South Coast Rail Program Reaches Phase 1 Major Milestones

For immediate release:

Monday, April 22, 2019

South Coast Rail Program Reaches Phase 1 Major Milestones

Finance plan is complete and key state and federal permits have been obtained

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the MBTA are announcing that the South Coast Rail Program has reached two critical Phase 1 milestones:  a finance plan is complete and will be fully funded in the Commonwealth’s Capital Investment Plan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has approved the final federal permit required for the program to advance.  Meanwhile, early action steps are underway including infrastructure work and the acquisition of land for stations.

“Providing rail service between the South Coast and Boston will increase access to economic opportunities in both regions,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “After decades of promised service, today’s announcement moves the project further than it’s ever been before, and our administration is proud to continue advancing South Coast Rail.”

“Residents in southeastern Massachusetts deserve reliable and affordable commuter rail access to Boston, and MassDOT and the MBTA have completed critical steps to make this a reality,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “The administration will continue to work with local partners throughout the project.”

“The last major hurdle with Phase 1 proceeding was the Finance Plan and now that hurdle is gone – funding has been identified,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack.  “Phase 1 of South Coast Rail will be funded one hundred percent by the Commonwealth and the MBTA will not be required to provide any capital funding or issue any revenue bonds that might otherwise impact the MBTA’s future operating budget. We are now well on our way to offering passenger rail service to the South Coast in a few short years with the financing secure, major permits in hand and infrastructure being built.”

“Today, restoration of passenger rail to the South Coast takes a major step forward thanks to the efforts of MassDOT, the MBTA, and the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to develop the Finance Plan,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak.  “We look forward to today’s Board actions which, along with the Finance Plan and permitting progress, set South Coast Rail on a positive trajectory toward completion.”

The South Coast Rail Phase 1 Finance Plan was created after independent cost and schedule reviews were conducted by three firms – the existing project manager, the existing owner’s representative and an outside firm hired by the MBTA.  A workshop was held to review the three submissions on cost and schedule and a consensus was achieved on the program cost of $1.047 billion.  In consultation with the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, the decision was made that Phase 1 would be funded 100 percent by the Commonwealth through a combination of general obligation bonds and special obligation bonds to be issued under existing authorization for the Rail Enhancement Program.

The MBTA will not be required to issue any revenue bonds that might otherwise impact the MBTA’s future operating budgets. All bond cap provided to the South Coast Rail Program will be in addition to the bond cap that MassDOT currently receives to fund its capital plan and there will be no reduction in bond cap allocated to MassDOT as part of the South Coast Rail Finance Plan.

While a previous estimate projected that Phase 1 would allow for passenger rail service between Boston and Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River to begin in late 2022, based on the consensus of the three independent reviews, the date for start of service is now projected to be in late 2023.

Members of the MassDOT Board of Directors and the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control later today will receive an update on the Finance Plan and permitting for Phase 1 during the monthly public meeting of the Boards.  At the meeting, Directors are scheduled to discuss and may vote on contracts for work on four bridges, for a Project Manager/Construction Manager team and to execute an Interagency Services Agreement, (which defines the cooperative work to be performed and any transfer of technologies and funds between MassDOT and the MBTA.)

After the approval of Directors which may come today, the South Coast Rail Program becomes an MBTA project, however, the MassDOT Highway Division and Rail Group will continue to manage early action projects.

Several permitting milestones which have been achieved this year include this month’s final USACE approval and the issuance of the Chapter 91 License, MassDEP 401 Permit and the Mass Coastal Zone Management Consistency Review.

The elements of Phase 1 of the South Coast Rail Program include:

• Extending the existing Middleborough Line service using diesel-powered trains to New Bedford and Fall River,
• Reconstructing 17.3 miles of the New Bedford Main Line and 11.7 miles of the Fall River Secondary,
• Upgrading the existing Middleborough Secondary track from Pilgrim Junction to Cotley Junction, (a distance of 7.1 miles),
• Constructing two new layover facilities, and,
• Constructing six new stations.

For additional information on the project, please visit:  www.mass.gov/south-coast-rail.

 

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PRESS RELEASE: Tower Demolition Tickets available

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

Office of the Speaker Pro Tempore

Rep. Patricia A. Haddad

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

 

For Immediate Distribution: 3/8/19

 

Tower Demolition Tickets available

On Saturday, April 27, 2019, (weather date of April 28th), the Brayton Point Commerce Center cooling towers are scheduled to be imploded. Tickets are now available for anyone willing to take a chance on becoming the one to “Push the Plunger”. All proceeds benefit a regional Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall installation coordinated by the Greater Fall River Vietnam Wall Committee.

