09/18/2025 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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Town of Mashpee Conservation Commission 16 Great Neck Road North Mashpee, MA 02649 might have to be delivered by barge. Commissioners acknowledged the logistical difficulty, noting it was a"catch-22" situation with risks to both resource areas and private properties. • A commissioner raised concerns about responsibility should the existing house collapse into the Atlantic Ocean. It was explained that Mashpee's conservation bylaws and the Wetlands Protection Act did not provide explicit direction, but the building commissioner would likely oversee such matters. Cases were recalled where in other towns the responsibility depended on ownership of the beach, and in one instance, a private homeowner was not required to clean up because debris landed on town property. During the discussion, Drew McManus confirmed via message that the homeowner would ultimately be responsible for cleanup if the house fell into the ocean. • Commissioners also debated whether waivers were required. It was clarified that the project did not require a waiver, since the proposed pool was located over 25 feet from the top of the reconstructed coastal bank. Concerns remained, however, about the adverse effects of placing a pool approximately 30 feet from an eroding coastal bank. Members stressed that stabilizing the bank was the priority, as erosion was beginning to affect abutting properties. It was confirmed that neighbors on both sides had already contacted the town with concerns about impacts to their land. MOTION: To close and issue an Order of Conditions for 34 Triton Way with several stipulations including: • Detailed mitigation planting plan • Installation of hay bales extending to the street side • Three-year monitoring plan for mitigation success • Pool could only be installed if the reconstructed coastal bank provided at least 25 feet of setback • Public Comment: An abutter spoke during public comment, stating that he had watched the property erode for 25 years and expressing concerns about stability, construction, and impacts on the neighborhood. He asked whether the house and garage would be built at the same height, which was confirmed. The abutter emphasized the steep slope toward the Griswold property and urged additional erosion controls, noting that no formal revetment had ever been built on the site, only large boulders at the base of the hill. He worried that 20 to 30 trees would be lost in the stabilization effort and questioned whether mitigation would be adequate to offset runoffs. He also disputed the applicant's claim that there was a 30-foot setback from the deck to the top of the bluff, estimating it to be closer to 20 feet given recent tree loss, including a large pine. He acknowledged the owner's desire for a new home but stressed the need to protect the community, ensure proper stabilization, and carefully consider the environmental impacts of adding a pool. In response, reviewed plans showed that the bank would be restored to align with its former location, using the blue dotted line on the plan to represent the pre-collapse condition. The revetment would be constructed to match the existing ones on either side, with contours blending into neighboring properties. The abutter accepted the explanation but reiterated concerns about impacts on trees, neighborhood character, and long-term stability.