2024-32 Easton’s Beach

WHEREAS, Easton’s Beach is Newport’s primary beach and has been a beloved destination for both Newport local families and visitors alike, and has offered full-service beach amenities for over 100 years;

WHEREAS, Decades of under-investment in Easton’s Beach infrastructure and maintenance, combined with an increase in severe coastal storms have resulted in unsafe building conditions which forces immediate removal and elimination of certain amenities that would be expected at such a beach.

WHEREAS, The current plan being evaluated by the City Administration would result in some amenities of Easton’s Beach having an uncertain future or simply not being available at all.

WHEREAS, It is the position of this City Council that additional means and measures to provide amenities should be evaluated along with associated costs such that informed decisions can be quickly made on how to support basic amenities at Easton’s Beach.

WHEREAS, Private industry has developed many solutions for rentable and rapidly deployable trailer-based solutions for emergency medical space, office and administration space, food service space and bathroom space.

WHEREAS, The Rotunda has been found to be a structurally sound building, with the potential to support some beach operations displaced by demolition set to be complete by June 30;

WHEREAS, Long term replenishment of the beach and restoring basic beach infrastructure is a defining generational issue that will come at a very large expense, of which the City of Newport does not have current allocated funds to cover under our current tax base. Innovative approaches considering the best practices from other coastal communities should be explored;

NOW THEREFORE, be it

RESOLVED: That this City Council requests of the City Administration to provide options and costs to this Council within 60 days to further mitigate the diminishment of beach amenities for the 2024 beach season. Such a plan should include consideration of mobile and trailer-based interim facilities to replace amenities being lost from demolition, a plan that includes a diversity of vendors, the acceleration of the portion of the demolition currently projected to encumber the use of the Rotunda building so that space may be used for operations currently projected to displace the public use of the bath houses, and other solutions as deemed necessary such that minimal diminishment of beach amenities occurs for the 2024 beach season.

RESOLVED: That this City Council requests of the City Administration work with the Beach Commission to develop a clear long-term plan for first-class facilities that can be removed from the beach in the event of severe ocean conditions, and develop a clear plan and timeline for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of such facilities for the 2025 beach season; and

RESOLVED: That this City Council requests that the City Administration include funding for beach replenishment as necessary for resiliency to protect critical infrastructure adjacent to the beach in the 2024 General Obligation Bond for consideration by Newport voters, and include in the Capital Improvement Plan investments in the infrastructure needed to support adaptable and deployable structures to host beach amenities.

MARK ARAMLI
XAY KHAMSYVORAVONG

IN COUNCIL
READ AND PASSED
MARCH 27, 2024

LAURA C. SWISTAK, CMC
CITY CLERK