Swamspcott officials eye need for harbor dredging

SWAMPSCOTT – Town Administrator Andrew Maylor recently asked members of the Harbor Advisory Committee whether Swampscott Harbor needs maintenance dredging.?We have to answer the question of whether the harbor needs to be dredged,” Maylor said. “An application (for a state grant) was filed on an assumption made by the harbormaster and Harbor Advisory Committee.”Maylor said he doesn’t want to ask taxpayers to pay $95,000 ? in addition to the $475,000 state grant the town has already been approved for ? until he’s sure the work needs to be done.Maylor said Harbormaster Larry Bithell used to believe the work is necessary, but now he does not.Bithell is out of state and could not be reached for comment.Selectman Matthew Strauss said he is confused about why Bithell no longer supports the project.?Why did he change his mind?” Strauss asked. “If the harbormaster changed his mind after we applied for and received this grant I am concerned we could lose credibility in the eyes of the state.”Selectman David Van Dam added the harbor was dredged in the 1950s and again in the 1990s.?The harbormaster said we needed it a couple of years ago,” Van Dam said.Milton Fistel did the preliminary engineering study that was used as part of the grant application. He said there is a big sandbar in the harbor off Lincoln House Point and the harbor is filling it to the left of the pier. He added the harbor has filled in so much over the years that there are very few places to moor boats more than 25 feet long.Harbor Advisory Committee Vice Chairman Dana Swanstrom assured Maylor during a recent selectmen’s meeting that his committee would discuss whether the harbor needs maintenance dredging, take a vote on whether the project should proceed and report back to the selectmen.