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MIDDLESEX BEACH ASSOCIATION
COMMUNITY FACILITIES COMMITTEE HIGHWAY FENCE AND GATE PLANS In February, MBA hired Eastern Shore Porch and Patio to replace most of the highway fence north of Bridge Road, much of which dated to the mid-1990's. This is the first step of a multi-year plan; the second step could involve landscaping along this stretch. In the third and fourth steps, similar work would be done on the section south of the Bridge Rd entrance. In addition to the highway fencing, the section of fence at the west end of Bridge Rd was replaced; the previous fence was 64" high and the new one is 72". We also received a supply of cedar boards to use to reface the three existing gates in these stretches: Bayberry and Errett along the highway, and the west end of Bridge. These gates have metal frames designed in 2009, with pressure treated fence board cladding. The cedar boards are lighter weight, which should make it easier to balance the load on the closing spring. In addition to the remainder of the Coastal Highway fencing, other shorter sections will be replaced in the coming years. These are primarily the fences and gates at the west end of Short and Errett Roads, and lastly the fencing around our storage areas (Bayberry Rd and Pine Path). As to the actual gates, there have been requests for Bridge to revert to a padlock style, with the reasoning being that it's too easy for one person to reach over the fence, unlock the gate, and allow any number of people in. The increased height of the new fence should make that a bit more difficult. On the other hand, there have been requests for the other west end gates to also be pushbutton style, because the padlocks are harder to deal with and frequently go missing. |
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Map showing approximate ages of existing sections of the North Fenceline (East Short to Bridge Rd)
The sections immediately adjacent the highway gates were rebuilt in 2009. The section immediately north of Bridge Rd was installed in 2015. |
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This section, from the middle of Block E to the East Errett Rd gateway is in bad condition.
This section is coded BLUE on the above map. |
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This section, from the East Errett Rd gateway to the middle of Block F is in even worse condition.
This section is coded GREEN on the above map. |
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This section, from the middle of Block F to the East Bayberry gateway is in bad condition.
This section is coded GREEN on the above map. |
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This section, from the East Bayberry gateway to the middle of Block G is in better, but still poor condition.
This section is coded BLUE on the above map. |
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This section, from the middle of Block G to the Sea Colony fence, was built to lesser standards than the rest of the fence.
It has had sections repaired through the years, and includes an old gate (just to the right of the warning sign) that is sealed shut.
This section is coded GREEN on the above map. |
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Map showing the South Fenceline (Bridge Rd past East Evergreen Rd)
The sections immediately adjacent the highway gates at East Evergreen and East Addy were rebuilt in 2009, as was the section south of the E. Evergreen Rd gateway. Work on these older sections is not planned for the current project. |