Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the instructions on the agenda.
Thursday, Feb. 2
- Housing Authority, 10 a.m.
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Nauset Middle School
Monday, Feb. 6
- Dredging Task Force, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 7
- Select Board, 7 p.m., Adult Community Center
Conversation Starter
Chequessett Neck Bridge Noise Exemption
The select board on Jan. 27 voted to grant a municipal exemption to the town’s noise bylaw to allow construction to begin on the new Chequessett Neck Bridge. The exemption to the bylaw — which forbids construction from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. — would allow the contractors for the project to begin earlier in the day.
The whole project is contingent on the tide cycle, Town Administrator Rich Waldo said at the meeting. If low tide is at 6 a.m., for example, the town would want “to be able to get those crews in there as soon as possible to get things done,” Waldo said. “The goal of any transportation project is to expedite construction as quick as you can.”
The construction is part of the Herring River Restoration Project and will include a temporary roadway while the new bridge and nine sluice gates beneath are built. The project aims to increase tidal flow in the Herring River basin to restore salt marshes that have been degraded because of the dike that has been there since 1909.
Abutter Josh Yeston expressed concern about the level of noise in the early mornings.
“Starting heavy construction is inappropriate for an area where people go for respite,” Yeston said. “It’s a rural area, so sound travels incredibly far. We all want to get this done as soon as possible, but 6 a.m. is really early.”
Waldo said that 6 a.m. is an extreme case that would occur only once a month because of tide cycles. Most days, construction would likely begin at 7 a.m., he said.
The closest abutter to the bridge is 1,000 to 1,500 feet away, according to Waldo.
“We are going to be pushing for whatever courtesy we can give to the abutters as best we can,” Waldo said.
He predicted that the contractor for the project, MIG Corp. of Acton, will mobilize to stage equipment in mid-February and will begin construction in mid to late March. —Sam Pollak
