SWAMPSCOTT — Plans to repair a town-owned pier at 391 Humphrey St. were put on hold this week as the Conservation Commission continued its review of the project, citing a pending state review and newly raised questions about the structure’s licensing.
The proposal calls for in-kind repairs to the timber pier at Scott’s Harbor and was opened for a public hearing Tuesday night. However, members of the Commission ultimately voted to continue the hearing to their April 28 meeting as they await comments from the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries, part of the standard review process under the Wetlands Protection Act, which gives state agencies 30 days to comment on potential environmental impacts of plans like this.
Swampscott’s Director of Community and Economic Development Marzie Galazka said that the town has not yet heard any feedback from the state, but that the required comment period is still open for this project. On that point, the Commission opted to open the hearing and continue it at a later date.
“I can open up the public hearing, but then we can continue this to our next meeting,” Conservation Commission Chair Toni Bandrowicz said. “That’s what I would suggest.”
The project is aimed at maintaining the existing pier, which officials described as aging but still structurally viable with targeted repairs. The proposed plan includes replacing nine timber piles, along with deteriorating bracing and deck space, and making minor updates to improve safety.
While the work is not expected to significantly alter the footprint of the structure, it does come with environmental considerations. During the meeting, members of the Commission discussed the presence of eelgrass in the area and how construction activity, particularly the use of a crane barge, could impact the harbor floor.
Larry White, the contractor representative for the project, also attended the meeting. He said precautions would be taken to avoid scouring and limit disruption, including careful positioning of the barge during construction.
In addition to the ongoing state review, another issue surfaced during the discussion: The pier does not appear to have a Chapter 91 waterways license, a state authorization typically required for structures located in tidelands.
“This came up as part of the process,” Galazka said. “There’s no record of a Chapter 91 license for this structure, so that’s something the town will need to address separately.
Galazka said she had been in conversation with the state’s departments of marine fisheries and environmental protection, and they said the Conservation Commission could issue a notice of intent before that license is obtained, but the town would need to move to address that shortly thereafter.
“It’s really interesting when you think about how long the pier was in and there was never a license for it,” she said. “But we will work to address that.”
Timing for the repairs remains uncertain. The contractor indicated that restrictions tied to marine fisheries could limit when work is allowed to take place, potentially pushing construction beyond the early-summer window.
“If they put a stronger restriction on it, my guess is that would be from February probably ‘til the end of June, so we wouldn’t be able to get started before that,” White said. “At this point, with the delays and the permitting and so on … once everything is in place we’d have to look and see where we’re at with our schedule.”
The continued timeline for the project is still uncertain, as the commission opted to continue the hearing, giving state agencies more time to weigh in on any potential environmental impacts of the project.