 

State Representative Patricia A. Haddad (D-Somerset) who is assisting regional Vietnam Veterans groups in coordinating the ticket distribution notes, ” This is a ceremonial pushing of the plunger. The professional demolition team hired by Commercial Development Corporation, owners of the Brayton Point Commerce Center will actually detonate the explosives simultaneously with the winner pushing the plunger”. “The state police, state department of transportation, Somerset, Swansea and Fall River police and fire as well as others are being coordinated by the town of Somerset”, continued Haddad.

 

– Tickets are perforated and the purchaser will receive a co-numbered stub;

-Tickets require completion of name, address, etc., and retained by the seller;

-Tickets are available until Patriots Day, April 15, 2019;

-The drawing of the winning ticket will take place on April 17, 2019 at a location yet to be announced;

-Winning ticket holder does not need to be in attendance;

 

Tickets are available at the following locations at twenty dollars ($20) each:

-Annie’s Unique Boutique, 1049 County Street, Somerset

-Auclair’s Markey, 145 County Street, Somerset

-LCPL John J. VanGyzen Marine Corps League, 265 High Street, Somerset

-J. Marshall Associates, 982 Eastern Avenue, Fall River

-Members of the Vietnam Wall Committee

 

One thousand tickets were printed according to Haddad’s office, with tickets provided by Haddad and State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues.

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STATE LEGISLATORS TO PRESENT BRAYTON POINT FORUM

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

THE GREAT & GENERAL COURT

Office of the Speaker Pro Tempore

Rep. Patricia A. Haddad

State Representative Patricia A. Haddad (D-Somerset) and state Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport) today announced that they will be sponsoring a community forum to update the residents of Somerset and Swansea on the progress being made at the Brayton Point Commerce Park. The site, formerly Brayton Point Power Generating Station, has undergone major transformations since powering down and is in the process of transitioning to a regional mixed use commercial center.

According to Representative Haddad, “The Senator and I have been working with various state and local agencies and departments to ensure that the new owners of Brayton Point have the resources and technical support necessary to redevelop the site. We are sponsoring this forum to bring the public up to speed on that progress and to offer insight as to the next stages of development”. The legislators hope to position the location as a regional hub for green energy technology manufacturing and in particular off shore wind.

The forum will be held on February 26, 2019 at 6:30 pm at the performing arts center of the Somerset Berkley Regional High School, County Street/Route 138, Somerset, Massachusetts. Residents of Somerset and the Ocean Grove neighborhood of Swansea are encouraged to attend.

 

 

 

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CDC Rebrands Former Coal Power Plant as Brayton Point Commerce Center

November 8, 2018

Somerset, MA – Today the owners of the retired Brayton Point Power Station site in Somerset, Massachusetts have announced the site will be rebranded as Brayton Point Commerce Center.

Once the largest coal-fired power plant in New England, the launch of the new brand and logo will help to strategically reposition Brayton Point as a world-class logistics port, manufacturing hub, and support center for the emerging offshore wind energy sector.

To support its rebranding efforts, Commercial Development Company, Inc. (CDC) launched a public website to provide regular updates as the Brayton Point Commerce Center project moves forward. The website will also provide answers to frequently asked questions, photos and videos of the development progress, and other information about the project. The website can be viewed at www.BraytonPointCommerceCenter.com.

Brayton Point LLC, an affiliate of CDC, purchased the 308-acre property in January 2018, and is investing significant resources to transform the site for its highest potential.

For 50 years, Brayton Point was home to a coal-fired power plant that generated 1600 MW of electricity to homes and businesses and was a source of good paying local jobs and tax revenue. This redevelopment project will return Brayton Point to a state of productivity and growth by utilizing many of the same attributes that made the site successful in the past – 300 acres of waterfront property, a deep water port capable of berthing large trans-Atlantic vessels, and access to a strong local talent pool. Additionally, Brayton Point is now located in close proximity to designated offshore wind areas in the Atlantic Ocean.

“We believe the outstanding logistical attributes of Brayton Point combined with public support for energy diversification has created a historic opportunity to help advance the offshore wind energy sector with this development, said Stephen Collins Executive Vice President of Commercial Development Company. “The acreage available will also give the Brayton Point Commerce Center the capacity to accommodate other industries as well.”

“By rebranding Brayton Point, we on the state level are now better able to partner with and encourage our private sector contacts to locate here – and most importantly – create jobs for our region”, stated House Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia A. Haddad,” we are well on our way to reestablishing the site as an economic force for the South Coast as well as to begin restoring lost tax revenues”.

“It is exciting to see Brayton Point evolve into the Brayton Point Commerce Center,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport).  “Adapting this strategically important site to better support the Commonwealth’s energy diversification efforts will be beneficial to the area.  Furthermore, Brayton Point is always a topic of conversation, so I am glad that the new website will offer transparency to the community.”

