Staycation Destination

by Sean McCarthy

With a celebrational ribbon-cutting ceremony in June, the revitalization of the Swansea Town Beach took a significant first step. But the journey has only begun – further development for the scenic oceanside location is in the works, with the aim of designing and creating a revenue-enhancing destination for residents and out-of-towners alike.

Ten years after its formation, the Swansea Waterfront Revitalization Committee (WRC) realized the first major piece of its master plan for the resuscitation of its Town Beach: the construction of a Lifeguard’s Bathhouse with outdoor showers and a spacious deck, a new playground, 25,000 yards of new sand that was dredged from the Cole River Channel, and improvements to its parking lot. Enhanced by a $1 million grant from the state’s Seaport Economic Council, the newly completed amenities are the first step in a plan that will require additional grants and town funding to continue work. However, the town anticipates seeing returns on its investments. “The town can take great pride in enriching this hidden jewel,” says Fairhaven-based architect Stephen Kelleher, whose firm spearheaded the design of the new facilities. “It’s been a

"Whether you want to meet with a friend for coffee, or have a picnic with your family, it's a little gem"

major accomplishment maintaining the natural beauty of a special place and transforming it into a new, vibrant beach and recreation area for the town.” The improvements include a new playground which was funded by the Munro family of Swansea. “We’re very happy with the way the project came out – it was very needed,” says Colleen Brown, Swansea Conservation Agent and a member of the WRC. “It looks great, it’s a good fit for the site, and people really seem to be enjoying it.” Brown says that the town has sold approximately 1,000 day passes since the opening of the new facilities.

Swiss army beach

According to Swansea Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein, the beach is now a location that can be utilized in an array of capacities. “Whether you want to meet with a friend for coffee, or have a picnic with your family, it’s a little gem – a quiet

laid-back place that’s safe for kids. You and emotional welfare of children is at won’t have to fight summertime traffic stake, especially in children from high-risk trying to get to Newport or Cape Cod. homes. The socioeconomic divide will There’s not a lot of communities that only become wider, and who is protecting can claim these benefits.” the kids who need it right now? I stress And the benefits are likely to continue. about how I will find a high school during The WRC intends to reform next spring to this time for my daughter next year. I can’t discuss further developments for the site. imagine being a mother of a child who is being abused, starving, freezing… School is safety, shelter, and home for many kids. It’s sad to think most will continue to be at "We're very happy home not getting the help they need.” Did I hear any really reassuring advice? with the way the Not really. The takeaway, then, is that navigating unchartered territory is all of project came out – these: unsettling, vacillating, unnerving, terrifying, hopeful, necessary, and inevita it was very needed" ble. We are writing this story, together, as “We’re letting everything settle out right now,” Brown says. “We want to see what people like about what’s been done so far, and what amenities they’re looking for. We want to make sure we’re directing we go along. The best we can do then is to trust that others are arming themselves with as much information as possible and will live in such a way as to do no intentional harm. our energies towards zsomething that While Coronavirus has woken us up in people want.” terms of helping us appreciate our prior Discussions for the future of the site freedoms (to travel, to go to school, to include an open-air pavilion to attract mingle with friends, to attend concerts), music and entertainment, as well as that loss of innocence has hopefully hosting events such as weddings. There helped us grow. School districts, judgis talk of food venues, a shade shelter, a ing by the amount of work that goes into half-mile of boardwalks, and continued reopening under state guidelines, have upgrades of the parking lots. The future been working tirelessly to create a plan of construction at the eight-acre Mt. Hope action. Parents are proactive and creative Bay location is expected to generate in imagining a new routine. Through the positive income for the town. In addition loss of hundreds of thousands of lives to the efforts of the WRC and Stephen around the globe, the best we can hope Kelleher Architects, the project benefited for is that we have gained insight about from the efforts of the Town Planning our interdependency: we are all truly in Board, the Conservation Commission, this together. and state and federal agencies. The Some of us, though, want to go back to WRC included Brown, Robert Medeiros, that innocent time, when we could get Kenneth Furtado, Carole Hyland, Fran excited about backpacks and sneakers Kelley, Steve Purdy, and Chris Sampson. and lacrosse games. Maybe not return to The WRC was formed after the town “normal” but get as close to it as possicondemned and eventually demolished ble in the midst of a pandemic as we can. the long-standing Bluffs building Kellie, a healthcare professional from which was a multi-functional facility for Florida, has daily interaction with the meetings and events pertinent to the Coronavirus and she is hoping her kids town and its citizenry as well as being the can go back to school soon. “This virus site of an amusement center. The WRC isn’t going away,” she says pragmatically. observed more than two dozen locations “We all need to get back to some sense in Southern New England to gather ideas of normalcy. Practicing safe reintegration for the project. is essential. We are all going to be okay. “We’ve partnered with the state to I know I’m biased because two of mine rebuild this beach,” Aronstein says. “It [tested positive] and were essentially fine. embodies what volunteerism and a little I treat [COVID] patients every day – and elbow grease can do.” I’m fine.”

•Cardiac monitoring •Ventilator weaning •Wound care •Dialysis services •Radiology •Laboratory •Pharmacy •Nutrition services •Pain Management •Physical therapy •Speech therapy •Occupational therapy •Respiratory therapy •Social services •Wheel Chair Clinic

• Inpatient physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy • Rehab programs that promote healing and relief from stroke, cancer and diabetes, as well as many cardiac, orthopedic, vascular and neurological conditions • 5-Star Overall Rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services • Resort-like amenities, including restaurant-style dining, a media center, spa and salon services and sweete shoppe