From the Town Administrator's Desk

March 27. 2026
Capital Necessities Part 4: Library Bathroom Renovation
 By Tony Barletta

The historic Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library needs a public restroom upgrade that accommodates all visitors. The Town will request a capital exclusion approval to fund an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant restroom at the Annual Town Meeting on April 27.

The library was originally gifted to the Town by Thomas Jefferson Coolidge who was the great grandson of President Thomas Jefferson, US Ambassador to France, and an accomplished businessman. The building, constructed of New England ashlar stone, was dedicated in 1887 and carefully maintained to this day. The library is on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as an important part of Manchester’s history.

As some may know, the Manchester Public Library’s single existing bathroom is small, not ADA compliant, lacks a changing table, and is difficult for many to use. An ADA study was completed in 2021 on accessibility in Town buildings and confirmed the need for a new bathroom in the library. Over the past 5 years, Town Meeting has approved multiple forms of funding that have supported library capital efforts. These appropriations included match funding for grants that sought to evaluate the existing conditions of the building, study the feasibility of expansion, and design the ADA bathroom. The library and the Town made multiple attempts to secure grants but were unfortunately unsuccessful. Thus, the Town and the Library decided to focus on the existing facility. The 2025 Annual Town Meeting approved $70,000 to fund the design of the bathroom and minor updates to the archive space on the second floor needed to accommodate its new use as the Director’s office.

Three locations were originally explored within the existing library. However, due to several factors and through this analysis, converting the existing Director’s office was determined to be the best option.  As a result, approximately one third of the existing Director’s office will be used for administrative use and the remaining two thirds will be converted to the new bathroom. The new bathroom will include standard ADA accommodations and an adjustable-height universal changing table. Construction of the new ADA bathroom is anticipated to begin in late summer and will take several months to complete. The library will remain open during construction and the old bathroom will be utilized for storage in the future.

This year’s Annual Town Meeting will seek voter approval for a $250,000 capital exclusion in the FY27 budget. If approved at Town meeting, the funding will also need to be approved at the Town Election on May 19. A capital exclusion is a 1-year tax bill impact, different from a debt exclusion that includes multiple years of debt service. For this project, if approved, the 1-year tax bill impact on a property valued at $1 million would be approximately $62 depending on final project costs.

All information on capital requests can be found here. The Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday, April 27 at Memorial School at 6:30 PM. Public Forums are planned on April 7 and April 14 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom or in Town Hall to ask questions and learn more about all the warrant articles.

March 20. 2026
Capital Necessities Part 3: Central St. Culvert & Tappan St. 
By Tony Barletta

The conversation on capital continues as we approach the Annual Town Meeting on April 27.  The next topics in this series dive into the Central Street Culvert and Tappan Street water and sewer replacement projects.

Central Street Culvert

History
 The Central Street Culvert discussion began in May 2006, after the infamous “Mother’s Day Storm”, concerning the need to upgrade and protect critical Town infrastructure. Since then, it is evident that parts of Manchester-by-the-Sea are susceptible to flooding from storms, sea level rise, and the increasing frequency of these events. Through multiple studies, site inspections, analysis, and public meetings, the Central Street Culvert Replacement and Central Pond Restoration Project were identified as a priority.

Built in 1850, the Central Street Culvert has sustained damage from multiple flooding events that have eroded the integrity of the bridge, tide gate, culvert, and pond retaining walls over time. In 2016, the Town made temporary repairs to the culvert that had an expectancy to last 3-5 years.

Current Status
 The Central Street Bridge connects Manchester-by-the-Sea to the rest of Cape Ann via Route 127 and houses an underground electrical service line that provides electricity to all of Cape Ann. Additionally, Central Pond provides the only natural habitat for the Rainbow Smelt in the area. MassDOT annually performs inspections of the culvert to ensure the safety of the traveling public. A closure or limit on use of the roadway due to a failed inspection or storm damage would create significant disruption to our residents and the downtown area. A similar scenario occurred in Beverly when MassDOT closed the Hall-Whitaker Bridge connecting downtown to Ryal Side. Consequently, plans for this critical infrastructure have been in the works for ten years and we anticipate receiving the final permits needed to start construction. Even though work on the culvert will come with some inconvenience, the Town’s goal is to complete the project as planned and to minimize disruption to the best of our ability.