 

About Commercial Development Company, Inc.

Commercial Development Company, Inc. (CDC) is a privately-held, diversified real estate acquisition and development firm whose principal competency lies within the acquisition, repositioning, and redevelopment of underutilized, distressed or environmentally-challenged properties. CDC has purchased and redeveloped over 65-million-square feet under roof located on 300 sites throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.cdcco.com.

MBTA Service Plans for Wednesday’s Red Sox Parade

T to run rush-hour subway service; provide additional capacity on certain Commuter Rail lines

Parade attendees strongly encouraged to purchase round-trip fares in advance

Visit MBTA.com/RedSox for service information

BOSTON – To accommodate attendees of the parade celebrating the 2018 Boston Red Sox World Series victory, the MBTA will operate enhanced service on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

The MBTA will operate subway service at rush-hour levels from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Additional Commuter Rail capacity will be added to lines that are expected to experience higher-than-normal ridership. On the Green Line, the nightly shutdown of trolley service on the D Branch has been cancelled, meaning regularly scheduled D Branch service will continue until the end of service on Wednesday night.

“Because the parade coincides with Halloween, we fully expect Wednesday to be a busy day in Boston and around the region,” said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez. “So as a reminder, we’re asking people to please stay informed of service information. We want everyone to have an enjoyable day, so please be safe, be respectful, and enjoy the special day on Wednesday.”

“As we prepare for the victory parade and Halloween, MBTA Transit Police will have an enhanced presence throughout the day,” said MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green. “For this year’s parade, we’re asking our customers for their assistance: if you see something, please say something. Working together, we can ensure everyone has a safe, enjoyable day.”

Customers can find more information on MBTA service and schedule information for Wednesday, October 31 at MBTA.com/RedSox.

For customers using the Commuter Rail:

Commuter Rail schedules are posted online and can be found on the MBTA Commuter Rail app.

Because of the expected crowds, approximately 200 Keolis and Commuter Rail personnel will be at key stations to assist with wayfinding, boarding, and schedule information. Bikes will not be allowed on any Commuter Rail trains on Wednesday.

Parking facility locations and rates can be found online.

Parade attendees are strongly encouraged to purchase round-trip fares either Tuesday during the day or Wednesday morning to avoid long waits at fare vending machines after the parade.

In addition to purchasing fares in advance, Commuter Rail customers should consider using the mTicket app.

Some Commuter Rail parking facilities historically have additional capacity. Stations with high parking capacity include:

• Newburyport/Rockport Line: Beverly, Salem, and Lynn
• Haverhill Line: Bradford and Lawrence
• Lowell Line: Lowell, Billerica, and Anderson/Woburn
• Fitchburg Line: Fitchburg and North Leominster
• Greenbush Line: Greenbush, Nantasket, and Weymouth Landing
• Plymouth/Kingston Line: Kingston
• Middleborough Line: Campello, Montello, and Bridgewater
• Fairmount Line: Readville
• Providence Line: Route 128
• Franklin Line: Forge Park/495, Walpole, Dedham Corp.
• Needham Line: Needham
• Worcester Line: Worcester, Ashland

For customers using MBTA buses:

All MBTA bus routes will operate regular weekday schedules on Wednesday with the exception of a number of bus routes that will be detoured because of the parade. Those routes include:

• Route 1
• Route 9
• Route 10
• Route 39
• Route 43
• Silver Line (SL5)
• Route 92
• Route 93
• Route 504

For customers using the subway:

Beginning at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, the T will operate subway service at rush-hour levels.

As with all other modes, customers are strongly encourage to purchase roundtrip fares either on Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

Beginning Wednesday at 7 a.m. at Riverside Station, the CharlieCard Van will have available thousands of CharlieCards pre-loaded with $5 of value on each card so that customers can quickly purchase round-trip fares.

Customer can access the parade route from a number of MBTA stations, according to the following:

• From the Orange Line: any station between North Station and Back Bay
• From the Green Line: any station between North Station and Kenmore
• From the Blue Line: any station from Bowdoin and State Street
• From the Red Line: Park Street and Downtown Crossing

The following MBTA stations are all located directly along the parade route:

• Hynes Convention Center
• Copley
• Arlington
• Boylston
• Park Street
• Downtown Crossing
• Government Center

Fare Information:

Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase round-trip fares either Tuesday during the day or Wednesday morning to avoid long waits at fare vending machines after the parade.

In addition to purchasing fares in advance, Commuter Rail customers should consider using the mTicket app.

Additional Parking Information:

As with prior large-scale events, the T will be working in coordination with MassDOT to position variable message boards along state highways informing customers about parking availability at key MBTA facilities.

For infrequent MBTA customers, parking locations and rates can be found at MBTA.com/Parking.

