Approved June 18, 2014 meeting minutes
Herring River Restoration Committee (HRRC)
Cape Cod National Seashore Headquarters
Wellfleet, MA
June 18, 2014
9:30 am-5:00 pm
Members Present: Tim Smith, Steve Spear, Steve Block, Eric Derleth, Charleen Greenhalgh, Hillary Greenberg
Others Present: Margo Fenn, Martha Rheinhardt, Don Palladino, Harry Terkanian, Kirk Bosma (by phone), Nils Wiberg, Dean Audet, Alan Platt, Johh Riehl
Administration/Coordination:
Communications/Coordination with Friends of Herring River (FHR): Don Palladino provided an update on FHR activities, as follows:
The Annual Meeting is planned for August 19, 2014. The program will include presentations on the Chequessett Neck Road (CNR) bridge and tide gate design, the status of river herring, and adaptive management. The Committee discussed what types of graphics to use in presenting the bridge design and agreed that providing a SketchUp 3-D model of the structure would be useful. Don Palladino noted that there is funding in Year 2 of the NOAA grant to cover outreach and education of this kind.
FHR is developing a children’s book on river herring, and members will participate in the Wellfleet 4th of July parade. FHR is also preparing an educational brochure that will be sent to property owners in Wellfleet and Truro.
Don Palladino briefed the Committee on the status of grant funds. He noted that the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) grant deliverables (the 25% design plans for the CNR bridge and tide gates) would be due no later than the end of July. Under a $20,000 Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP) grant, FHR has signed a contract with the Woods Hole Group (WHG) to model the effects of installing tide control at Pole Dike Creek Road. NOAA funds will be used to cover a slight overage in the WHG contract amount.
Committee members noted that WHG is working on several different jobs related to the Restoration Project and that there are some deliverables still outstanding. The group suggested asking Kirk Bosma for a revised schedule for completing all remaining tasks.
The Committee discussed remaining work to be completed under the MA Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) Project Coordination grant. The group agreed that any excess funds would be used to cover Fuss & O’Neill’s current engineering costs. The Louis Berger Group (LBG) and its subcontractor Slade Associates is also completing some surveying and wetland delineation work for numerous low-lying private properties under this grant. This work must be completed by June 30, 2014.
Margo Fenn noted that a new DER contract with FHR would be needed for the coming fiscal year.
Martha Rheinhardt reported that the conceptual design for replacement of culverts at Old Kings Highway and Patience Brook is in progress. Under a Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) grant, the sites have been surveyed and the wetland resources delineated. Stantec is performing this work and will provide a cost estimate for further design and construction. Don Palladino noted that FHR did not receive a grant award under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Coastal Resiliency program, so other grant funds will need to be sought to construct new crossings at Old Kings Highway and Patience Brook.
Approval of Minutes: The Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the May 14 and 15, 2014 meetings.
Schedule of Meetings: The Committee agreed upon the following schedule for upcoming meetings:
July 9, 2014 HRRC (potential meeting date if needed)
July 10, 2014 HRRC regular meeting
August 19, 2014 HRAM Workshops & FHR Annual Meeting
August 20, 2014 HRRC regular meeting
The group agreed that the June meeting of the MOU Working Group should be postponed until comments from Wellfleet Town Counsel and the Department of Interior (DOI) Solicitors Office are available.
Chequessett Neck Road (CNR) Bridge and Tide Gate Design: Nils Wiberg and Dean Audet of Fuss & O’Neill joined the meeting to review the latest designs for the CNR bridge and tide gates. Nils Wiberg reviewed the Town of Wellfleet officials’ input on the design and summarized the following elements:
-Storm Water Management
-System to be sized for roadway catchment area, possibly to include catch basins upstream if needed
-Pedestrian Safety Barrier
-Use low-maintenance materials
-Align crosswalks to openings
-Gate operator Alternatives
-System powered by portable generator preferred
-Gate Frame and Stem Heights
-Use stem covers and keep heights consistent
-Removable Gate Panels
-No revision
-Roadway Guardrails
-Town would like guardrails extended beyond Project limits; question on funding
-Walkway Surface Materials
-Simple, smooth surface preferred to minimize maintenance costs
-Handrail Alternatives
-Stainless steel preferred to minimize maintenance
-Overhead Utility Considerations
-Town would like utilities buried beyond Project limits; question on funding
-Temporary Bypass Bridge Design
-No revision
-Construction Staging Areas
-Town officials would like to have site visit at potential locations
-Boater Safety Issues/Considerations
-Consider safety booms or buoys with signage; seek harbormaster input
-Consider portage alternatives
Nils Wiberg noted that not all these elements have to be decided at the 25% design stage. Revisions can be made during the 75% design stage. The Committee briefly discussed the idea of providing a new boat launch area upstream of the bridge. The idea would be to discourage boaters from trying to paddle under the bridge and provide an alternative way to portage around the structure. This idea has not been part of the bridge design to date, and would require careful review by both the National Park Service (NPS) and Town officials.
