Hull Select Board Approves James Ave Beach Appraisal, Railroad Bed License in Unanimous Votes

HULL — July 8, 2026 — Hull Select Board authorizes James Ave Beach appraisal and approves railroad bed restoration license. The board voted 5-0 at its July 8 meeting to direct Town Counsel Adam Brodsky to commission an appraisal of the disputed James Ave Beach access strip, the first procedural step following a two-thirds town meeting vote under Article 44 authorizing an eminent domain taking. Brodsky noted that eminent domain offers a clearer path than a prescriptive easement claim, which would require contested litigation with uncertain odds, while a taking typically limits court challenges to the question of value. The board also voted 5-0 to approve a license agreement allowing Carl Mudukian, Trustee of the Summerwind Irrevocable Trust, to implement a Conservation Commission-approved restoration plan on the former railroad bed adjacent to 9 Manamet Ave. In a separate presentation, Town Manager Jennifer Constable and Town Accountant Mike Buckley introduced Hull's first-ever Comprehensive Annual Financial Review, a 137-page independent audit showing free cash consistently above $4 million against a roughly $55 million budget and pension funding improved from 69 percent to 89 percent over five years, with full funding projected by 2030.