Sandwich, Massachusetts

10 11 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 natural accretion of the sand to make its way to Sandwich’s beaches and our beaches really took a hit.” Through a project called the 111 Study, the town is working with the Army Corps of Engineers on sand replenishment to the beaches over the next 3 years. “The barrier beach that’s the first line of defense against the nor’easters,” he asserts. “We have a marsh system. So, it’s the beach, then the marsh system, and then the main street. Without the beach, there’s water encroachment that goes from the marsh to the main street. So, we are taking steps to protect that.” Looking to the future, Vitacco hopes to see more affordable housing options in Sandwich, suggesting, “I think that the biggest driver for economic development is having a place for people to live.” A project through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which will see improvements to the two bridges that bring people onto Cape Cod is something he believes will benefit the town, providing easier transportation and making Sandwich a viable option for businesses outside of the region. The possibility of bringing in a distribution center is also being considered, as the town continues to look at ways to grow. “We’re looking at making zoning changes to optimize our position to take advantage of the new way people are doing business,” he relays. “250,000 people live on Cape Cod. Sandwich is poised pretty well; we are one of the first towns you come to.” PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS n Coastal Engineering Company, Inc. www.coastalengineeringcompany.com n Heritage Museums & Gardens heritagemuseumsandgardens.org n Woods Hole Group www.whgrp.com n Sandwich Chamber of Commerce www.sandwichchamber.com SANDWI CH MASSACHUSETTS