State slows the tides on Middleboro surf park plan

MIDDLEBORO – Hang on before hanging ten.

The state recently put a pause on a planned 20-acre surf park in Middleboro. Rebecca Tepper, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, decided on Aug. 14 that the New England Surf Lagoon proposal must undergo an environmental impact report.

Tepper said that the finished review should show that N.E.S.P. LLC, the developers behind the surf park, will try to avoid as much environmental damage as possible. N.E.S.P. will have to provide more accurate detail on the park’s water usage and assess the impact the park will have on traffic.

Since the proposed park sits on prime farmland, Tepper recommended the company look at other sites for the project.

The review also needs to provide a more detailed plan for land alteration, stormwater plans and wastewater treatment plans.

This report by the EEA came after consultants for the project submitted a environmental notification form, which the state legally requires.

The project has already caused controversy around town. During a June 29 Select Board meeting, residents noted that the park would be built on a historic site and voiced their concerns about the impact on local traffic. They also sent many comments to the state on various issues with the surf park.

The park would be located at 177 Grove St. on the site of a former dairy farm. The park is estimated to bring in 750 cars per day and place them back on the two-lane road when they leave. David Cavanaugh commented that Grove Street is “[h]eavily travelled already and not designed for the expected increased traffic flow this proposal will place on the road.”

The park would require eight to 24 million gallons of water annually, which either the municipal water system or two private wells will provide. It will also use over 75,000 gallons of water per day.

Some residents said that this project will use too much water.

“This is not necessary. We need our water for more important things. This will create an increase in traffic and a terrible waste of water,” Dawn Goodrich wrote.

Brian Thiebault said that he would rather see the water used for other purposes, especially at a time when the country is in a water crisis. “Whether or not we can supply the water does not mean we should supply water to a rich kid park,” he said.

He also said the park would sit too close to Fall Brook, a tributary to the Nemasket River, to be safe. He said there’s a high risk of chemical runoff into the brook and the river.

Both the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Middleboro Historical Commission raised problems with the surf park. They said the land is historic and was home to a burial ground used by the Nemasket tribe, the Fall Brook Farm, the Fall Brook Furnace and the Andrew W. Miller House. Construction could prevent archaeological studies and damage what’s left in the area, they said.

Construction was originally planned to start in 2027 and be completed by 2029. When finished, the surf park would include a large wave pool, 14 hotel cottages with 35 units, two parking lots, outdoor beach-themed amenities and three central buildings. Those buildings would house lockers, surfboard repair stations, event space and yoga studios.

At a June 29 Select Board meeting, the developers said the project would generate an estimated $500,000 in annual tax income for Middleboro.