The T also provides live parking capacity updates at the MBTA’s eight largest garages at @MBTA_Parking.

Customer Information:

Customers can call the MBTA call center at 617-222-3200. To report an emergency, dial 911 or call the MBTA Transit Police Department at 617-222-1212. As always, customers should connect with the T on Twitter at @MBTA and @MBTA_CR for the latest service information.

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OUR NEW FEATURE….. “IN THE NEWS”

BAKER PREPARING NEW PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN
[Story Developing] Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration is preparing to roll out a proposal to allow the state to negotiate prices directly with drug manufacturers and possibly hold price hearings as he seeks to curb what he called “the single biggest driver, at this point, to the rising cost of health care in Massachusetts.” Baker told the Health Policy Commission on Tuesday that his administration is pursuing drug purchasing reform at the federal level but is also “actively reviewing the work of other states as we develop proposals that we’ll roll out in the near future regarding direct negotiation with manufacturers that could include price hearings and formulary restrictions in certain circumstances while ensuring strong consumer protections.” Baker made a similar proposal before and the Senate’s version of the fiscal 2019 budget initially included language allowing the state to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers. Since then, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rejected a waiver request from Baker, which he hoped would help control rising pharmacy costs. Trish Riley, executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, testified Wednesday that the Bay State waiver request had been monitored closely by other states looking to control prescription drug costs and taking a variety of approaches toward that goal. – Colin A. Young/SHNS

THIRD RIGHT WHALE DEATH THIS YEAR CONFIRMED BY NOAA
According to the federal government, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, with only an estimated 450 remaining. As of this year, there are at least three fewer. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel on Sunday reported a sighting of a whale carcass floating about 100 miles east of Nantucket. NOAA reviewed photos provided by experts and determined it was a North Atlantic right whale. “The carcass is severely decomposed, but photographs show multiple wounds indicative of human interaction,” according to NOAA. “The initial examination revealed marks consistent with entanglement. However, at this stage it is too early to speculate on the cause of the death.” With the help of the U.S. Coast Guard, the whale carcass was found early Monday afternoon. The crew of the Henry B. Bigelow took additional photos and samples that will be used to more precisely identify and learn more about the whale, according to NOAA. Northern right whales have been listed as endangered since 1970. According to NOAA, commercial whalers by the 1890s had “hunted right whales in the Atlantic to the brink of extinction.” Today, the leading causes of known mortality for North Atlantic right whales are entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. – Michael P. Norton/SHNS

UMass Dartmouth awarded $600,000 EDA Grant to develop SouthCoast Blue Economy Corridor

The U.S. Department of Commerce award for regional economic cooperation around marine science and technology will focus on collaboration and innovation

POSTED BY OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS   //  SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

On September 5, UMass Dartmouth was awarded $600,000 from the United States Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the development of a Blue Economy Corridor running along the SouthCoast of Massachusetts.

UMass Dartmouth will bring together higher education and research institutions, businesses, and civic organizations to collaborate on the continued growth of marine science and technology in the region. The grant will be used to encourage collaboration to attract marine technology companies, talent, and research funding.

The grant award comes less than six months after UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Robert Johnson convened a Blue Economy symposium on campus that attracted 100 government, industry, and higher education leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges related to the marine economy. The event produced a whitepaper that details the potential for regional blue economy growth.

In addition, the UMass Dartmouth-based SouthCoast Development Partnership has made development of the blue economy a strategic priority. Members of the partnership strongly advocated for the grant and assisted in the development of the project proposal.

“This investment by the Department of Commerce and EDA will allow us to bring together business, civic, and educational leaders to design and build a new blue economy driven by innovation and collaboration,” said Chancellor Johnson. “Our region’s economy has been driven by its proximity to the ocean for centuries. Now, with the nation’s top fishing port, an emerging offshore wind industry, and a growing marine technology sector, the potential for economic growth along Interstate 195 is great. I want to thank congressmen Bill Keating and Joe Kennedy and the delegation for their advocacy and encouragement in moving this project forward and assure them that UMass Dartmouth is prepared to lead this effort.”

“The Massachusetts marine economy depends on the type of innovative research taking place at UMass Dartmouth,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “By helping to spur UMass Dartmouth’s Blue Economy Corridor Initiative, this federal grant will generate enormous economic benefits for the Commonwealth and I am grateful to the EDA for this support.”

“This grant will allow the SouthCoast to maximize the potential of its burgeoning Blue Economy and will spur growth in the region by strategic investment in the marine science sector,” said Congressman William R. Keating. “I commend UMass Dartmouth and the South Coast Development Partnership’s leadership for taking the necessary steps to bring their regional vision to fruition and am glad we could secure federal dollars to move it forward.”