The Committee discussed several alternative bridge designs to provide more head room within the gate and panel openings for safety purposes. It was the consensus of the group that the proposed fishing platforms on both sides of the bridge should be raised to be flush with the elevation of the bridge deck. The size of the tide gates and the hydraulic opening would not be changed. The Committee agreed that the goal is to provide a design with maximum flexibility, one that does not require gate openings to be modified for storm events, but could be easily adjusted in the future if circumstances warrant.
Fuss & O’Neill will develop some modified bridge design concepts and provide those drawings to the HRRC by the end of June. Nils Wiberg agreed to provide a summary of proposed changes for Wellfleet town officials. The HRRC will review and make recommendations on the revised plans at its July meeting, in order that Fuss & O’Neill can complete 25% design plans and submit them to MA DOT by the end of July.
Mill Creek Dike Design: Nils Wiberg provided the Committee with an update on the Mill Creek dike design. He noted that the geotechnical investigations had found suitable soils for either an earthen dike or a single wall dike in this location. He reviewed the comparative costs and characteristics of an earthen dike versus a single wall concrete or steel sheet dike. The earthen dike would require more wetland disturbance and would be more expensive to construct than a single wall steel sheet dike. The different dike designs pose different maintenance requirements. The earthen dike is the easiest to access for routine maintenance but it will require regular maintenance to remove vegetation and make minor repairs associated with erosion. The single wall dike is accessible for inspection, but during high tides vehicles could not access the channel to remove debris or repair gates, if needed.
The Committee discussed the need for a portable bridge (e.g. a timber mat or steel plate) if access is needed to the north end of a steel wall structure. The group agreed that cost estimates should include costs to access both sides of the structure. Since this structure would be built on National Park Service (NPS) land, NPS staff would have to review and approve any proposed designs.
Low-lying Properties: Martha Rheinhardt updated the Committee on survey and engineering work for numerous low-lying private properties. FHR representatives and HRRC members have met with some interested property owners. Further meetings will be scheduled in July when survey plans are completed.
Project Funding: The Committee reviewed allocation of existing grant funds for differing tasks and discussed how the Year 2 NOAA grant funds should be used. Hunt Durey noted that further engineering would be needed for several key locations (e.g. tide control at Pole Dike Creek, raising the lower fairways of the Chequessett Yacht and Country Club (CYCC) golf course, and removal of High Toss Road) before the Project can begin the permitting process. He suggested that some of the Year 2 NOAA funds be allocated for engineering for these areas. There might be additional funds available for these purposes under the State Capital Budget, which should be determined by the end of June. The Committee agreed to devote a block of time at the July HRRC meeting to review all available funding sources and allocate resources in order to bring all needed Project engineering for the initial construction phase to the level needed for permitting. Part of that discussion will be to outline what steps are needed to utilize available funds within the stipulated grant periods, and development of a work plan to follow up on specific tasks.
FHR Capacity Building: MOU III envisions that an independent management entity would be responsible for carrying out many of the tasks associated with the Restoration Project, including engineering, permitting, construction oversight and adaptive management. FHR is interested in taking on this role and has been exploring what steps would be necessary to do so, including a review of its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, seeking suitable office space, developing a staffing structure and related issues. One key issue to be determined is how to fund the hiring of professional staff. FHR needs guidance from HRRC members about what funding sources could be used to cover staff and overhead costs.
Project Fundraising: The Committee discussed how to begin the process of seeking construction funding for the Project. The group agreed that a multi-pronged approach is needed including:
-Contacting senior officials at each of participating federal agencies to initiate a discussion about how the agencies could partner to fund the Project;
-Contacting non-government organizations that have an interest in the Project about funding opportunities;
-Contacting key elected officials to update them on the Project and enlist their support.
Contractor Management: The Committee discussed how to coordinate management of engineering and design consultants, both to provide administrative oversight and technical direction. The group agreed that each contract should specify the administrative and technical contact persons on the HRRC and at FHR. It is important to copy key members of each project team on communications so that everyone is kept informed.
Herring River Adaptive Management Plan: Tim Smith reported that Dave Smith and Jill Gannon of USGS are preparing a summary of the May workshop session with the HRRC and will distribute that to the group. They are also helping to develop materials on adaptive management for inclusion in the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report (FEIS/EIR). A second modeling workshop with the Woods Hole Group and the University of New Hampshire team is planned for June 23, 2014.