ClICK THE IMAGE FOR THE FULL PRESENTATION FROM THE DCR.

By Carol Britton Meyer

Two members of the Hull Redevelopment Authority recently met with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation about coastal resiliency planning and provided an update at Monday’s HRA meeting.

Members Dan Kernan and Chair Bartley Kelly told fellow HRA members about how the DCR’s plan affects the entire Nantasket Beach Reservation and the proposed two-way traffic reconfiguration plan.

This project, with the goal of protecting the Reservation and state property – including Nantasket Avenue, Hull Shore Drive, and Hull Shore Drive Extension – is part of a statewide flood resilience plan. Nantasket Beach was identified as at the “highest risk” of the proposed statewide list of sites and thus was chosen as the initial site for implementation of this DCR plan.

Also attending the meeting were Town Manager Jennifer Constable, Assistant Town Manager Stacy Callahan, Director of Climate Adaptation and Conservation Chris Krahforst, Director of Community Development and Planning Chris DiIorio, and representatives from TEC, Inc. – the civil engineering consulting firm involved with the two-way road project.

“The purpose of the meeting was to identify and understand existing Town of Hull plans that should be considered before the DCR begins the community engagement phase of its detailed coastal resiliency plan, which was presented at the meeting and covers the full length of the Nantasket Beach Reservation, from the former aquarium site to Phipps Street,” Kernan said.

‘Current two-way road design a key focus’

According to Kernan, a key focus of the meeting was the “current” two-way road design, developed earlier by TEC for the town and shared with the DCR.

“No visuals of this road plan were presented during the meeting, and the discussion centered on identifying any major incompatibilities between the DCR coastal resiliency designs and this two-way road concept,” Kernan said.

He also pointed out that the DCR flood resilience plan is non-negotiable, including raising the seawall and revetments.

“The implicit goal is to begin narrowing DCR design options by eliminating those that conflict with the Town of Hull’s existing priorities – specifically, the two-way road plan,” Kernan said.

Also discussed was initiating the process for public engagement as the DCR refines options and determines solutions to meet coastal resilience requirements and to reflect community priorities.

The “existing conditions” part of the “DCR Parkways Flood Resilience Adaptation Strategies” document provided to those attending the meeting indicates that DCR’s Nantasket Beach Reservation is a “dynamic and highly utilized coastal landscape where the parkways – Nantasket Avenue, Hull Shore Drive, and Hull Shore Drive Extension – play a vital role in connecting visitors, residents, and local businesses to the shoreline and broader community.”

However, these parkways are increasingly vulnerable to flooding from storm surge, sea level rise, and extreme precipitation events.

‘High or very high vulnerability’

Based on the 2025 Parkways Climate Vulnerability Assessment of the area – part of which already experiences flooding at certain times – large portions of the corridor are classified as “high or very high vulnerability” by 2070.

A map included in the strategies document includes shading that represents the extent of coastal flood risk expected for a 100-year (1%) storm for both 2030 and 2070.

The document includes a strategies overview for the Reservation divided into four quadrants, with the HRA property located in quadrant one. Kernan’s commentary focused on the DCR’s plans for the HRA area.

Speakers at the meeting included DCR Deputy Commissioner of Policy & Public Affairs Kendra Amaral and DCR Director of Climate Resilience Sarah White, who shared information about a planned raised boardwalk and “high tide park,” noting that the closer the seawall is to the water, “the higher it must be.”

Incorporating a park buffer and raised boardwalk allows for a lower wall, Kernan reported. This plan requires a significant increase in seawall height and some loss of parking, a reduction in travel lanes, and a narrower Hull Shore Drive.

Project in early stages

The project is in the very early stages, with no formal timeline. The immediate focus is aligning stakeholders, addressing high-level questions, and initiating community outreach, according to Kernan.

“The next step is to assess how the proposed two-way road plan constrains or eliminates DCR design options,” he said.

During the meeting, according to Kernan, Constable raised concerns about reduced parking and its impact on local businesses included in the DCR’s plan and the project schedule and timing. She also recommended that the DCR present all design options during public outreach.

DiIorio expressed a preference for a raised boardwalk option rather than a raised seawall.

Other next steps include the DCR providing a formal response to the two-way road plan, outlining how it constrains current resiliency options, and posting the resilience plan on its website as well as identifying funding programs.

Kelly said an important next step is engaging citizens at public meetings “so the townspeople can weigh in on all these options. We all have a part to play.”

He said that, for example, he’s not sure “how the public will feel about an eight-foot wall along Nantasket Beach [making it] so you can’t see the beach.”

This meeting provided a “60,000-foot view of what the DCR is proposing – a look at the possibilities,” Kelly said. “Nothing is set in stone, and hopefully we can find a sweet spot where the goals [of the stakeholders] are reached.”

The next DCR meeting has not yet been scheduled. The HRA will meet next on Monday, June 1 at town hall.

The HRA’s Kernan discussed the state’s plans in relation to its property, from Water Street north to Phipps Street. Click here for the full DCR presentation.

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