“With its robust marine resources, top-tier workforce and long tradition of innovation, the SouthCoast is uniquely positioned to drive our Commonwealth and country’s blue economy,” said Congressman Joe Kennedy III. “I’m grateful for the continued leadership of UMass Dartmouth and the SouthCoast Development Partnership in securing this well-deserved grant and solidifying this region’s economic future. I look forward to the continued collaboration of stakeholders across government, business and academia to ensure the SouthCoast remains at the very forefront of marine technology.”

“It has been my great pleasure to support the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s plans for a Blue Economy Corridor, and I applaud the EDA’s choice to invest in the powerful potential of this region,” U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey. “Southeastern Massachusetts is already home to the world’s foremost marine research institutions and a growing hub for innovative marine science and technology companies. With this investment, a new era will dawn in the region as the Blue Economy Corridor harnesses the power and potential of scholarship, innovation, and ingenuity that can only be found in Southeastern Massachusetts.”

“EDA congratulates the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on the award and looks forward to new opportunities, job creation and private investment as a result of the promising Marine Technology Alliance,” said Linda Cruz-Carnall, Regional Director, Philadelphia Regional Office of the EDA.

The project aims to examine the blue economy by looking at supply chain inventory, workforce, higher education research, challenges to growth and exporting goods, and other factors to create a comprehensive catalog of the industry sector. This catalog will be used to facilitate branding and marketing of the region internationally. Other parts of the project include addressing unemployment, facilitating the creation of long-term, high wage employment opportunities, and diversifying the regional economy.

UMass Dartmouth is a tier 1 national research university recognized for its excellence in marine science and technology via its School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford, its College of Engineering on the main campus in Dartmouth, and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Fall River.

Swansea waterfront dredging project lands Army Corps permit, $728K grant

By Michael Holtzman
Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted at 11:20 AM

Updated at 12:22 PM

It’s been a banner couple of weeks for Swansea and its waterfront revitalization project for the 9-acre town beach.

SWANSEA –It’s been a banner couple of weeks for Swansea and its waterfront revitalization project for the 9-acre town beach.

After several years of pursuit, they have in hand the the final permit needed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging permit for the Cole River and adjacent Mount Hope Bay to re-nourish the town beach with more than 15,000 cubic acres of sand as the foundation of the Swansea waterfront restoration project.

On Wednesday afternoon on Hyannis, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced Swansea had been awarded a $728,184 state “navigational pilot dredging program” grant to remove river sediment.

“This project will support the Swansea waterfront revitalization initiative, which aims to stimulate tourism and related businesses along the Cole River through enhancements to navigation, public spaces, and recreational opportunities.

“The project will nourish a public coastal beach, build capacity for public mooring space and restore all-tide navigation for commercial shellfishing and recreational boating,” said a press release from the Baker-Politio administration.

Swansea’s dredging grant was among 10 awarded totaling $3.6 million, and the second largest behind Barnstable receiving $1 million.

“Dredging is essential to ensuring that the Commonwealth’s harbors grow in a safe, environmentally sound, and economically prosperous manner,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton.

“Wonderful! … It finally came through,” Carole Hyland said Tuesday about the Army Corps permit to proceed.

An original member since 2010 of the waterfront committee charged with revitalizing the beach that’s had several highs and lows, on Wednesday she returned ecstatic from the Cape with fellow member Fran Kelly and Town Administrator John McAuliffe.

“We were so happily surprised,” Hyland said. “It gives you such a good feeling when you do apply and are rewarded … It will be so wonderful for the children to have a bigger beach.”

She said with dredging the first priority of the project, the grant should help ensure landscaping, walkways and “little extra things” can be done.

“It’s exciting for the community. It’s exciting for the waterfront project,” said Selectmen Chairman Derek Heim, who’s strongly supported its progress. He praised state officials for the funding and a persistent committee led by Chairman Christopher Sampson.

“I’m extremely excited that the project continues to breathe some life,” Heim said.

Referring to one town meeting re-vote when funding was not approved and a lesser amount later was, Heim said, “This is what the taxpayers asked us to do.”

He was hopeful the full-scale project would be developed, which would include a 5,000 square-foot open air pavilion.

Selectman Christopher Carreiro, the former board chairman, said Polito strongly encouraged the town to apply for this dredging grant. It’s administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

“We’re in a really excellent position,” Carreiro said of prospects to fully fund this project that had been estimated at upwards of $5 million.

“It’s really good news for the town,” committee member and Conservation Agent Colleen Brown said of the essential federal permit she forwarded and said the town received the prior week.

Each of the committee members reached noted they’re working with a known tight time table now to perform the dredging.

Because of spawning seasons in the channels that will be dredged, their window for this work is Nov. 16 to Jan. 14.

