Hybrid plan for Haggis Beach repair heads to Selectmen on July 14

The Committee confirmed on July 9 that the Haggis (Hager) Beach repair project will go before the Board of Selectmen on July 14 with the committee’s recommended "hybrid" approach.

The Chair noted the project will appear on the Selectmen agenda and encouraged public attendance. The Staff member explained the hybrid plan as using the existing hard armor where it remains and supplementing it with soft‑sand solutions; engineers cautioned that a purely soft approach can require frequent renourishment while replacing hard armor is unlikely to be approved.

Staff described permitting constraints tied to resource areas that limit where the building and beach work can occur; they also cited an allowance in the order of conditions (about 3,300 cubic yards) that frames how much sand transfer is permissible without additional approvals. Staff said they aim to have a firm cost estimate by next May town meeting so the board can bring a funding question to taxpayers and, if approved, break ground after Labor Day.

The committee said the Selectmen’s endorsement is needed for the town to pursue grants and finalize numbers. No formal vote on the design was taken at the committee meeting; the item will proceed to the Selectmen for consideration.