Boston Globe — In Narragansett, some private properties have expanded into areas owned by the town, affecting coastal access

22RIshore - Surfers in the waters off Point Judith in August. The town of Narragansett recently surveyed some streets nearby, showing significant encroachment on public property. (Brian Amaral/ Globe Staff) BRIAN AMARAL/ GLOBE STAFF

July 22, 2022

By Brian Amaral — The neighborhood near the shoreline where the town added parking -- and infuriated some residents -- is likely not the only place where adjacent property owners have encroached onto the town’s rights-of-way

NARRAGANSETT — They offer some of the most gorgeous views of the Rhode Island coast and an ideal place to put in a surfboard or just take a stroll. But in the past few years, the narrow streets off Ocean Road near the tip of Point Judith known as the Avenues have provided something else, too: controversy over shoreline access.

Recent property surveys of some of the roads down there are likely to add fuel to the fire. The surveys, town officials say, show that nearby properties have encroached on the town’s own property for years. Hedges, lawns, plantings, driveways, even some structures – all jutting out into the town’s property.

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