Latham Park Erosion Protection Plan OKd

A Latham Park protection and beautification plan got the nod it needed from the Barrington Town Council on Monday evening, Dec. 2.

The vote was unanimous. It followed a presentation by a representative of Wright-Pierce Engineering in Providence, which is partnering with East Construction of Portsmouth on the $225,000 project on the edge of Bullock's Cove in Bay Spring.

The plan focuses on the northern section of the park just south of Lighthouse Marina, which includes the parking lot. Most of the money for the work is coming from Barrington. A RI Department of Environmental Management “recreation grant” of $75,000 will supplement the town’s funds.

Protecting the shoreline from erosion will eat up the biggest chunk of the cash. The project will rebuild a seawall with an opening and a ramp to the other side of the wall when it is completed.

“We can’t stop Mother Nature,” said a representative from East Coast Construction at a meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission, which gave the plan its initial approval. “It’s going to come, we just need to limit the impact.” 

The plan calls for the following:

• Wall reconfigured to create 8-foot wide ramp with an interlocking surface.
• Timber guardrail at the parking lot.
• New center island with cobble and plantings.
• Reinforced turf porous surface for parking lot to replace the asphalt.
• Parking reconfigured to provide 13 spaces and 5 overflow spaces.
• New planting beds with groundcovers and trees.
• New flagpole location.
• Benches on concrete pads.
• Mixed shrubs and perennial plantings.

The work does not touch the playground equipment or volleyball court. It does not protect the shoreline further south along Shore Drive. That is expected to come at a later date if additional funding can be found.

A final design is expected to be completed during the winter with construction expected to start next March.