On Friday, September 26, 2025, the Town of Barnstable, alongside public officials and community partners, celebrated the groundbreaking of the Sandy Neck Beach Facility Long-Term Coastal Resiliency Project, a transformative initiative to protect one of Cape Cod’s most treasured natural and recreational assets from the growing impacts of erosion, flooding, and climate change.

 

Led by State Senator Julian Cyr (Cape & Islands) and State Representative Steven Xiarhos (5th Barnstable District), public officials met in Barnstable for a ceremonial “first dig”, recognizing the collaborative efforts and investment being made to protect natural resources and safeguard public access for generations to come.

 

“Today, we’re not just here to move a little dirt, we’re celebrating a bold step in our coastal future,” said State Senator Julian Cyr. “Today what we are proving is we don’t have to choose between preserving what we love and adapting to our changing climate. The Sandy Neck Coastal Resiliency Project represents exactly the kind of smart, science-driven adaptation that coastal communities need. What an honor to be here and what a real legacy that all of you in Barnstable working together with the state are giving to those of us who live here.”

 

State Representative Steven Xiarhos added that Sandy Neck is more than just a landscape, “My family was raised here and a lot of families are. And what we’re doing, thanks to you and so many others, we’re preserving it forever. We lost Nick in Afghanistan. So we started a program – Sandy Neck: A Place to Heal. It’s a community – a place where families, neighbors, and friends, gather to experience a bit of peace.”

 

Sandy Neck includes 1,438 acres of barrier beach that is approximately six miles long and, in some locations, up to half a mile wide, allowing public access to pristine dunes, maritime forests, and beaches. It is the Town of Barnstable’s only public beach on Cape Cod Bay, welcoming thousands of visitors each year for swimming, camping, Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) use, hiking, and fishing. The facility also serves as a hub for natural resource protection and park management.

 

However, erosion of the primary dune system has increasingly threatened the main parking lot, while flooding from Barnstable Harbor has put the Gatehouse area at risk. Without intervention, public access, recreational opportunities, and critical park operations would face severe disruption. The long-term resiliency project will:

 

  • Relocate the parking lot and Gatehouse inland to safer elevations.
  • Restore and reinforce dunes both seaward and landward of the new facilities.
  • Enhance the ORV entrance trail for improved safety and resilience.
  • Re-naturalize the existing Gatehouse area to blend back into the coastal landscape.

Designed for a 50-year sustainable design life, the project balances public use, environmental protection, and economic viability. The project has been made possible through strong state and local partnerships, including funding support from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant and the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Coastal Resilience Grant.

 

Construction will proceed in phases through May 2026. While some access limitations are expected, key amenities such as the Marsh Trail and ORV entrance will remain available during much of the construction period.

 

“There is no other place like this” said Mark Ells, Barnstable Town Manager. “This asset and maintaining it in an environmentally sensitive way that looks to the future and understand how dynamic the environment is here on Cape Cod and how little we actually control of it even though we believe we do control it. Our actions need to think about that. The job that’s been done by our staff in delivering a project and the work of our designers and contractor to complete this to be commended.”

 

Nina Coleman, Director of Natural Resources / Sandy Neck Park Manager, said, “this took 10 years, but the last few years I’m happy to say that this project has literally started to feel like we have the wind at our back and has taken on its own life with thanks to the project team – which is a large team – and all of our partners.”

 

For ongoing updates, please visit: https://bit.ly/sandyneckproject

 

If you have any questions please contact Kelly Collopy, Communications Manager for the Department of Public Works at kelly.collopy@town.barnstable.ma.us or at 508-790-6400.