Scituate's Pier 44 Commission wins all permits, seeks $6 million CPC funding

SCITUATE -- February 5, 2026, Scituate's Pier 44 Commission secured a full permit slate and authorized a $6 million funding request to the Community Preservation Committee for the planned harbor park. Chair Paul Barquist announced that the project holds a Chapter 91 waterways license, Army Corps of Engineers permits, Conservation Commission approval, two special permits, MEPA certification, and a parking-plan sign-off. Project manager Corey told the commission that cost estimates, just over $6 million, are expected to hold within a one-year window, and that grant applications to the state's MVP Action and PARC programs could yield up to $2.5 million, though awards would not be known until after a likely September town meeting vote. Select Board liaison Nico raised the possibility of phasing out the roughly $1.6 million shade pavilion as a fallback if the full figure proves difficult at town meeting; designer Jim Hero of Copley Wolff confirmed phasing is structurally feasible. The commission voted 3-0 to authorize the full CPC funding application, with its first CPC presentation scheduled for Monday, February 9, at the Scituate Public Library.