Narragansett Times — Council largely expands coastal access parking in Point Judith

Signage in a Point Judith neighborhood denoting an area as a state-backed coastal public access point.
File photo

By Philip Cozzolino — Narragansett, RI — In a victory for surfers, water enthusiasts and coastal access advocates, the Narragansett Town Council Monday night amended its parking ordinance to allow on-street parking in a popular Point Judith neighborhood known for its nearby coastal access points and large swells. Despite some resistance from property owners in the neighborhood, the town council moved ahead with opening up one side of the road on select streets for public parking in a unanimous vote.

“People are parking on these side streets right now,” said Narragansett Town Council President Jesse Pugh. “It’s happening and they’re getting ticketed for it sometimes. We can fix that problem right now by saying it’s legal to park on one side of the road on three streets.”

The issue stems from a parking restriction on both sides of Conant Avenue and Pilgrim Avenue in a Point Judith neighborhood known for its three state-mandated public access points to the ocean. While the local ordinance restricting parking in the area has been in place since 1976, according to users of the access points, it has not been enforced consistently until 2019, when Narragansett Police began distributing $35 citations and tickets to those parked illegally along the roads after complaints came in from area homeowners regarding parked vehicles. According to users of the public right-of-way points, surfers have accessed the ocean at these spots for over 60 years. Parking was previously restricted on both sides of the street, however, due to the narrowness of the roads in question — they are small side streets in a coastal neighborhood — and concerns about emergency vehicle access.

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