Carrying Place Beach, a popular summer destination in Surry, is also a vulnerable point for the only road at the end of the Newbury Neck peninsula.
It’s flooded repeatedly in recent years, and strong tides could damage it as sea level is projected to continue rising.
Residents spent years developing plans to lift the road in response, and the town was set to get almost $3 million in federal funding for the project.
Voters decided this month not to accept that money or move ahead with road work.
“We have everything in place,” Select Board Chair Chris Stark said. “We just don’t have the money and the will of the people.”
The decision shows how one community is responding to the costly effects of increasing strong coastal storms, and suggests a limit to willingness to pursue expensive fixes. Many other small Maine towns are weighing big projects that could squeeze property taxpayers amid affordability challenges.
It’s still unclear what Surry might do there instead, if anything, or how local first responders would access residents if the road became dangerous, though other resources are available through the county. There are 140 homes south of the beach, some seasonal.
The area is among numerous Maine communities with only one road connection to the mainland. Many have flooded in recent storms, which can also destabilize road beds.
The beach became a local focus about four years ago, when a grant to look for climate vulnerabilities revealed it as a weak spot. It later flooded four times in several months.
Years of studies, engineering work, public meetings and permitting led to a plan to raise the road about six feet, to 15 feet above sea level.
The town received $2.9 million in congressionally directed spending, which required a 25% local match. Officials said grants, bonds or loans could help, with property taxation as a “last resort.”
Cost estimates had crept up over time.
Stark also heard other concerns, including the aesthetics of adding guardrails, doubt another storm surge would hit and suggestions of other options. People often didn’t appear to have read an extensive FAQ document on the town website addressing those points, he said.
On April 10, residents voted down accepting the federal funds and providing a local match. Congressional staffers withdrew the spending request, along with a backup request made in response to the partial government shutdown.
Stark said he was disappointed and surprised, and hopes residents might petition for a vote on a modified project.
But as it stands, the window is closed and the Select Board’s work is done, he said. It’s unlikely such a project could be completed without outside money.
Another board member countered that residents have spoken and the conversation is over, Stark said.
The board has since discussed creating a local emergency plan there, which he feels is urgent.
Fire Chief Bryan McClellan said his department sees a moderate safety risk. It’s unlikely a fire would start before a temporary fix to a road problem was found, but access would be challenging and take time if it did, he said.
He couldn’t remember the last structure fire there, but regular calls are made for emergency medical services.
“We are concerned about the potential of this happening,” he said. “We know it’s a realistic scenario.”
Driving heavy tankers across a flooded, potentially damaged road would risk millions of dollars in equipment for Surry and neighboring towns, he said. Multiple departments respond to structure fires and make repeated trips for water.
That rules out leaving a truck there, as some have suggested, and safety regulations also require regular inspections, he said.
Response options would depend on the nature of the damage, he said. A temporary fix could be put in place but might expose the town to liability. Ambulance service would face similar risks.
People often choose not to evacuate, presenting another challenge, according to McClellan.
The Hancock County Emergency Management Agency can coordinate more resources, including state and federal options if towns request help during emergencies, according to director Andrew Sankey.
“We’re going to do everything we possibly can” to preserve lives and property, he said, noting that local road decisions are up to towns.
Natural hazards are the most challenging to respond to, but it’s also possible to prepare more because they’re forecast, Sankey said.
Other county towns that could be cut off by extreme weather have general plans for responding to scenarios like a causeway washing out or a ferry not running, according to Sankey.
McClellan thinks it’s important to look long term, because solutions, even temporary ones, won’t happen fast.
“It’s not something that can be solved in a single year,” he said.
