The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management has awarded the Town of Hull a $252,000 grant to help pay for plans for a combined public works and light plant building at West Corner that will be protected from sea level rise, storm surge, and flooding at high tides.

**COMBO PLAN.** The town is considering a proposal to replace the DPW barn at West Corner with a building that would combine the highway department and light plant into a single structure. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS.

A CZM grant awarded in 2023 funded an evaluation of the two existing facilities, which are both currently in the floodplain. Both are considered to be undersized and beyond their serviceable life. The main light plant was built in 1880, with several additions and outbuildings added over the years. The highway department garage was built in 1946. Climate resiliency measures would be built into the new building, which would replace the brick DPW barn at 9 Nantasket Ave.

Preliminary reports by the town recommended designing new buildings with floodproofing and climate resiliency measures.

Hull’s grant was one of 12 projects receiving a total of $3.8 million in CZM’s Coastal Resilience Grant Program. Grants advance feasibility assessments, public outreach and engagement, design, permitting and implementation of projects.

“Erosion and storm damage already threaten homes, businesses, roads and infrastructure along the 1,500 miles of coastline in Massachusetts, and impacts are getting worse,” Governor Maura Healey said when announcing the grants. “With these Coastal Resilience Grant awards, we are investing in solutions to protect housing affordability, business competitiveness and safety in coastal communities.”

Hull’s current DPW building area is 21,702 square feet, and the proposed structure would dedicate 25,256 square feet to these uses. The current HMLP building area is 12,407 square feet, while the proposed building is 12,795 square feet. The new building at West Corner would feature six equipment storage bays for the DPW (facing the Hall Estate side of the property) and four bays for the light plant (facing the Weir River).

“Investing in resilient coasts supports strong local economies and healthy communities in the face of worsening climate change impacts,” said state Rep. Joan Meschino. “We appreciate the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s partnership. This investment in our local infrastructure and public safety building means that for years to come, residents of Hull can continue to be prepared to address increasing inundation events, more intense storms and extreme weather events.”

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management is the lead policy and planning agency on coastal and ocean issues within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

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