Joint Workshop on Easton's Beach Resilience Planning – February 4, 2026

This joint workshop of the Newport City Council and Beach Commission was held to review the status of the Easton's Beach resilience project, which began over a year ago. The project aims to address beach vulnerability following storms in December 2023 and January 2024, and to determine how to spend the $11 million general obligation bond approved in 2024. Consultants from Fuss & O'Neill, Woods Hole Group, and DBVW Architects presented three dune nourishment concepts, a building conditions assessment, and a potential funding timeline.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mike Ryan (59 Hunter Avenue) expressed support for prioritizing recreation and family-oriented amenities at the beach, including a possible carousel relocation, splash pad, and snack bar. He defended the private bathhouses and argued that parking lot and road flooding are not major concerns, but protecting the drinking water supply is critical. He urged splitting the project into phases to address deteriorating facilities sooner.
• Emily Conklin (7 Gwyn Court), Vice Chair of the Energy and Environment Commission and a marine biologist, expressed strong support for nature-based solutions and emphasized that a resilient beach is necessary for recreation. She agreed with Commissioner Allie Oakley that parking should not be the primary focus and that adding hard structures would be a mistake.
• Lola Herrera, an oceanographer, supported the second (partial dune) and third (full dune) options, arguing that recreation must be balanced with resilience. She cautioned against wasting money on buildings that will be destroyed by future storms and recommended permeable parking solutions to reduce flooding.
• Michael Wilson (5 Annadale, Newport) advocated for studying offshore wave attenuation (e.g., concrete jacks) to reduce wave energy, and for raising Memorial Boulevard with state cooperation. He argued that without addressing the root cause of erosion, sand nourishment alone will be insufficient.

Presentation on Dune Nourishment Concepts

• Brittany Hoffnagel (Woods Hole Group) presented the data collection and modeling approach. Field investigations in fall 2024 informed existing conditions modeling in spring 2025. Three concepts were developed:
  • Phased Dune Concept: 100-foot beach berm with a 40-foot dune; maintains all existing infrastructure. Estimated cost $6.3–$6.5 million; service life ~2.5 years before nourishment needed. Provides protection against a 2-year storm but not against larger or sequential storms.
  • Partial Dune Concept: Maintains 500 parking spaces (out of ~850). Wider dune on west side, narrower on east to preserve parking. Estimated cost $9–$10.2 million; service life ~6 years. Protects against 2- and 10-year storms, but not larger.
  • Full Dune Concept: Reduces parking to ~300 spaces; consistent 80-foot dune along the entire beach. Estimated cost $9.9–$11.7 million; service life ~6–8 years. Protects against 2- and 10-year storms and sequential storms; still vulnerable to 20-year+ storms.
• Sea level rise scenario (1.5 feet by 2060) shows that even the 2-year storm would overwhelm the phased concept; only partial and full dunes offer some protection.
• Beth (Fuss & O'Neill) noted that the phased approach is risk‑based and could be wiped out by a single storm, while the partial and full dunes provide more robust, longer‑lasting resilience. The $11 million bond could serve as matching funds for a federal grant (e.g., NIFWIF).

Presentation on Building Assessments and Amenity Recommendations

• Martha Warenfelds (DBVW Architects) presented findings from a 200‑page conditions assessment of the bathhouses, restrooms, picnic pavilion, and rotunda. Key issues: concrete deck not properly pitched, steel connections rusted, rotunda basement floods regularly, and buildings are not resilient to storms. Survey results (229 responses) indicated that private bathhouses and private event spaces scored lowest in importance; public restrooms and lifeguard facilities were top priorities.
• Recommendations: demolish existing bathhouses and concrete platform (cost ~$800,000), build new elevated restroom and lifeguard pavilions (cost estimate TBD), consider temporary trailers for food/retail, and either renovate the rotunda (cost $3.2 million for like‑for‑like rebuild), convert it to an open‑air folly, or remove it. The rotunda is not historically designated.

Discussion on Trade-offs and Next Steps

• Beach Commission members and City Council discussed the balance between parking, resilience, and recreation. Commissioner Allie Oakley noted that the parking lot does not fill every summer day and that losing some spaces is acceptable for saving the beach. Chair Mark Fitzgerald stressed the need for an economic impact study to understand the beach's value to the city; Salve Regina University has been proposed to conduct such a study.
• Mayor and Councilor Gina Politano raised concerns about construction duration (estimated 1–1.5 years) and the impact on parking revenue and event parking. Commissioner Nick (last name not given) noted that the phased concept is considered ineffective and urged focusing on partial or full options.
• The team clarified that no hard structures (seawalls, breakwaters) are permitted; nature‑based sand solutions are the only viable option. Parking garages were deemed too expensive and not cost‑effective.
• The $11 million bond has $10 million remaining after initial expenditures for design and permitting. The NIFWIF grant requires permits and construction documents to be ready by the time funding arrives (estimated May 2027 if awarded in December 2026). A letter of interest is due by April/May 2026, with a full proposal due by July 2026. Waiting a year would delay construction further and risk bond fund expiration.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken; this was a workshop to inform decision‑making.
• The Beach Commission indicated they will provide a formal recommendation at a future meeting, likely favoring either the partial or full dune concept, with a preference for the medium (partial) option due to its balance of parking and protection.
• The City Council acknowledged the timeline pressure and the need to decide soon to meet grant deadlines.
• Further steps include:
  • Engaging Salve Regina University for an economic impact study of the beach.
  • Coordinating with Rhode Island DOT on Memorial Boulevard resilience (the road is a top state priority).
  • Developing a maintenance and nourishment funding plan, as done in neighboring Narragansett.
  • Continuing to explore sediment sources and permitting with the Army Corps and CRMC.