Newport’s Point neighborhood sits just feet above sea level, north of the piers and public spaces that draw so many tourists every year to the City by the Sea. The problem is that for this historic neighborhood, at least, it’s more like City in the Sea.
Originally laid out in 1725, The Point increasingly has been experiencing the effects of the rise of sea level, 10 inches in the last 90 years. Expectations are that by 2100, Newport Harbor will have risen another 5-7 feet, putting half the neighborhood underwater.
Because it is located entirely in the Newport Historic District, The Point has very strict rules about what homeowners can do to modify their properties to fight the rising water, making any protective measure expensive or not entirely effective.
What then is to be done? The obvious point is that if historic-preservation concerns override all else and nothing is allowed to be done (or no one can afford to do what is approved), then this neighborhood will be lost. And that doesn’t seem to be a good solution.
Instead, the instinct to preserve the past at all costs must recognize that there will be no past to preserve unless the change is recognized as inevitable. Should a sea wall be built to keep out the water? Perhaps, but the question then becomes, who will pay for it?
There is no question that something should be done to save The Point from the ravages of climate change. It is an important part of the state’s history.
It’s just that the starting point to the discussion should be based on the hard facts and not a wish. •
