JANUARY 30, 2025 PUBLIC MEETING
• Team introductions (10 min)
• Project Overview: background, scope, and goals (40 min)
• Roving Flip Chart Activity (30)
• Break (5 min)
• Summary of Findings – 2-3 min. summary (15 min)
• Questions (15 min)
• Next steps (5 min)
Teresa Crean Director of Resilience and Sustainability
William Riccio Director of Public Services
Erik Reis Recreation Administrator, Dept. of Public Services
Martha Werenfels Senior Principal
Katie Van Hamel Project Manager
FUSS & O’NEILL
Beth Kirmmse, RLA, WEDG Business Line Manager, Sr. Climate Resilience Specialist
Lara Sup, PE Senior Project Manager, Senior Resilience Engineer
Jennifer O’Donnell, PhD Associate, Senior Coastal Engineer
Katherine McCombs Civil Engineer
Emily Wright, RLA Senior Project Manager
Jeffrey Dawson Landscape Designer
HOLE GROUP
Kirk Bosma Senior Coastal Engineer
Brittany Hoffnagle Climate Resiliency Specialist
Zachary Stromer Coastal Modeling Team Leader
Newport, Rhode Island
20th
LATE 19TH CENTURY VICTORIAN
Early 20th Century
1923
EARLY 20TH CENTURY WITH AMUSEMENTS
EARLY 20TH CENTURY WITH AMUSEMENTS
1930s
1920s SPANISH REVIVAL –DESTROYED IN 1938
Between 1938 and1954
Providence Public Library
Mid 20th Century
Providence Public Library 1940s
Society
CAROUSELROTUNDASNACK BAR
TIMELINE OF RECENT EFFORTS & EVENTS:
DBVW Architects and Fuss & O’Neill Engineers
ASSESSMENT OF CAROUSEL AND SNACK BAR BUILDINGS:2021
MASTER PLAN FOR REPLACEMENT OF ALL AMENITIES:2022
SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORMS: Winter 2023
PARTIAL DEMOLITION OF CAROUSEL AND SNACK BAR:Spring 2024
BEGINNING OF RESILIENCY STUDY: Summer 2024
EASTON’S BEACH PAVILIONS
2021 ASSESSMENT & RECOMMENDATIONS
CAROUSEL BUILDING
2021 ASSESSMENT & RECOMMENDATIONS
2021 ASSESSMENT & RECOMMENDATIONS
•PRESERVE ROTUNDA BUILDING
•DESIGN FOR RESILIENCY
•PROVIDE SAME AMENITIES AS PREVIOUSLY EXISTED
-Event Space -Carousel
-Snack Bar
-Life Guard Support Space
-Restrooms
2022 MASTER PLAN -$35M CONSTRUCTION
DECEMBER 2023 STORMS
2024 RESILIENCY STUDY
•PLAN FOR BEACH NOURISHMENT
•ASSESS BATH HOUSES AND RESTROOMS
•DEVELOP POTENTIAL SCOPE OF WORK FOR ROTUNDA
•ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS
•DEVELOP PROGRAM FOR BEACH AMENITIES
•PARTICIPATE IN REGULATORY REVIEWS
•BATH HOUSES ARE DETERIORATED AND REQUIRE CONTINUAL MAINTENANCE
•CONCRETE DECK IS NOT PROPERLY PITCHED FOR DRAINAGE
•BATH HOUSES MUST BE REMOVED OR LIFTED TO IMPROVE DECK DRAINAGE
•WHAT SHOULD BE THE FUTURE OF THE BATH HOUSES?
2024 BATH HOUSE ASSESSMENT
1850
1920s
2024 RESILIENCY STUDY –WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
• The landform is at extreme risk and building new structures is not feasible until the risk to the landform itself is mitigated.
• The Beach is an important part of the local tourist economy.
• Additional analysis of in situ data is needed to create a design for a more resilient beachfront.
This is a concept that was developed by DBVW Architects, Fuss & O’Neill, and Woods Hole Group in 2022.
• Increasing frequency and severity of storms are exposing the site’s vulnerabilities.
• The 2022 study indicated that the frequency of storm inundation poses a significant threat to the Beach.
• Required repairs and reacting to storm damages is costly. This approach doesn’t create a more resilient site.
• Winter 2023 storms caused significant damage to the beach
• Recreational and fiscal importance to city
• Provides equitable access to the water
• After storm impacts the City must:
• Repair facilities
• Reopen quickly
• Create a more resilient waterfront that will serve as a public amenity and sustain shoreline access for all
• Employ Nature-Based solutions to mitigate the risks to the existence of Easton’s Beach
• Increase protection to public water supply
• Engage key stakeholders and the community to envision a more resilient Easton’s Beach.
• Collect additional data to understand coastal resources, existing sediment characteristics, offshore wave data, and shoreline change analysis.
• Develop wave transformation and sediment transport models.
• Hazardous building materials inspection for the Cabanas and Rotunda.
• Concept design utilizing naturebased solutions.
• What's important to you about the Beach today?
• What are your concerns about the Beach today?
• What does the future of Easton's beach look like to you?
• What would improve the beach?
• What are the critical facilities?
• Anything else you would like us to know?
• What's important to you about the Beach today?
• What are your concerns about the Beach today?
• What does the future of Easton's beach look like to you?
• What would improve the beach?
• What are the critical facilities?
• Anything else you would like us to know?
• Explore the project website
• Provide feedback through the Beach Use Survey
• February 12th, EBAC #2, 2 pm, virtual
• Updating the website (e.g., Existing Conditions Analysis & Summary Memo, Survey Results, etc.)
• Public Workshop in early June
Interventions that use natural functions of healthy ecosystems to protect the environment but also provide numerous economic and social benefits
NBS Design Considerations:
• Highly site specific
• Climate
• Topo/bathymetry
• Geology
• Tidal Range
• Exposure
• Grey/green spectrum
Pursue Innovative Solutions:
• Engage in a process of co-design with the community to raise awareness, cultivate a vision that reflects the community’s priorities, and catalyze buy-in
• Develop permittable and implementable solutions
• Emphasize coordination between various interest groups and build partnerships
• Communicate that “no action ≠ no cost”
• Design for the future, not just to today’s conditions
Develop solutions with co-benefits:
• Mitigate damage to facilities
• Maintain recreational beach
• Protect transportation corridor/evacuation route
• Increase resilience, incorporate regenerative design
• Maximize risk mitigation relative to the required investment
• Replace spillway with operational crest gate
• Raise/armor dam embankments
• Install tidal gate in moat
• Address saltwater Intrusion
• Wave dissipation
