October 30, 2019 by Carol Britton Meyer (all photos provided by Alan Perrault, Bathing Beach Trustee)
When Bathing Beach Trustees Alan Perrault and Ed Johnson stepped forward at last night's Selectmen's meeting to deliver a bathhouse progress report, board member Joseph Fisher quipped, "You were supposed to show up in bathing suits!"
"It's been a long time coming," said Perrault of the project. "It was part of the 2007 town master plan and visualized at Town Meeting several years ago."
Fisher's facetious comment set the tone for an upbeat conversation about where the project is at, where it's headed, and when the bathhouse/concession stand/community room building with harbor views is expected to open (hopefully next spring).
The building features a deck, windows with mullions, touches of mahogany, red cedar shingles, a Dutch door, a take-out window, and handicapped-accessible restrooms that will be open longer than they are now -- during concession stand hours. There will be an additional 35 parking spaces. The trees that were removed will be replaced with others as screening along Rte. 3A.
"When can I buy my first hamburger?" Fisher asked with a smile.
"Next May, hopefully," Perrault replied. "This will be a high-end snack shop" that will also serve up traditional beach fare.
The 550-square-foot community room will feature a vaulted ceiling and a mural of 19th-Century Hingham Harbor that once decorated the former Page's restaurant donated by the Hingham Historical Society, according to Perrault.
Walking destination
The pedestrian walkway will be extended toward the boat ramp. "A lot of people have been using it -- it's become a destination for walking," Perrault said.
A large portion of the $1.2 million project was paid for through state grants and Community Preservation Act funding. "It's a really solid building. As the architect Vcevy Strekalovsky keeps telling me, it looks like a boathouse!"
Some of the delays were cased by the challenging task of bringing utilities to the site, which is in a flood zone. Others related to changing over to a modular building to lower the cost. The modular component price tag was $382,000. "The advantage to a modular building is that there aren't too many surprises," Perrault said.
Anticipated sea-level rise was factored into the project, including the planting of beach grass to help protect the harborfront.
"Greg Acerra [doing business as Fireking Baking Company -- who will operate the concession stand] stuck with us for the last two years. It will be a good marriage [once the operation is up and running]," Perrault said. Acerra is paying for the snack shop buildout.
While delays are frustrating, Perrault said the timing worked out well in the end. "Greg couldn't have been ready by this past spring because his business was undergoing a big kitchen project. But he'll be ready to go next spring," Perrault said. "We are going to end up with a solid, durable building in cooperation with a lot of people," including the DPW. "I've heard a lot of positive comments about it."
All those involved with making the vision a reality "can feel a sense of satisfaction when they drive by," Selectman Mary Power said.
Give and take
Once the bathhouse/snack shop/community room building is open, "there will be a lot of give and take," Perrault noted. "We can anticipate that perfect summer Saturday when the Hingham Farmers Market is in operation [and people are flocking to the beach]. There will be limits to when the community room can be used, based on the HFM's hours."
That said, overall once the building is up and running "we can have more activities here," Perrault said, possibly including craft fairs, a Maritime Week event, and gazebo concerts.
Fisher asked what steps will be taken to help prevent kids from walking (or running) through the busy parking lot headed for the snack shop. "Hopefully they will use the dedicated walkway (which will be handicapped-accessible) to the left of the building for that purpose," Perrault said.
"This project adds a whole new vitality to the harbor," said Selectmen Chairman Karen Johnson.
The most important factor was for the summer months when we have been the only beach available for beach goers and on these busy weekends with 300 people at Hingham Harbor beach ..no bathrooms available. What was your plan for this beach season? From the beginning of the summer it was evident that the bathhouse/ restaurant was not ready!