Baxter Road

Possibly best known as the road leading to the iconic Sankaty Head Lighthouse, Baxter Road is lined with many historic cottages and homes. It is an indelible part of the island’s identity, yet it is at risk.

The threat posed by erosion here is urgent: at its closest point, the top of the bluff is now only 29 feet (29!)  from the public road. 

Without the installation of the initial 900 feet of geotubes, Baxter Road might already have been closed. And it is only a matter of time before a continued unwillingness to expand the project will imperil a major portion of Baxter Road.  Put simply, without approval by the Town to extend the geotubes,, there is no point in SBPF continuing to maintain the existing 900 feet of geotubes.

The threats to Baxter Road impact not only those who live on Baxter Road, but also the ‘Sconset community at large:

• Hundreds of walkers, bikers, runners, and drivers use Baxter Road and the Bluff Walk  to visit Sankaty Head Lighthouse.
• Town infrastructure, such as water and sewer lines, are at risk and would be costly to replace.
• To maintain emergency access to homes on Baxter Road (as required by law), Town officials would have to consider taking private land by eminent domain to create another road