By David Harry
Staff Writer

It is either a wonderful plan enhancing public good or a rushed piece of work that will endanger safety of pedestrians and drivers.
Those are some of the responses after three public forums regarding plans to create a new public access area to Pine Point Beach.
The beach access area is intended to be a part of renovations to Pine Point Road planned for the spring. Town officials propose to fill a 13,000-square-foot area of town-owned land between the Lighthouse Inn and Beach Walk subdivision near the intersection of Pine Point Road and East Grand Avenue.
The beach access is intended to remedy the loss of a public street leading to the beach following a land swap between the town and Lighthouse Inn owners.
But even as Town Manager Tom Hall gathered responses to the plan for a task force considering the project, he said it was uncertain whether the town has enough money to pay for the estimated $30,000 project.
The final public forum, held Tuesday night at Town Hall, was in many ways a rehash of opinions already voiced by town officials and residents. Many of the residents, members of the Pine Point Residents Association, opposed the land swap and said the road renovations create safety problems because lanes will be narrowed.
Kerry Corthell said she came out because of her interest in ensuring the beach remains accessible to all. Corthell praised the proposed granite benches, foot washing areas and bicycle racks leading to the beach.
What troubled her, she said, is the size of the drop-off zone.
Corthell, who said she has limited mobility, wonders if traffic will stack up behind vehicles dropping off passengers who need extra time to unload everything they are taking to the beach.
Her opinion was echoed by Councilor Karen D’Andrea, who wondered if a stone wall outside the Lighthouse Inn and on a town right of way might be removed to extend the exit from the drop-off zone.
As Hall reconvenes the task force that includes himself, Public Works Director Mike Shaw, Town Engineer Jim Wendel, Beach Walk subdivision developer John Wiggin and Pine Point residents Jack Callahan and Joan Lourie, he said he has asked traffic engineer Bill Bray to evaluate the entire plan to narrow the width of Pine Point Road and install the beach access area.
Hall said he expects Bray to give his opinions by early next week, but it could be the middle of February before the Planning Board is asked its opinion of a revised plan for the area.
After the Planning Board issues an advisory opinion, the Town Council will then consider the plans, Hall said.
Hall said the access area might be paid for with money left from the road project, once estimated to cost $170,000. Hall has said the road renovations might only cost about $140,000 in part because work would be done before the tourist season, but the work has not been put out to bid.
Councilor Ron Ahlquist said he is enthusiastic about the project.
“This is exactly why I voted for the land swap, this is what I wanted,” said Ahlquist. He added he sees the plan as a benefit to the whole town.
The Town Council approved the land swap last July. The town traded 19,000-square-feet of land known as Depot Street for land owned by Peter and Nicholas Truman, owners of the Lighthouse Inn.
Depot Street, which bisected the Inn and its parking area, was discontinued as a town road. The road had long been used by beach-goers to drop off passengers.
Pine Point Resident Association member Judy Shirk said she also feels the drop-off zone is too short and would like to see split-rail fences bordering the walkway.
What to use for fencing was a common theme in responses Hall said he has read, and he expects a split-rail fence to be part of the revisions presented by the task force.
John Thurlow, also a member of the residents association, said he thinks the whole project is rushed without any adequate study of the effects on traffic.
Thurlow repeatedly asked for a fuller traffic study in Pine Point by Bray during the last public forum.
“Let’s be sure the questions were at least asked,” Thurlow said.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219