Wessagussett Walk
In February 2017, the Town of Weymouth secured a $184,000 Seaport Economic Council (SEC) Capital Grant to study, design, and permit a pedestrian walkway between George Lane Beach and Wessagusset Beach in North Weymouth. This project seeks to double the length of accessible open space between the two beaches and enhance opportunities for passive recreation along the Town's historic waterfront.
The Town Waterfront Plan, prepared in 1988, was the first planning document to propose a pedestrian connection between the “old beach” (Wessagusset) and the “new beach” (George Lane). The two beaches are separated by approximately 2,000 feet of coastline that is inaccessible at high tide and largely inaccessible at low tide due to large quantities of boulders, cobblestones, and concrete debris in the intertidal zone. The Wessagussett Walk Project will (a) design and permit a pedestrian walkway to traverse this section of shoreline and (b) create a vegetation management plan to re-landscape and stabilize the length of the abutting coastal bank. The goals of the project include the following:
- Remove concrete debris from the intertidal zone.
- Increase access to the shoreline for people of all ages and abilities.
- Enhance opportunities for passive recreation.
- Restore access between the shoreline and "shelf" at Wessagusset Road.
In March 2017, the Town hired Coastal Engineering Company (CEC) of Orleans to design and permit the new beach connection. Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture (KZLA) of Boston will prepare the project's vegetation management plan.
Seaport Economic Council
The Seaport Economic Council (SEC) helps coastal communities develop and improve local waterfront assets to facilitate economic growth. The SEC serves all 78 of Massachusetts’ coastal communities and helps these communities use their unique economic assets to grow the economy and unlock job creation. The SEC also assists coastal communities in preparing for the impacts of climate change.
The SEC was re-launched by Governor Charlie Baker in August 2015 with a mission to deepen the Commonwealth's maritime economy, promote economic development, and support resilient infrastructure from the North Shore to Cape Cod and the South Coast. The SEC Capital Grant Program awards competitive grants for locally grown ideas and projects that support these goals.
Related Documents/Links
- Announcement: Public Comment Period, US Army Corps of Engineers, Section 408 Permit
- NOI Application Package, Wessagussett Walk (Jun 2019)
- ENF Request for Information Response (CEC, Jul 2018)
- ENF Filing Package (CEC, Jun 2018)
- NOI Application Package (CEC, May 2018)
- Video: Public Meeting #2 (WETC, Feb 2018)
- Presentation: Public Meeting #2 (DPCD, Feb 2018)
- Presentation: Public Meeting #2 (DPCD, Feb 2018)
- Draft Coastal Bank Restoration Guidelines (KZLA, Nov 2017)
- Coastal Bank Vegetation Management Assessment (KZLA, Oct 2017)
- Video: Public Meeting #1 (WETC, May 2017)
- Presentation: Public Meeting #1 (DPCD, May 2017)
- Announcement: Public Meeting #1 (DPCD, May 2017)