wicked Local