The dredging permit issued to Sampson by Barbara Newman, New England district engineer, allows:

• The hydraulic dredging of approximately 5,960 cubic yards of sand from 5.69 acres of the Cole River channel for supplemental beach re-nourishment and ensure safe passage through the channel, the permit says.

The location and depths are the same as the last time the town dredged the river more than 20 years ago in 1997.

Two new areas for navigational improvement and sand mining to nourish the beach.

• The hydraulic dredging of the eastern shoal adjacent to the channel in Mount Hope Bay of approximately 9,610 cubic yards of sand from about a 2.65-acre area if various depths.

• Another 2,700 cubic yards of sand near the Cole River boat ramp from approximately .79 acres to a 10-foot-2-inch depth.

In total, 18,260 cubic yards of sand will be used as beach nourishment along 2.67 acres, while 100 cubic yards will be used for dunes restoration in a 3,000 square-foot area, the permit says.

Hyland, having observed the prior dredging, said it’s a uniquely exciting process. With the dredging equipment in the channel and the nearby bay, workers will attach pipes from a barge and lay them along the beach all the way to the location of the old Bluffs building the town had demolished in May as part of the project.

“It’s like a huge vacuum cleaner,” she said of the beach re-nourishing, bringing the dredged sand to the beach. The sand is brought to the end point, and as each section is filled up with new sand the workers remove sections of pipe, Hyland said.

They’ve sought the dredging permit for three or four years, and have had to work through close evaluations for sea life along the shore by the National Marine Fisheries Service that have contributed to delays obtaining the permit, she said.

A press release in May from the Army Corps in conjunction with the fisheries service said approximately 9.12 acres of “essential fish habitat” will be impacted by the dredging.

“However, the corps has made a preliminary determination that the site specific adverse effect will not be substantial,” they wrote three months ago before a comment period and issuing a 10-year permit through Aug. 16, 2028.

While it includes a list of conditions, Brown, the town conservation agent, said none would create problems to meet.

Hyland said their marine engineer and the assistant to John McAuliffe, Jordan Remy, are working on bid specifications for the dredging project.

In a specialized field, Hyland said the committee is hopeful Barnstable County, which has two dredging crews, would be available during the upcoming two-month span they could do the work. Besides their proficiency, she said the cost could be considerably less than a private company doing the work.

In a project that has had several funding votes, last year at a town meeting voters approved $1.2 million needed to augment about $500,000 remaining in start-up funds to do the feeder beach. It’s designed from a Danish sand replenishment cycle so the laborious dredging won’t need frequent restoration, officials have said.

The town a year ago also received a $1 million Seaport Economic Council grant to construct its first building, a 36-by-36 bathhouse for changing, lifeguards and medical area, while keeping showers outdoors and simple.

The town’s design and construction engineer is also preparing specifications for that project, Hyland said, stating the building will be done as a separate project from the dredging.

Coupled with the state contributing $100,000 toward demolishing The Bluffs in May and another $100,000 for a new pedestrian beach area with benches on Bay Street and Ocean Grove Avenue as part of Swansea’s 350th anniversary celebration, the state has funded nearly $2 million for the waterfront revitalization project.

Hyland, a long-time town beach committee member, also noted that during an uncertain beach period, “we’ve had a really good summer down there.”

Use of the beach and the boat ramp, quahoging and other recreational uses have been high, she said. With entry and parking shifted since The Bluffs was demolished, lifeguards and staff will remain in place through Labor Day, and gates will be open from 9 a.m. to about 8:30 p.m. through Columbus Day.

“Everyone wants to know when we’re going to get going,” she said, about the beach restoration project.

Email Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com or call him at 508-676-2573.

BAKER SIGNS LAW RAISING MINIMUM WAGE, CREATING PAID LEAVE PROGRAM

By Colin A. Young
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JUNE 28, 2018….Gov. Charlie Baker signed a new law Thursday that could affect virtually every resident of Massachusetts, a week after lawmakers settled months of negotiations over proposed ballot questions that could have had dramatic consequences for the state’s finances and economy.

Gov. Charlie Baker sat down to sign the “grand bargain” bill Thursday flanked by Democrats including incoming Senate President Karen Spilka, House Majority Leader Ron Mariano, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Senate President Harriette Chandler. [Photo: Sam Doran/SHNS]

Gov. Charlie Baker sat down to sign the “grand bargain” bill Thursday flanked by Democrats including incoming Senate President Karen Spilka, House Majority Leader Ron Mariano, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Senate President Harriette Chandler. [Photo: Sam Doran/SHNS]

Legislators scrambled to assemble the so-called grand bargain bill after interest groups, fed up with inaction on Beacon Hill, initiated ballot drives and forced legislative leaders to engage with them at the negotiating table, or risk having major policies written into law by voters.

