In December, the Baker-Polito Administration announced over $11 million in Seaport Economic Council grants for 24 projects. The grants will help 20 coastal communities advance projects that benefit commercial maritime industries, improve resident and visitor access to waterfront assets, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and advance future dredging. The grants were approved on Monday, December 12th by the Seaport Economic Council, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito at Plymouth Town Hall.
One of those awards was a $196,000 grant to the Town of Duxbury & Duxbury Bay Maritime School. The Town of Duxbury and Duxbury Bay Maritime School, (DBMS) will use grant funding to conduct a feasibility study to explore a pathway towards achieving coastal resiliency against future climate change and sea level rise through improvements made to existing waterfront infrastructure, current facility operations, and surrounding areas. The town and DBMS waterfront facilities that will be the focus of the study consist of adjoining
waterfront parcels located within Snug Harbor.
State Representative, Josh Cutler, shared his sentiments on social media stating “It’s great to see DBMS and town officials partnering up in this fashion. Glad to offer my support for this grant and grateful to the Council for approving it!”
Ann Mullins, DBMS Board Chair, states “We are pleased that the Seaport Economic Council recognized this request on the part of the Town of Duxbury and DBMS. This study will allow us to take the first of many steps to insure that the public and private enterprises that line Duxbury Harbor make thoughtful decisions regarding coastal resiliency. Chris Ryan, Duxbury’s Town Planner and Ali Spolsino, the Executive Director of DBMS are to be commended for their efforts to secure this grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
Chris Ryan, Planning Director for the Town of Duxbury, shares “This project is a great example of a public-private partnership in the name of resiliency. It is the first significant step taken as a part of carrying out implementation of the 2019 Sung Harbor Resiliency Report developed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.”
Jake Emerson, Duxbury Harbormaster, remarks “I am thankful for the hard work that has gotten us to this point, appreciative that the state has committed to invest in Duxbury’s coastal resiliency and waterfront infrastructure and excited about the future.”
Ali Spolsino, DBMS Executive Director, “I am thrilled to work with all of our neighbors and the Town on taking steps to improve the resilience of the Snug Harbor business district. We look forward to sharing the findings of the study with all who are interested.”