Coughlin Park Shoreline Fix Moving Forward

Plans for repair of the shoreline at Coughlin Park are moving forward. Last week officials from MEPA (the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Act) came to Winthrop to begin the permitting process to address the erosion that has happened at the park’s shoreline.

Assistant Town Manager Joe Domelowicz explained that a couple of years ago it was noticed that the west bank was eroding into the channel.

“We’ve lost almost 20 feet of the park in the last eight to 10 years,” he said. “We’ve tried to look for opportunities to stabilize the bank.”

Domelowicz said two years ago a grant was obtained to study the possibilities of a green infrastructure solution. Right now the project is in the permitting and engineering stages. He noted that a “living shoreline” is the best approach for the town. The permit will be reviewed by Coastal Zone Management, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Marine Fisheries.

The process is expected to last six months.

“If the state approves the project, and we’re comfortable they will, it’s the type of project the state is looking for municipalities to take on,” Domelowicz said. “But it won’t reclaim what’s been lost over the past few years.”

Domelowicz explained that the park is part of the protection for the Point Shirley neighborhood.

“If we keep eroding the water is going to be up to Bayview Ave.,” Domelowicz said. “We’re trying to protect our property and our residents.”

The final cost of the project has not been determined yet. Domelowicz said he’s hoping for funding from the state to create a living shoreline.