The #MiddletownRI Beach Commission meets on March 11 at 4:30 pm in Town Hall to receive a report and recommendations about how best to preserve and protect Second Beach. Drop in or sign in online to hear the report and what - if anything - should be done.
DOES MORE NEED TO BE DONE TO PROTECT SECOND BEACH?
MIDDLETOWN, RI (MARCH 5, 2025) – Second Beach is one of the most important assets of the Town of Middletown.
But given the extreme weather, erosion and other factors these days, does the town need to do more to protect the Sachuest Point Road summertime hotspot so it’s around for future generations to enjoy and cherish?
The Beach Commission is scheduled to receive a report from Coastal Systems Research on Tuesday, March 11 at 4:30 pm in Town Hall that could go a long way towards helping answer those questions.
Officials with the Cherry Hills, New Jersey-based consulting firm are expected to provide a report of their findings after months of intensive study of Sachuest Bay and the surrounding waters.
Following their presentation, there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions about the report. The meeting can also be viewed remotely at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82022168945 online.
“We (The Beach Commission) heard their preliminary report at a our Dec. 10 meeting and I thought it was super interesting,” said Will Cronin, the Facilities & Operations Manager who oversees the beaches as part of his duties for the town.
“This report will be helpful for the town for planning what steps we might want to take to protect (Second) Beach. Their recommendations may look at an artificial reef, bringing in sand to re-nourish the beach, stopping the removal of beach rocks or we might decide to take no action.”
Cronin stressed that no decisions have been made about how Middletown should best move forward with Second — or Sachuest — Beach.
He said out of the work by Coastal Systems Research, the volunteer Beach Commission will make a recommendation to the Town Council for review. From there, it will be up to the seven-member council about what path to take with Second Beach.
The need for the study came about after a rough winter of 2023-2024, which left tons of rocks and pebbles on the eastern end of the beach.
The damage from three or four heavy storms forced the town to rent a large excavator and haul truck. After yeoman work by crews with the town’s Public Works department to move the debris and smooth out the beach surface, the beach opened on time over Memorial Day weekend.
As part of their work, Cronin said Coastal Systems Research did multiple modeling exercises of the waters in Sachuest Bay and beyond. Using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data and other information from offshore buoys, Cronin said in many cases the models ran for several days to learn what was happening in Sachuest Bay and why.
Cronin said Third Beach was also reviewed as part of the Coastal Systems Research work. He said there were not the same level of concerns about the future of the Third Beach Road facility as with Second Beach due to the make up and depletion of the beach.
Not surprisingly, what Middletown has been experiencing at Second Beach is by no means unique. Communities across the eastern seaboard have dealt with similar issues from shrinking shorelines to erosion and more.
Next door, the City of Newport is looking at similar models. State Rep. Alex Finkelman is leading a statewide commission on this subject.
Middletown has never spent any money in its history to “replenish” — or bringing in outside sand — minus dune grass replanting and related work, Cronin said, based on his research and understanding.
When asked, Cronin said he didn’t expect the town to have nearly the same level of prep work to get the beaches open for Summer 2025.
“While there’s still a ways to go, the beach looks good right now and we don’t expect nearly the same level of maintenance,” Cronin said. “We haven’t had nearly the same level of winter storms and wave action that we had last winter.”
Regardless of what choice the town decides to make, Cronin said it was good to hear the conversation going.
“Everyone loves Second Beach and it’s the jewel of Middletown,” Cronin said. “It will be good to see what the report has to say and where we go from here because we want to figure out what going on with the beach and if there are things we need to take care of using data and information to make smart, impactful decisions.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Second
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
Media Contact
Will Cronin
Facilities & Operations Manager
401-842-6519
wcronin@middletownri.gov