Posted on June 24, 2026
By Monica Sager
The Swampscott Conservation Commission listened and asked questions on Tuesday to a notice of intent application to rebuild the seawall at Mission on the Bay.
In May 2023, a section of the seawall beneath the waterfront restaurant collapsed into the ocean. The building was evacuated and no injuries were reported after part of the restaurant briefly hung over King’s Beach. Mission on the Bay reopened about a month later after emergency repairs were completed.
“It was authorized through the commission and all the other state agencies,” said LEC Environmental Director Anne Marton. “It remains in place and has been periodically inspected by GeoEngineers.”
Since 2023, LEC has developed base plans, conducted historical research, and evaluated various repair options. Information meetings were held in Swampscott and Lynn, and in April, LEC and Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) officials conducted a site visit.
The team is now pursuing a more durable, long-term solution.
The proposed project calls for the construction of a rock revetment, a sloped protective barrier designed to support the failed section of seawall. The revetment will extend about 30 feet from the wall, according to Marton. The seawall itself would not be modified. Instead, the project would reinforce it with additional rock protection.
“It curves around on each end to ensure that it protects the seawall on each end,” Marton said. “From an engineering perspective, the revetment is a softer approach than a wall might be.”
The project area includes coastal banks and beaches, blue mussel habitat, and areas subject to coastal flooding.
“The revetment is sloping to minimize interaction with waves and tides and minimize disturbances,” Marton said. “It will continue to provide habitat for the spawning blue mussel.”
Marton also added that the group is willing to have a time limit on the project to not only allow the mussels to continue to thrive but also minimize disturbances with visitors on the beach.
Boulder materials will be temporarily stockpiled in quantities sufficient for roughly a day’s work, a process Marton said would be similar to the emergency repairs completed in 2023.
The commission continued the hearing to July 28, pending the results of a peer review.
“We’ve been chatting with the town for some time but we are very recently under contract,” said peer reviewer Briony Angus, the vice president at Tighe and Bond. “We have not provided any peer review…Our plan will be to probably touch base with the town and commission to talk about a timeline to provide our written comments.”
The LEC group will also need to apply for a building permit. The revetment construction is not expected to be completed this year, but owner Marty Bloom said a contractor is ready to start when everything is approved.
