SWAMPSCOTT — The town has received a grant of $80,000 from the state’s Seaport Economic Council for improvements to the town pier at Fisherman’s Beach, a key part of the Harbor and Waterfront Plan adopted last year.
“In the report, we list the pier as one of our top priorities, so I’m grateful to Lt. Gov. (Karyn) Polito and the Seaport Economic Council for their incredible support for the town of Swampscott,” said Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. “This begins our effort to really strengthen the investment in our historic waterfront.”
The pier, which extends from the historic Fish House, is used for both recreational and commercial vessels.
The Harbor and Waterfront Plan explains that the pier, like other areas of the coast, has been hit hard by storms and flooding and is in need of reconstruction.
“Along this stretch of the town, the land topography is low and coastal storm energy is translated onto the built environment even during weak-moderate storm events; and during extreme events, the area succumbs to damage that is both dramatic and costly,” the report says.
The plan calls for widening and elevating the pier, which could potentially also allow for a restaurant and other amenities to be placed along it.
“Our pier (is) inadequate to deal with the challenge of global warming,” Fitzgerald said. “We intend to widen the pier and really ensure that the pier can be used both by the public and by the over 20 lobstermen and fishermen that make their livelihood from Fisherman’s Beach.”
The town is one of eight, including Beverly, Gloucester and Manchester-by-the-Sea, to receive grants from the SEC, which is chaired by Polito. The grants total more than $3.8 million, bringing the amount of money distributed by the council since its relaunch in 2015 to approximately $57 million.
“From modernizing infrastructure to improving resiliency and expanding capacity, these investments ensure that our coastal assets will continue to support our maritime industries and position these key sectors for success long into the future,” said Gov. Charlie Baker.
