A five-bedroom mansion in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, built on a rapidly eroding bluff overlooking Cape Cod Bay, faces imminent collapse, highlighting the increasing threat of coastal erosion fueled by climate change. The property, purchased by attorney John G. Bonomi, Jr. in 2022 for $5.5 million, has already seen its bluff recede 54 feet in the past decade. The situation raises concerns about the future of luxury homes along the Massachusetts coast and the potential environmental damage from a submerged mansion.
A five-bedroom mansion with an elevator and waterfront views in Wellfleet , Massachusetts , is perched precariously on a bluff rapidly eroding into Cape Cod Bay. The property, constructed in 2010, has already seen its bluff recede 54 feet in the past decade, according to the Associated Press. This case exemplifies the increasing threat of coastal erosion fueled by the climate crisis, particularly affecting luxury homes along the Massachusetts coast.
When homes succumb to the sea, they create hazardous debris and endanger marine life. Wellfleet residents are particularly worried about the impact on their thriving oyster industry, a vital source of income for many in the town. Recently, some affluent homebuyers have been purchasing these at-risk properties at discounted prices, hoping to squeeze out a few more years of use before inevitable collapse. Attorney John G. Bonomi, Jr. acquired the Wellfleet mansion for $5.5 million in 2022, despite the existing erosion threat. The original owners had long sought town intervention to implement protective measures against the erosion but were unsuccessful in their appeals. The mansion's future became the focal point of a January 15 meeting of the Wellfleet Conservation Commission. James Gallagher, a lawyer representing Bonomi, informed the town officials that saving the house was no longer feasible. However, town official Lecia McKenna questioned the lack of action, demanding to know why the town would allow it to fall into the water. Last year, the town ordered the removal of a bedroom and part of the deck due to an emergency situation. The responsibility for dismantling the house remains unclear, with both the owner and the town potentially liable. The commission decided to revisit the issue in June.Efforts to contact Bonomi's representatives for comment were unsuccessful. The situation in Wellfleet mirrors similar occurrences elsewhere on the Massachusetts coast. Last year, billionaire Barry Sternlicht lost his Nantucket home, purchased in 2010 for $610,000, to erosion. Another waterfront property nearby saw its price plummet from an initial $2.3 million listing to $600,000 due to the rapidly diminishing bluff.Despite the risks, some affluent vacationers continue to gamble. On Nantucket, businessman Don Vaccaro purchased a three-bedroom property in July 2024 for $200,000, fully aware of its imminent demise. The property had initially been listed for $2.2 million. Six months later, the town of Nantucket ordered its demolition before it was completely swallowed by the ocean. Vaccaro, who spent an additional $200,000 attempting to save the house, described it as a 'terrible investment' in an email, expressing his disappointment at not getting to enjoy his summer 2025 there.Experts predict that erosion will pose an increasingly significant threat in the coming years. Nantucket town manager C. Elizabeth Gibson warned in a 2021 Coastal Resilience Plan that erosion is expected to worsen in the 'foreseeable future'. Some coastlines on the island have already lost 100 feet in the last decade. 'The risks for Nantucket, a maritime community, are significant,' she wrote. The luxurious finishes of beachfront mansions could contaminate nearby waters if submerged.In Wellfleet, where Bonomi's mansion is on the brink, town officials are concerned about the potential impact of debris on nearby oyster beds. Over 15% of Wellfleet's approximately 3,600 permanent residents rely on the oyster harvesting industry. 'The house has a lot of fiberglass insulation in it. It has toxic material in it,' John Cumbler, a member of the Wellfleet Conservation Commission, told the Associated Press. 'It could endanger the oyster industry in Wellfleet, our major industry outside of tourism.'Greg Mckechnie, a real-estate agent who has lived on Nantucket for 25 years, points out that the growing extravagance of oceanfront mansions makes a potential cleanup even more disastrous. 'They're not your classic beach house. They're much more substantial,' Mckechnie told Business Insider. 'When I was a kid, if a house flooded down on Hulbert Avenue, you'd go get a broom, sweep the water out, and wait for it to dry.
Coastal Erosion Climate Change Luxury Homes Cape Cod Massachusetts Wellfleet Nantucket Environment Property Damage
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