By Carol Britton Meyer

The final report of a committee that inventoried Hull’s waterfront access points envisions the numerous locations that dot the Hull peninsula as individual “gemstones” of a public park – an “aqua necklace” in the style of Boston’s Emerald Necklace – and seeks to form a constituency for supporting the creation, maintenance, and marketing of these sites “as a unique resource of the community of Hull.”

The Waterfront Access Committee, which includes a working group formed following an independent study of known access points by the Woods Hole Group, presented its report to the select board during a well-attended meeting Wednesday night in the Hull High School Exhibition Room.

Click here to read the full Waterfront Access Committee report

Click here for the committee’s presentation to the select board

The working group’s role was to work with the consultants to identify and develop an assessment of town-owned waterfront property, with the ultimate goal of providing public waterfront access wherever possible.

168 waterfront access points identified

The WHG study – which identified 168 waterfront access points in Hull, including the top 25 sites that could be improved – includes an assessment and prioritization of existing waterfront access, information about whether public access has been established and what type, parking availability, including handicapped parking spaces, and any coastal or wetland resource areas and flood paths.

After reviewing the Woods Hole report, the working group created teams to look at the sites mentioned.

Of the 25 specific locations where access could be improved, five sites in particular stood out for improvement. These are in the area of Rockview Road that extends down to the Weir River; George Washington Boulevard where the Hull Community Garden is located; off North Truro Street in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood; Island View Road at the intersection of Bay Street; and a location off Atlantic Avenue.

**HULL’S ‘AQUA NECKLACE:’** A new report by the Waterfront Access Committee analyzed how Hull residents get to the water in each neighborhood, and identified 12 sites for immediate improvement. The committee envisions the individual sites to be an ‘Aqua Necklace,’ similar to Boston’s Emerald Necklace string of public parks. Click the image to read the full report.

12 top-priority sites

Waterfront Access Committee Co-Chair David Kellem presented the 12 top-priority sites identified by the working group and the level of improvements that would be needed for each one.

The are Duck Lane near the Hull Village Cemetery, the Western Avenue stairs in Hull Village, James Avenue landing, Bradford Avenue on Allerton Hill, the A Street ramp and pier, Lewis Street Beach, Beech Avenue at Clifton Avenue on Sunset Point, Eighth Street at Edgewater Road, the Barnstable and North Truro ramp in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood, Weir River landing near the former town dump, the Malta Street Beach, and the North Truro/Barnstable/Dighton access point in the Annex and Priscilla Way/Eastman Road, bordering Straits Pond.

Both the select board and planning board, which met in joint session this week, accepted the report.

Next steps

Next steps include developing a unified physical and electronic map of all access points, funding immediate safety upgrades and accessibility improvements, ensuring equity and Americans with Disabilities Act access are central to project selection, conducting feasibility studies for large-scale projects, and prioritizing legal review of sites where public access is disputed.

Access points will be marked with stenciling rather than more intrusive signs. Community Preservation Act funding will likely be sought to help implement the overall waterfront access plan once it is finalized.

A replay of the meeting will be available on Hull Community Television and on demand at www.hulltv.net.

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