Under the law, the hourly minimum wage will rise from $11 to $15 over a five-year period. During those same five years, time-and-a-half pay for workers on Sundays and holidays will be phased out. An $800 million paid family and medical leave program overseen by the state government and backed by a payroll tax will be launched so workers can more easily take care of themselves and their families without facing fiscal crises.

And every August beginning in 2019, the state will suspend the 6.25 percent sales tax on many purchases for a weekend.

Baker signed the historic wage and benefits legislation into law in his ceremonial office, flanked by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Harriette Chandler and other legislators.

“That one’s a done deal,” Baker said at 10:36 a.m. after his signature was on the law. The governor used several pens to sign his name and distributed each to the lawmakers standing behind him. The ceremonial office was packed with reporters, cameras, aides to the governor and staffers from various legislative offices.

The governor was largely a bystander in the negotiations and declined to stake out positions on the issues while encouraging legislators to work on alternatives to the ballot questions. By signing the bill into law, Baker registered his support for its contents.

“The product of this is a far better product for the commonwealth than each of these as standalone entities would have been for Massachusetts, which is why I’m signing it,” Baker said Thursday.

The Republican governor, who is up for reelection this fall, has repeatedly voiced a general opposition to broad-based tax increases but in signing the compromise bill Thursday he gave the green light to a new payroll tax expected to pull in about $800 million.

“I guess the way I think about this is there’s a benefit that’s attached to this thing, and that benefit is a paid family leave provision that did not previously exist in state law,” Baker said Monday when asked if a no-new-taxes stance would prevent him from signing the bill.

The one issue involved in the negotiations that Baker did publicly support was a reduction in the state sales tax. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts proposed a ballot question cutting the tax rate from 6.25 percent to 5 percent.

Baker at the Republican convention in late April touted his support for a sales tax reduction, saying his opponents are against it, but he has not proposed a sales tax cut on Beacon Hill and it’s not clear how he plans to achieve it now that the grand bargain, which keeps the sales tax at 6.25 percent, has been signed into law and retailers have committed to dropping their popular tax relief question after scoring concessions on premium pay and a sales tax holiday.
Baker did not take questions from the press at Thursday’s bill signing, or make comments about the policy implications of the far-reaching legislation.

“The Massachusetts workforce continues to grow with more and more people finding jobs and our administration is committed to maintaining the Commonwealth’s competitive economic environment,” the governor said in a press release after the signing ceremony.

SHNS Video: Baker signs ‘Grand Bargain’

The Raise Up coalition, the amalgamation of more than 100 labor, community and faith-based groups behind the minimum wage and paid leave ballot questions, celebrated the bill becoming law Thursday and shared reactions from workers who will benefit from the new law.

“For the past five years, my coworkers and I have been fighting for higher wages and it is just amazing that we have finally won! Winning $15 will make it easier for me to pay my bills and buy food each month,” Dayail Gethers, a wheelchair attendant at Logan Airport, said in a statement.

Sandra Cormier of Wareham said: “I am excited to have the paid leave insurance bill become law. When my mom got sick and needed help at home, my work offered unpaid leave, but I couldn’t get by without income. I ended up taking early retirement so I could have a small income, helped my mom, and now I’m looking for a job because the bills don’t stop. I would have been glad to contribute a few dollars for insurance that can keep you from losing so much.”

The Raise Up coalition voted last week to drop its paid family and medical leave ballot proposal but waited until Tuesday to make a determination about its minimum wage question. The group confirmed Thursday that since the governor signed the bill it will not submit the signatures necessary to put the questions on the ballot.

In agreeing to the compromise, the coalition passed on bringing its version of the minimum wage increase bill to the voters. Had the question gone to the ballot and won, Raise Up could have celebrated securing a hike to $15 per hour in four years rather than five and would have ensured that the minimum wage was annually indexed to inflation.

With the three ballot questions wrapped in the grand bargain now off the November ballot, voters will be left to decide questions imposing nurse staffing mandates at hospitals and rolling back the state’s new law aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender individuals in public accommodations.

Combined with the Supreme Judicial Court’s rejection of the proposed income surtax ballot question, it also means that Baker’s reelection effort will not contend with a wave of progressive voters eager to vote on the so-called millionaire’s tax, a paid family and medical leave program and an increase in the minimum wage.

David Maher, president and CEO of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, said the grand bargain should be the model for how businesses, legislators and advocates can work together to tackle some of the state’s most pressing challenges.

“This new law will bolster the Commonwealth’s ability to attract world-class talent and innovative companies, without decimating budget funds we rely on to fund our schools and transportation system. It’s a compromise that works for Massachusetts, and one we hope can be replicated as we tackle future challenges on housing, education and public transit,” he said.

