We are grateful to the commission that we can finally enjoy a beautiful town beach as our fellow residents have been able to do for many years.”

Martin Costa

Handicap accessibility should not trump what is happening down in a very sensitive barrier beach area.”

Constance Gee

This isn't about how I feel. But if they have the right to do it and there's no law that prevents them, it's not my job to create a new law. We follow what the state allows and the state is allowing this.”

Paul Joncas

The Westport Conservation Commission has signed off on a plan to install permeable parking mats at the end of Beach Avenue, adjacent to and just west of the Knubble, to make it easier for those with disabilities to park without getting stuck in the sand and access the beach.

The unanimous vote came last Tuesday, after the Committee on Disability (COD) earned approval for their plan to install "GeoPave" mats from the Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife's National Heritage and Endangered Species Program.

"We are grateful to the commission that we can finally enjoy a beautiful town beach as our fellow residents have been able to do for many years," said COD's Martin Costa.

The open-celled mats are designed to be placed on flat, graded surfaces, then covered with sand and other native aggregate to creating a solid, stable base where once there was only shifting sand.

As it stands today, Costa said, those who attempt to park in the designated handicapped parking area at the road's eastern terminus have a good chance of getting caught in loose sand. Once the approximately 400 square feet of mats are put in, he said, they will more easily be able to exit their vehicles and make their way to 'mobility mats" accessing the beachfront, that are already installed.

Environmental concerns

The plan is not without its detractors, one of whom worried last week that installing the mats will continue to change the topography and upset the natural balance in the barrier beach area.

Constance Gee, who spoke at the meeting, said the Town of Westport's long practice of shaping the roadway has led to deterioration of the dunes — every time the bulldozers go down there to clear, it undermines the area once again, she said.

"It's very clear what is happening down there," said

Gee, who believes there are better solutions more appropriate for beach lovers who have special requirements and needs, she said:

The plan is "absolutely the opposite of conservation. Nobody wants to deny anybody access to a beach, but the fact is we have a beautiful beach (Horseneck) that is free of charge for anybody with mobility issues. Handicap accessibility should not trump what is happening down in a very sensitive barrier beach area."

Gee received a cool reception from some committee members, including chairman Paul Joncas, who said her claims were not relevant to the commission's review of the project.

"You can probably save yourself some time," he said. "It's approved. If they (COD) get permits, if they get approval from the state agencies ... then they're allowed to do it, whether I like the project or don't like the project."

He said he takes issue with claims that the mats will have a detrimental effect on the area. He does not believe they will.

"I understand the dunes are taking a beating," he said. "But them placing this plastic solution and then filling it over is still going to let sand migrate like it's supposed to. That's why National Heritage is allowing it; this isn't about the dune getting destroyed."

Gee, who attempted to present a series of photos at the meeting, ran into difficulties because she did not have the technology on hand needed to present them at the public meeting, electronically. She said the photos, many of them taken over the last decade to as recent as last month, show a clear decline in the quality of the dunes and other sand features, she said. It's a pity she was not able to show them, she said, as "I think you would be appalled."

Still, commission members were not swayed:

"If we were to deny this now ... the state's going to look at it and say, 'They have a road, they have a beach management plan, they have a road maintenance plan, all accepted by National Heritage," Joncas said. "This isn't about how I feel. But if they have the right to do it and there's no law that prevents them, it's not my job to create a new law. We follow what the state allows and the state is allowing this. If you want to appeal it you can appeal it, but the state will approve it."

"Well, shame on you," she replied.

What's next?

It is still somewhat unclear when the mats will be installed. Proponents had hoped to have the plan approved last month, giving them time to install the mats before a work window closed last Friday, April 1. But the commission canceled its last meeting in March due to a lack of quorum, leaving little time to get the work done prior to the start of April.

Costa said he does not know when the mats will be installed, but hopefully an allowable window will be found before the fall.

Beach committee chairman Sean Leach, who submitted the paperwork to the state for approval on COD's behalf, and appeared at last week's commission meeting, did not return several e-mails seeking clarification on the issue.