What will the project cost town taxpayers? What will ending the Geotubes project cost town taxpayers?

The Geotube project has been funded entirely with private resources, meaning there has been no cost to town taxpayers for its construction or ongoing maintenance.

If the project does not proceed and erosion continues unchecked, the Town will face significant future costs. These may include relocating or rebuilding public infrastructure, emergency response measures, and potential legal and planning expenses. Historically, such interventions can reach tens of millions of dollars, particularly when critical roadways and utilities are involved. The estimate prepared for the Town from a few years ago put this cost at $30 million.

Why is this issue something that requires the vote of Town Meeting?

In 2013–15, a new Town By-Law requires the approval of Town Meeting to permit a license on a Town-owned beach for a coastal erosion control system that protects against erosion. Previously permission could be granted by the Select Board.

Why haven’t the Geotubes been re-covered with sand this past winter?

As of last summer, and fall, the Geotubes were fully covered. Major storms and vandalism in January have left the project exposed. Recovery cannot take place without SBPF working with the Conservation Commission to obtain authorization which we have been doing for the last two months. SBPF will file plans with the Conservation Commission to authorize the repairs of the project, which will cost $2 million due to vandalism.

The fact that the permit approved by CONCOM has been appealed removes the legal basis for maintenance and the prior license by the Select Board has expired, so SBPF cannot do any work until after a positive Town Meeting vote. Therefore, the best way to bring the project into compliance is to vote yes to Article 73 at Town Meeting.

The Conservation Commission approved the long-needed expanded project so it can become sustainable over a year ago in March 2025. Why has this not yet been built?

While the project did receive approval from the Conservation Commission, that decision is currently under appeal. Until the appeals process is resolved, construction of the expanded system cannot move forward, and a Town vote is needed to permit a license of the CES (Coastal Engineering Structure) on the public beach.

What will happen if Town Meeting does not allow the project to be constructed?

If the Town Meeting vote is not successful, the project will not be able to move forward, and it is expected that the existing Geotubes will be removed. The protection that has been keeping Baxter Road open will be gone, and it is expected that the road will soon need to be closed because the erosion that has been prevented for the past 12 years will start up again. This will soon lead to required road and utility relocation, estimated to cost $30 million or more, as Select Board member Matt Fee has confirmed the road relocation project is not currently ready and is years away. A failed vote will create cost risk for taxpayers. In addition, access to Sankaty Light House by Baxter Road, one of the island’s most visited locations, used by 500 to 1,000 people per day would soon be lost.

What about all the truck traffic that would be needed to deliver large volumes of sand to the project?

The license agreement provides for $500,000 escrow for road repairs. Sand for the maintenance of the project has been delivered by trucks for the past 12 years, averaging 1,000–2,000 truckloads per year. This takes place almost exclusively during the off-season and is done in conjunction with DPW planning. An analysis of potential truck traffic for the expanded project was conducted by Town staff, and it was determined that it would make up less than 1% of the traffic on Milestone Road. In addition, planning for sourcing sand from a viable offshore location should result in ending most sand delivery by truck. This is needed for the ongoing economic viability of the project.

Project opponents are claiming that the project is harming neighboring beaches, pointing to erosion over a mile away. Is this accurate?

The Conservation Commission approved the project and found no down-drift impact. The data collected quarterly from 2014 through 2023 demonstrates that the project is not causing erosion at neighboring beaches. While erosion will continue in areas without protection, coastal experts have found no scientific link to the Geotube project. A property owner over a mile away has presented arguments from his own biased expert but these claims defy common sense. How could erosion skip over a mile of coastline and only impact his estate and beach? A robust system of regular monitoring is built into the expanded project if it moves forward. If actual impacts are found, action must be taken including potential removal of the project.

What are Geotubes? Why does SBPF and the town of Nantucket want to extend the Geotube Project?

Known as “Geotubes” the system protecting ‘Sconset Bluff from further erosion is comprised of multiple geotextile tubes made from high strength, woven polypropylene are covered with a thick layer of sand designed to erode during storm events and support the health of nearby beaches. During the 12 years the pilot project has been protecting the most vulnerable section of ‘Sconset Bluff (and the nearby Baxter Road and its public infrastructure) it has been effective at limiting impacts of erosion, without any significant or measurable impact on nearby beaches. Following up on a third-party study by respected coastal engineering experts at Arcadis, the Town of Nantucket formed a working group to recommend a path forward that protected town resources and individual homes by expanding the project.

Due to the impacts of climate change, severe storms and overall sea level rise, erosion is indeed getting worse. But resiliency strategies are increasingly common to protect coastal areas, manage the impacts of sea level rise and create stability for the future. With the Geotubes installation, we have a proven strategy with no downside environmental, recreational or community impact.

Parts of the Geotubes were vandalized this past January. What impact does that have on the future of the project?

The vandalism was disturbing and frustrating especially since information leading to identifying whoever did this has not come forward. The Nantucket Police Department investigation is still ongoing. We have presented facts of the current condition to the ConCom to obtain approval to repair it and will be submitting additional information on May 14th. Repairs can be done, but they are expensive. After repairs and following the expanded project, cameras and security will be added to stop such vandalism in the future.

How do you know the Geotubes work?

Since the Geotubes were installed in January 2014, there has been zero bluff loss in the area that is being protected and no harm detected to neighboring beaches caused by the project. Erosion from the top of the bluff has stopped, keeping Baxter Road open, which all agree would otherwise need to close by now. American beachgrass planted on the face of the bluff has also helped reduce erosion caused by wind and rain. Leading coastal scientists conduct ongoing extensive monitoring, and no negative impacts have been recorded.

What role does the sand covering the Geotubes play?

The sand covering the Geotubes is designed to be washed away during storm surges and other high tide events, mimicking the natural erosion and movement of sand to other beaches. When exposed after large storms, more sand is used to re-cover the area. Often referred to as “sacrificial” sand, this model is designed to assure that nearby beaches face no unintended consequences from the Geotube installation.

Has SBPF met its obligations to maintain the sand covering the Geotubes?

Both SBPF and the Town have carefully monitored the sand covering the Geotubes since their installation in 2013. The amount of sand delivered over the last 12 years exceeds the amount that historically eroded from the bluff before it was protected by Geotubes. This is the amount normally required for sand mitigation. However, the pilot project permit required nearly twice as much sand as is normally required. SBPF accepted this requirement because the pilot project was to be replaced after a few years, at which point a more reasonable sand requirement could be put into place. Instead, the pilot project has been in place for 12 years while permitting for the needed, expanded project has been delayed time and time again. As a result, there is a shortfall between the original permit volume and the volume that has been delivered, an issue that has caused much consternation and confusion. The new permit, once it is put into effect, resolves this situation going forward.

It is worth noting that for much of the history of the project, we met the full permit volume despite it being twice the normally required volume. At two different points in the past three years when it looked as though the project would not continue, we informed the Town we would not be able to keep up maintenance on the project and that we were prepared to remove it. Without a sustainable system that protects the homes of the people endangered by erosion, the people who have been paying for the pilot project, cannot continue to do so.