The Public’s Radio — 'We're gonna rectify that': In Narragansett, town officials are taking a closer look at encroachment on public paths to the shore

The public right-of-way at the end of Conant Ave in the Point Judith section of Narragansett. Alex Nunes, The Public’s Radio

Aug 9, 2022

By Alex Nunes — In Narragansett, coastal property owners along several popular rights of way to the shore are encroaching on designated public roads, effectively limiting parking and public access to the waterfront.

Patrick Murray is a Narragansett Town Council member who wants to begin addressing the issue at the council’s next meeting on Aug. 15. He spoke with South County Bureau Reporter Alex Nunes at the end of Conant Avenue in the Point Judith section of town, one of the rights of way where the road has been narrowed by brush and large stones. 

NUNES: Can you just tell people what we're looking at right here?

MURRAY: This is one of the older access [points]. It does have a little stairway, rock stairway going down to the ocean where surfers access, and saltwater fishermen, they like coming down here and fishing. There was parking. When I was a young lad, I remember parking down here. I used to come down here fishing with my father and my brothers and my uncle. You know, it's hard to say where things got changed around a little bit, but we're gonna rectify that. That's for sure. So we're just kind of [going to] reinstitute some of the access points for their original intent.

NUNES: The town surveyed five different rights of way in town. 

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