While the path to a fully permitted project has become clearer, project funding is a bit murkier. Due to permitting delays, the status of the awarded $4.48 million FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) Grant is uncertain due to the initial grant completion date of April 30, 2026. However, in coordination with MEMA, the Town has requested an extension to December 30, 2027, and is awaiting a response.  As a backup plan, the Town has pursued alternative state grants such as the Commonwealth’s Municipal Vulnerability Program. The Town may not receive notification of these funding options until after Town Meeting so we can’t yet confirm if the project will begin in the fall of 2026 or 2027. Our approach is to complete this project as soon as possible by using grant funding for the construction.

Despite the funding uncertainty, The Town continues the necessary preparations to make the project “shovel ready” including the procurement of precast concrete arches that typically require a six-month lead time. The arches will be delivered by mid-summer and stored until the construction begins. This will allow the contractor to condense the construction schedule, reduce the duration of the road closure, and mitigate any potential delays on the most critical component of the project.   

At the Annual Town Meeting, residents will be asked to vote on a $5 million debt exclusion that will only be used if the grants fall through. The annual tax impact on a property valued at $1 million would be approximately $94.50 depending on final project costs.

Tappan Street

The Tappan Street project is next on DPW’s schedule of water and sewer replacements and follows recently completed Pleasant Street, School Street, Forest Street, and Mill Street. Tappan street was identified as a priority because of the existing 120-year-old cast iron water main, and undersized sewer and stormwater utilities. In addition, National Grid is anticipated to replace the gas main.

Water Main
 Comparable to the recently completed water main projects, the tuberculated pipes reduce pressure and capacity leading to discolored water when bits of debris break off. The project will replace the existing 6” cast iron pipe with new 8” CPVC pipe, which is/has been used in our ocean adjacent streets such as Ocean St, Raymond St, and Boardman Ave.

Storm Water
 Another significant change will involve redirecting stormwater to a new 24” PVC pipe installed on Sea and Tappan Streets versus its current path under the old storage building and through the wetlands between the MBTA tracks at Harbor Point and Tappan St. This will greatly reduce the amount of debris and sediment entering the drainage line, which diminishes capacity and performance.  A check valve will also be installed on the drainage outfall between Masconomo and Reed Park to mitigate tidal inundation during peak high tides.

Sewer
 On the sewer side, the DPW previously attempted to cure-in-place pipe (CIPP) line the sewer main on Tappan to eliminate infiltration and inflow (I/I), as required by DEP to decrease the amount of groundwater treated by the wastewater treatment plant. However, due to the deteriorating condition of the sewer main, CIPP lining was not feasible. As a result, a new 8” PVC sewer main will be installed as part of the project to eliminate inflow and infiltration.

Roadway
 Surface treatments will include new asphalt sidewalks and curbing, new post top streetlights, and reconstruction of the roadway. Upon approval at Town Meeting, work would start in fall 2026 with final paving and restoration in the spring of 2027.  

At the Annual Town Meeting, residents will be asked to vote on a $4.1 million debt exclusion. The annual tax impact on a property valued at $1 million would be approximately $84 depending on final project costs.

All information on the Central Street Culvert project can be found on the Town website at  manchester.ma.us/825/Central-Street-Culvert-Replacement and information on Tappan Street at manchester.ma.us/223/Public-Works. Join the Annual Town Meeting Public Forums on April 7 and April 14 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom or in Town Hall to ask questions and learn more about all the warrant articles.

Town Administrator's Desk 
Capital Necessities Part 2: Rotunda & Harbor Projects
By Tony Barletta
March 13, 2026

The conversation on capital projects to be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting continues this week with the Tuck’s Point Rotunda, Harbor dredging, Morss Pier and Reed Park Dock Expansion.

