Swampscott board says harbor should be priority

SWAMPSCOTT – Dredging the harbor could cost $500,000 or more but it is something that needs to be done, according to Harbor Advisory Committee member Milton Fistel.Fistel and Harbormaster Larry Bithell have been trying to tackle the problem of the harbor filling in for more than a year. Fistel said he applied for $550,000 in grants through the Seaport Advisory Council and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which the town did not receive. It is still in the running for a portion of the grant, however.?We may get $56,000 of it,” he said. “I was told if we get the grant it could be used for engineering and permitting. I expect an answer by the end of August.”Fistel said there is a waiting list for moorings for boats more than 25 feet long because the harbor is getting too shallow in many areas for larger boats.?There is a sandbar in the area of Lincoln House Point,” he said. “To the left of the pier it is filling in out towards Lincoln House Point. The harbor was dredged 17 or so years ago but they didn’t do such a great job. They missed a lot of areas and ghost moorings (abandoned moorings buried in the sand) were not taken out. There are a bunch of those all over the harbor. The moorings have to be cleared before you can do dredging.”Prior to his election to the Board of Selectmen in the spring, Richard Malagrifa said the harbor was one of his top priorities.?The harbor has been neglected for years,” he said. “We really need to access things down there and start the ball rolling on planning for the dredging process so we have shovel-ready plans when we get funding.”Malagrifa, who is the liaison between the selectmen and Harbor Advisory Committee, said he has met with members of that committee, the Swampscott Yacht Club and other interested parties to solicit ideas for improving the Swampscott Harbor.Malagrifa said some of the immediate concerns raised could be addressed in the short term and for short money. One of the concerns is the need for a large float system off the end of the pier so boaters could secure their boats while patronizing the businesses on Humphrey Street. He also suggested the town look into storing boats somewhere other than the Fish House parking lot during the winter.?We need a float for the Harbormaster boat,” he said. “That way he doesn’t have to row out to a mooring if someone needs help. It would also be nice to have guest moorings. Right now if someone pulls into the harbor they can only tie their boat up at the dock for 15 minutes, maximum. Another thing we are talking about is installing a 20-by-20 foot float for small sailboats so people don’t have to drag the boat across the sand every time they want to use it.”Malagrifa said the Harbor Advisory Committee is scheduled to make some recommendations at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Aug. 31.