Projo — Political Scene: How can shoreline access in Rhode Island be improved? Candidates weigh in

East Matunuck State Beach opened to the public after the state condemned and acquired properties that had been damaged by hurricanes. Antonia Noori Farzan

Dec 27, 2021

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Over the past few years, demands to improve shoreline access have ramped up across Rhode Island. Yet the politicians vying to be the state's next governor have been curiously silent on the topic.

To shed some light on where they stand, Political Scene asked each candidate if Rhode Island was doing a satisfactory job of ensuring that residents can exercise their constitutional right to the shoreline — and, if not, what they would do to change that.

Gov. Dan McKee's campaign staff deferred questions to the governor's office, which did not respond by press time. But his challengers — all Democrats so far — had a number of ideas for improving access.

Those ideas varied widely, from continuing to invest in water quality (likely to happen) to abolishing parking fees at state beaches (less likely.) Almost all the candidates indicated that they'd support legislation aimed at clarifying how much of the shoreline is open to the public.

Notably, none of the candidates suggested that the state acquire more waterfront land for public use, which has arguably been the most successful strategy in the past. But several indicated that they'd focus on public rights of way, which offer the only access to portions of the coastline that are dominated by private homes.

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