HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponse to comments 4.17.2026
April 17th, 2026
Yarmouth Conservation Commission
Attn: Brittany DiRienzo, Conservation Agent
Town of Yarmouth
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Dear Ms. DiRienzo and Yarmouth Conservation Commissioners,
Several comments were made by commissioners at the public hearing held on March 19th,
2026. One comment regarded the number of trees to replace invasive trees for removal on the
coastal bank. Previously, two trees were proposed within the buffer strip: one black oak and
one white oak. With this revision, three additional trees are proposed: one red maple, one
tupelo, and one additional white oak. In their proposed location, replacement trees will have
ample space and sunlight, and their canopies should grow large enough to provide canopy
coverage along the length of the bank.
Another concern was raised regarding the need for the fiber roll array installation. As
discussed at the March 19 hearing, it is our professional assessment that the bank will
continue to provide all of the essential functions of a coastal bank, including buffering storm
waters, providing wildlife habitat, and providing sediment to the adjacent beach. We would
also advocate that the proposed condition is an improvement over the existing condition, as
the project would manage invasive vegetation and revegetate the bank with native species
that improve erosion control and wildlife habitat, and a buffer strip would be created at the
top of the bank to mitigate erosion from overland runoff and provide new naturalized area
where there is currently lawn.
Erosion rate data was requested in order to for the Commission to further understand the
damage that has occurred to the Resource Area in prior years. Specific erosion rate data was
not able to be obtained, as the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Coastal
Erosion Viewer only provides data for coastal environments, not inland tidal ponds. The Town
of Yarmouth Geographic Information Systems also does not provide shoreline change
information in this context. Although publicly available shoreline erosion data for this location
could not be obtained, CLM was able to obtain a survey of the subject property from 2003
and overlay the survey data from this time period with the most recent survey data obtained in
2025. The overlay demonstrates that along the center portion of the bank, erosion has caused
the top of the coastal bank to retreat an average of approximately 5 feet. A diagram is
attached below which illustrates this change. The complete survey from 2003 is provided with
the revised materials as well. We hope that this survey data clearly demonstrates that erosion
is in fact occurring along the coastal bank, causing loss of property. The presence of a scarp
at the top of the bank also indicates that erosion is likely to continue to occur if no
intervention measures are introduced.
Given the amount of erosion that has occurred in the last 20 years or so, we estimate that a
minimum of 8 cubic yards of nourishment would be necessary on an annual basis. However,
erosion at this location likely occurs on an irregular basis, as storm frequency and intensity
vary from year to year. If a large storm significantly reduces nourishment over the array, we
estimate that approximately 15 cubic yards of sediment would be necessary to restore the
profile. Thus, we request permission to place a minimum of 8 cubic yards and a maximum of
15 cubic yards of compensatory nourishment over the fiber roll array in any given year.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at
lauren@crawfordlm.com or (508) 477-1346 ext. 107.
Respectfully,
Lauren Taylor
RESTORATION DESIGNER, CRAWFORD LAND MANAGEMENT