Westport Conservation Approves Landscape Yard, Challenges Beach Road Widening Plan

Conservation · Meeting of January 20, 2026

Westport Conservation Commission approves Main Road landscape storage yard and challenges proposed Horseneck Beach road widening. The commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a Notice of Intent filed by Dennis Stanton for a buffer zone improvement plan at 1050 Main Road, authorizing slight regrading, removal of invasive species, and installation of native plantings on a commercially zoned parcel across from Perry's Bakery. Neighbor Rachel Bischoff of 1056 Main Road raised concerns about early-morning truck noise and a dead tree near her power line; the board directed her to file zoning complaints for noise violations and allowed the applicants to address the tree under the approved permit.

The board also voted unanimously to send a letter to the Westport Fire Department — drafted by member Jake McGuigan and signed by Chairman Paul Jonkis — asking whether a road wider than 20 feet is truly necessary at Horseneck Beach given that the feeding road on Bridge Street is no wider than 16 feet, with MassDCR's parallel MEPA review adding another layer of state scrutiny to the proposed coastal dune removal. The commission separately issued a certificate of compliance for a Coastal Harvest LLC golf course application, file number SE80-1290, on which no work was ever commenced in roughly 17 to 18 years, and approved payments of $199.82 to Woods Hole Group and $64.50 to East Bay Media before moving into executive session on litigation matters.

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Source: the Conservation meeting of January 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.