A preliminary design for elevating Pier Road at Cape Porpoise in Kennebunkport will be modified in the next design phase to remove the “jog” in the retaining wall, among other changes. The preliminary design shown here calls for granite steps to the kayak launch, but there is also a proposal to build a new ramp to replace the current one Courtesy image
KENNEBUNKPORT – Selectmen have given the nod to engineers to proceed with the next design phase of an elevated Pier Road causeway to Bickford Island.
While there were questions from some residents as to the need to raise the causeway an estimated 4 1/2 feet – the projected average fill would be four feet, nine inches, according to engineer Megan McDevitt of Woodward & Curran – selectmen agreed to continue with the current design, with a handful of modifications.
“The goal is to elevate the causeway to provide resilience,” to king tides and storm surges, said McDevitt at a selectmen board meeting just prior to the Christmas holiday. She pointed out that at times, access by Pier Road, the sole roadway to Bickford Island, and its homes, businesses, Cape Porpoise Pier, and the commercial fishing fleet, must be closed, rendering the island inaccessible by land.
This is a preliminary design of an elevated Pier Road at Cape Porpoise. The eight foot sidewalk noted here will be reduced to five feet. Courtesy image
The initial proposal called for an eight-foot sidewalk on the 450-foot causeway. Selectmen agreed that a five-foot sidewalk, which meets the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, is sufficient. They agreed that the height of the retaining wall should be level in the next step of design – taking out the “jog” feature in the preliminary design.
They asked McDevitt to evaluate ways to provide a back-in provision for vehicles to access the popular kayak launch with minimal invasion of the wetlands. The launch property is privately owned and is used by the public with the consent of the owners. And they asked the engineer to provide residents of nearby Stone Haven Drive with renderings of the proposals.
The town of Kennebunkport was awarded $2.6 million from a Maine Infrastructure Adaption Grant July 14 and will contribute 2.6 percent of that as a local share to address rising tides and storm surge that impact Pier Road.
Because it impacts natural resources, any design to raise the causeway must be approved by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, McDevitt has previously said, and noted the Maine Department of Transportation, which awarded the grant, must also signal their approval. The project must be completed by 2026.
The preliminary design included two options for the kayak launch; the first, a set of granite steps which eliminates any vehicular access. Users would carry their kayaks to and from the launch. The second shows a ramp with a 15 percent slope as recommended by the state, as opposed to the current 5 percent slope. It would require filling about 20 feet of wetlands – a prospect unappealing to property owners Richard Perry and Elaine Carlson.
Perry questioned whether the proposal that raises the roadway more than 4.5 feet is necessary. He suggested rather than basing the height on projections of future sea level rise and storm surge calculated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, that the town instead look at Maine Climate Council recommendations, which he believes would indicate the roadway could be raised by a lesser amount.
Selectman Jon Dykstra pointed out that the number of so-called 100-year storms has increased in recent years and that the town must look to keep safety and access to Bickford Island in mind. A lower wall could lead to the inability to reach the island in a medical or other emergency, he noted.
“I just don’t see not putting it to a responsible height,” said Dykstra.
Selectman Allen Daggett said he has noticed flooding at his business.
“When you walk into Port Lobster and there’s two feet of water in there, that’s a problem,” said Daggett, adding if his property is impacted by flooding, others must be as well.
A resident calling in to the meeting suggested some sort of barrier, so cars do not park on the sidewalk.
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