Eastham Conservation Commission Moves to Revise Dock Height Rules, Debates Coastal Resilience Bylaw

EASTHAM -- June 3, 2026, Eastham Conservation Commission weighs saltwater dock height changes and a coastal resilience overlay bylaw at June work session. Meeting as a deliberative work session Wednesday, the commission discussed revising Section 6A, Section 4 of its saltwater dock regulations, which currently require new docks to reach a height-to-width ratio of 3 feet above base flood elevation, toward a default 1.5-to-1 ratio with commission discretion to require more based on site conditions, a change that Conservation Director Karen said she would draft for the June 9 regular meeting to begin a required public-notice process. The session's longest discussion centered on a draft coastal resilience overlay bylaw tied to the state-endorsed MCR-M probabilistic flood model with 2050 and 2070 sea-level rise projections; member Chuck challenged the model's elevation data, arguing it overstates flood risk at his own surveyed property by at least 6 feet, while Karen and other members pressed him to return with cited sources and noted the state has formally adopted the model for coastal planning statewide. The commission agreed in principle to pursue the bylaw, targeting Town Meeting in May 2027, and voted to invite Cape Cod Commission flood-plain specialists to a future work session roughly one month out before advancing further.