Not everyone was pleased with the outcome of the grand bargain and soon after the governor signed the bill restaurant workers announced they plan to present lawmakers with “a bill for balance due” Thursday at 2 p.m. The activists said the grand bargain “does not address are the poverty wages of tipped workers.”

The bill increases the minimum wage for tipped workers to $6.75 over five years, though the Not on the Menu Coalition said it “will continue to demand an end to this discriminatory wage system, beginning with today’s action.”

Thursday’s signing of the grand bargain further establishes Raise Up as a force on Beacon Hill, having successfully fought for the last minimum wage increase, an earned sick time ballot law and now having secured another minimum wage increase and the establishment of the paid leave program.

In a statement Wednesday, the coalition pledged to continue to fight on behalf of workers “who were left behind by the Legislature in this bill,” possibly hinting at its next effort.

“We will continue to do this work until every worker in Massachusetts has a livable wage, family-supporting benefits, and a transportation and education system that lifts people up, funded by the wealthy paying their fair share,” the group said. “We are only getting started.”

Shortly after Baker signed the bill, Lew Finfer, one of the leaders of the Raise Up coalition, notified reporters that Baker has “stepped in with state funds” to extend emergency housing for a month to more than 300 Puerto Rican families who are in Massachusetts as evacuees from the hurricane in Puerto Rico. Saying the Federal Emergency Management Agency had refused to extend emergency housing assistance beyond June 30, Finfer said the families are staying in motels in Springfield, Holyoke, West Springfield, Worcester, Lawrence and Dedham.

-END-
6/28/2018

Vineyard Wind ‘likely’ to add Brayton Point to staging locations

NEW BEDFORD — Vineyard Wind will likely use Brayton Point to stage some portions of the construction of its offshore wind turbines, a company executive said Monday.

The developer had already committed to use New Bedford as the main construction port for a project with up to 100 turbines, starting about 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Erich Stephens, chief development officer for the company, said the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is a good facility, but limited in size.

“There will be aspects of the construction that have to happen somewhere else besides New Bedford,” he said in an interview.

Stephens said the company is looking at other places in New Bedford to fill the need but will more likely choose Brayton Point, the site of a closed coal-fired power plant in Somerset. The owners are already removing generation equipment from the main building to make way for wind components and planning to accommodate the cranes that would be necessary to lift turbines, he said.

State Rep. Patricia Haddad, D-Somerset, said she invited Vineyard Wind to visit Brayton Point and meet the owners, and the meeting took place several weeks ago. Representatives of Vineyard Wind met with Haddad; state Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport; and Stephen Collins, representing Commercial Development Co., which owns the plant, among others.

In response to Stephens’ statement that Vineyard Wind will probably use Brayton Point, she said, “I’m glad that they’ve said that out loud.”

Haddad said she believes Brayton Point will be a great complement to New Bedford, not a competitor. It has more than 300 waterfront acres, whereas the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal has 29 acres. But Brayton Point is not as well equipped to handle heavy loads.

 

“I think it could be a great partnership between the two areas,” she said. “I’m in touch with the [New Bedford] mayor frequently, because it would never be about competing. It’s about harmonizing.”

Each site also has constraints on the size of vessels it can accept — Brayton Point limited in height because of bridges, and New Bedford in width because of the hurricane barrier, Stephens said. Vineyard Wind is thinking about which aspects of construction would fit best at each location, he said.

Mayor Jon Mitchell has long advocated making New Bedford the hub of offshore wind in the Northeast. Mitchell’s spokesman Jonathan Carvalho said the idea that wind companies need multiple shoreside locations is nothing new.

“There are certain elements of construction of turbines that simply cannot fit in New Bedford,” he said in an email.

European wind ports often have discrete facilities for different aspects of construction, he said.

Vineyard Wind was the winning bidder in Massachusetts’ first state-supervised procurement process for offshore wind energy.

The state’s electricity distribution companies awarded Vineyard Wind an 800-megawatt project, which could mean up to 100 turbines, depending on their size. That’s enough to power 415,000 households, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

All three bidders signed a letter of intent to use the Marine Commerce Terminal, and Vineyard Wind’s bid described that location as the “primary marine terminal” for construction. Construction could begin by the end of 2019.

Stephens said Vineyard Wind has also been speaking with schools and with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center about how to spend the $2 million the company has committed to recruit, mentor and train workers. Ideas include programs at vocational high schools on the Cape, Islands and SouthCoast that would feed into a program at Bristol Community College; courses at Cape Cod Community College to complement the main program at BCC; and possibly a mock turbine foundation at Massachusetts Maritime Academy to train crew members to transfer from vessels to the turbines.