Tuck’s Point Rotunda

The Rotunda is one of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks that sits out over Manchester Harbor. Originally built in 1896, by architect E.A.P. Luscomb of Boston, the Rotunda is the Town’s cherished version of motif #1, often replicated in artwork and photographs.

Although the Rotunda has strongly stood for over 130 years, the timber support pilings were last replaced in the 1970’s and have a lifecycle of about 50 years. In 2020, a conditional assessment was performed on the Rotunda and determined that the current support structure is compromised due to age, weather, and rising sea-levels. Subsequently, the Town began the planning process to preserve this historical landmark.

In 2022, The Town hired engineering firm Foth, funded from a $60,000 grant, to generate options for the rebuilding of the support structures. The Select Board reviewed four alternatives at a meeting in June 2023. Two public forums were held to gather important public feedback and on September 18, 2023 the Select Board voted to move forward with Option 1.

The new plan keeps the Rotunda in its current location, raises it from 14 ft. to 19 ft. MLW (mean low water), and replaces the undercarriage and pilings to protect it from sea-level rise and future storm damage. The new pilings will be made from steel and will make the pier ADA compliant while preserving the Rotunda’s historic aesthetics and footprint.

The total cost of construction is estimated at $3.6 million dollars. The Town previously appropriated a total of $1.3 million ($800k from the general fund and $500k from CPC) at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting. In 2025, the Town applied for a $2.5 million grant from the Seaport Council and a $425k grant from Coastal Zone Management, to fund the additional cost of this construction. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in these efforts. Due to the increase in severity and occurrence of winter storms, our desire is to complete this project before any significant damage occurs. Therefore, the Town is asking residents to approve the remaining funds needed to start the project at this year’s Town Meeting ($350k from CPC and a $2 million debt exclusion with a twenty-year bond). The estimated tax impact of the debt exclusion is $42 per $1 million in property value.

Additionally, pairing this project with our other harbor projects could provide for efficiencies that would result in significant time and cost savings for our Town. The Rotunda project is fully permitted, and our goal is to begin construction during the off season in fall 2026 although this will depend on contractors and scheduling.

Our objective is to ensure that the Rotunda continues to serve as a beloved landmark for generations to come. By carefully preserving this piece of Manchester’s history, residents can continue to make core memories from catching crabs, posing for prom, or simply watching the boats come in and out of the harbor.

The other harbor projects include Harbor dredging, Morss Pier, and the Reed Park Dock Expansion. Our Harbor dredging project is funded with a 50% matching grant from Seaport Economic Council ($1.9 million) and we are seeking approval for the Town’s match of $1.9 million via debt exclusion on this year’s Town Meeting Warrant. The permitting for this project is currently underway and anticipated to be completed by mid-summer. If the proposed funding is approved, a $1.9 million debt exclusion with a twenty-year bond has an estimated tax bill impact of $31.50 per $1 million in property value.

Morss Pier

The Morss Pier project is funded with a 20% matching grant from Seaport Economic Council ($452k) and we are seeking approval for the Town’s match of $114k via taxation in our capital article at this year’s Town Meeting. The permitting for the Morss Pier project has been completed and is ready for procurement once funding is approved. If the proposed funding is approved, there would not be any tax bill impact above and beyond proposition 2 ½.

Reed Park

The Reed Park Dock Expansion project is funded with a $600k grant from the Boater Infrastructure Grant Program and it is matched with a $568,250 grant from the Seaport Economic Council. The permitting for the Reed Park Dock Expansion project will be completed later this Spring. Since this project is fully funded by grants, there is no cost to the Town’s general fund and there is no tax bill impact to our residents.

Please note that for all these tax bill impact estimations, the true impact is determined by the final cost of these projects after completing the procurement process and receiving a final contracted amount.

All information on the Rotunda project can be found on the Town website at manchester.ma.us/782/Tucks-Point-Rotunda-Project and Reed and Morss at manchester.ma.us/247/Harbor. Join the Annual Town Meeting Public Forums on April 7 and April 14 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom or in Town Hall to ask questions and learn more about all the warrant articles.