On Tuesday night, the 160 seats in the Marion Music Hall were full of residents and public servants. This meeting was for the Marine Resource Commission’s presentation on their long-developed Harbor Management Plan.
MRC Chair Vincent J. Malkoski, Jr. began the meeting by joking, “this is a better crowd than they had at the candidate night.” He went on to stress staying on the topic of the management plan, saying, “if anyone is here to discuss current issues with management, that’s not gonna happen. This is not the place – this night is only for planning.” He finished by saying, “this is big picture stuff, strategic planning.”
Shannon Hogan from the Urban Harbors Institute of UMass Boston then spoke. Her organization is working with the MRC to create the plan. She said, “this is a great crowd,” and noted the point of the meeting was to gather input on the plan for “the goals and vision for tackling the challenges facing the harbor and waterways.” On their long-term timeline, the group has already met with the MRC with Hogan adding they will have many more meetings going forward.
She noted the meeting will be unorthodox, with breakout tables around the room with members of UHI and MRC at each. She said they have “opportunities for you to go around and share your thoughts and inputs. What would you like the harbor to look like in the future?” She recommended going to each of the four tables to get a cumulative look of the plan.
On the area effected by the plan itself, she said it was mainly around Marion Harbor proper, though she noted other areas upstream are still important and it is not a hard border.
Before splitting off to breakout tables, there was an open time for questions. The first question was levied toward the Urban Harbors Institute, asking who or what other towns they work with. Hogan noted a few: Nantucket, on updating harbor management plan which they also did in 2009 for them, Mashpee on Cape Cod, where they’re making their first harbor plan, Manchester-by-the-Sea’s harbor plan, and Swansea’s harbor management plan which they completed last year.
The next question was “what is the impotence? what exactly are you trying to fix?”
MRC Chair Malkoski said, “we’re not trying to fix anything.” Though he said issues may arise with fisherman, boats, or residents on the water. He said MRC’s job is to manage the harbor and balance the needs of the many different groups. He stressed, “our job is to create balance and advice the Select Board.” He emphasized the MRC being a “guidance body” whose members’ origins vary.
He brought up the Bird Island Lighthouse, stating it “needs work,” though the costs are not in the budget. He rhetorically asked, “are we going to restore it? Are we going to remove the historic parts and let nature reclaim it? I don’t know – if we have a harbor management plan, it’s positioned in the hierarchy of the plan.”
The final question asked of grants awarded to other communities as well as where the money for this program comes from. UHI representative Kristin Uiterwyk answered, saying the town applied for funding through the Seaport Economic Council through the state and won the funding. Recently, she mentioned projects that have been funded. One being an eel grass management plan on Nantucket for $50,000-$60,000. Also noted were expansive dredging projects, new maritime facilities, public access and signage projects, and others. She stressed the scale of grants varies greatly.
Then Shannon Hogan said, “we’ll let the fun begin,” as they allowed the full room to meander between the four breakout tables. The four tables were 1. Boating and Navigation, 2. Water Quality and Natural Resources, 3. Shoreline Access, and 4. Climate Change. Residents were encouraged to move between the tables, ask questions, and offer input on the plan.
Marion Harbor Management Plan Kickoff Meeting
By Sam Bishop