The more immediate threat , say advocates , are adjacent homeowners who discourage visitors with “ Private Property ” signs and shrubs planted in the middle of an access point . Conrad Ferla , a South Kingstown surfer , entered the fray a couple of years ago after “ No Parking ” signs began to pop up on a Narragansett street surfers had long used to access a prime spot off Point Judith .
“ The first thing they do is remove parking — that ’ s the back-door way to remove public access ,” says Ferla . “ The anti-public access crowd has a lot of money , but they don ’ t vote here . Our access points to the beach are being stolen from us left and right . People need to be aware of it and we ’ re going to fight our hardest , because it ’ s super important and it is solvable for one reason : [ the issue ] is incredibly popular .”
Advocates are now organized under a burgeoning Facebook group , Saving RI Coastal Access / Rights of Way , with nearly 4,000 members . Some towns , such as Jamestown , Westerly and Narragansett , have begun to respond by restoring parking and forming committees to parse land records and maintenance practices to re-establish and mark public rights of way . Narragansett also lowered the town beach fees for nonresidents .
“ The demographics of the town have changed in the last fifteen years , and in certain areas there ’ s a feeling of exclusivity ,” says Narragansett Town Councilman Jesse Pugh . “ But we will try to continue to be as welcoming a community as possible and make the coast as accessible as possible .”
Cortvriend hopes that the committee ’ s work will educate the public and produce a tweaked bill that will find support on Smith Hill . Keeley can live with that .
“ It ’ s a solid step forward ,” says Keeley . You don ’ t climb a mountain by leaps , you climb a mountain by placing your foot in such a way that you don ’ t fall off the mountain . We ’ ll see how this plays out . If they reinterpret the constitution , our only recourse will be civil disobedience .” �
Ellen Liberman is an award-winning journalist who has commented on politics and reported on government affairs for more than two decades .
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l APRIL 2022 37