COHASSET - July 14, 2026 - In a joint session packed with procedural friction, the Cohasset Select Board and Advisory Committee clashed over an $8,500 emergency funding request to restripe the non-existent parking lines at Sandy Beach. Police Chief William Quigley warned that total chaos in the deteriorating lot is actively blocking fire engines and ambulances on high-heat summer days. While the Select Board favored rapid intervention, the Advisory Committee balked at the last-minute request, tabling the motion and demanding the Department of Public Works (DPW) look inward to solve what they blasted as an ongoing failure of operational budgeting.
The Full Story
The issue boiled over following a chaotic summer weekend that forced the Sandy Beach Association to request a temporary closure of the lot. Police Chief William Quigley reported that the missing lines have dissolved the lot into a free-for-all, presenting a critical roadblock for emergency services.
“Vehicles are just parking... anywhere,” Chief Quigley stated. “Although you can get a car through there, you can’t get the engine through, you definitely can’t get the ambulance out in a hurry.”
The structural integrity of the lot added another layer of environmental anxiety. Select Board Chair David Farrag noted that unsealed cracks in the asphalt create an open invitation for protected piping plovers to nest. If the shorebirds claim the lot, major swathes of the town’s most sought-after parking zone would legally face mandatory shutdowns.
