By Josh Bickford — … a few months ago the owners of 85 Nayatt Road hired a security guard, installed alarms, and made it abundantly clear that their yard and the seawall were off-limits.

That decision has irritated neighbors, angered fishermen, and recently spurred an official cease and desist order from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). That order requires the property owners to allow public access along the riprap retaining wall.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — …Several decades ago, the state came up with a solution: Towns could get grants to improve rights of way by clearing away brush, laying down walkways, and putting in amenities like picnic tables and bike racks. In exchange, they had to take steps to ensure that those sites would be accessible to the public — including providing parking whenever possible.