Citing concerns about public access, Westerly seeks to acquire Watch Hill Lighthouse

WESTERLY – The Town Council is making a last-minute attempt to intervene before the federal government hands over the Watch Hill Lighthouse to a private group, citing concerns that the current plan doesn't guarantee permanent shoreline access to the prized fishing destination.

The council voted 5-to-1 on Monday to approve a resolution that asks for the roughly 4 acres surrounding the lighthouse to be transferred to the Town of Westerly rather than the nonprofit Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, which has maintained the property since 1986 under an agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard.The town isn't seeking to take over the historical lighthouse itself, but rather is concerned only about the stunning peninsula where it sits, at the southernmost tip of one of the most expensive communities in Rhode Island.

While the WHLKA says it will continue to allow public access to the property, which offers prime views of Taylor Swift's house, there are already limitations on how the lighthouse grounds can be used, and most cars are banned from the half-mile road that leads there. Unless the land is publicly owned, some Westerly residents fear, even more restrictions could be added in the future.

There's a general undercurrent of distrust that stems from the fact that, over time, more and more of Westerly's shoreline has become off-limits to the general public. Battles over coastal access have been flaring up, pitting wealthy waterfront enclaves like Watch Hill and Weekapaug against the rest of Westerly, which has historically been a blue-collar town.

"The thought of another piece of prime publicly used real estate going to some elitist group that will undoubtedly privatize the area even more is infuriating," Jason Jarvis, a commercial fisherman in Westerly, wrote to the Town Council ahead of Monday's meeting.

Lighthouse grounds 'only for sightseeing and casual strolling'

In its application to the federal government, the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association said it intends to expand "the existing public access hours to the Watch Hill Light Station historic buildings and Museum" if approved to take over the property.

But the group also signaled that it has a specific kind of public use in mind – admiring the lighthouse.

A sign posted by the WHLKA says that the property "is to be used only for sightseeing or casual strolling." Grills, umbrellas and tents are prohibited, along with "Frisbee, ball playing or any related athletic activities."

To the frustration of local fishermen, the gate is locked at sunset. "This is the exact prime fishing timeframe," Ben Weber, a Westerly resident and advocate for coastal access, wrote to the Town Council. [Y]ou have to fish when and where the fish are running. They don't go by a clock."

Additionally, only older visitors and people with disabilities are allowed to drive on Lighthouse Road, the only road that leads to the property. In its application, the WHLKA said that it implemented the policy to "limit vehicular conflict" on the narrow road, because two cars "cannot pass by one another safely without one stopping and pulling to the side."

Visitors can still get to the lighthouse on foot, the group noted. That, of course, assumes you can find parking elsewhere in Watch Hill – a nearly impossible task in summer.

Association says town's request is 'unnecessary and misplaced'

As The Public's Radio first reported, fishermen have raised concerns that private ownership of the lighthouse could translate to diminished access in future.

Ann Snowden Johnson, the WHLKA's president, tried to dispel that notion in a letter to the Town Council.

Westerly's request to acquire the land is "unnecessary and misplaced," she wrote. The association has "always prioritized and provided public access," and will continue to do so, she said, adding that fishermen are welcome.

Johnson noted the WHLKA is prepared to take on the estimated $15-million to $20-million cost of repairing the seawall that surrounds the property, which would otherwise fall to Westerly taxpayers. And she pointed out that under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, organizations that obtain surplus lighthouses at no cost "must make the station available for education, park, recreation, cultural or historic-preservation purposes for the general public at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions."

While "politics, goals and local leadership may change" on the town level, federal guidelines and the WHLKA's mission will ensure that there is public access to the lighthouse in the future, Johnson wrote.

The counterargument is that the devil is in the details, and access can take any number of forms. The WHLKA could theoretically fulfill the requirement by offering lighthouse tours while preventing people from using the property to fish.

Federal law requires the association to adhere to the "use plan" that was submitted as part of its application – but that plan is mainly concerned with tours, exhibits and special events, and doesn't make any explicit promise that the association will continue to welcome fishermen in the future.

Last year, Westerly sent a letter to the federal government saying that the town was in favor of transfering the property to the WHLKA. But voters subsequently elected a new Town Council that has taken a more aggressive approach to shoreline access.

Westerly "has this one fleeting moment" to try to halt the privatization of the property, the council's resolution states. It contends that public ownership "is the best way to ensure that public access is forever protected."

What would town control look like?

While it will be up to the federal government to decide how to proceed, the Town Council's resolution says that Westerly supports giving the lighthouse buildings to the WHLKA, and wants to own only the land.

The town would lease "an appropriate portion" of that land to the WHLKA for $1 a year, the resolution states, without going into further detail.

"I do want to say that this is about the land, and it’s not about the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association," Councilwoman Joy Cordio said at Monday's meeting. "We clearly trust them and appreciate all the work that they’ve done, given that we want them to have the lighthouse. And I’m hopeful that we’re going to have a great partnership."

It's unclear, however, if the WHLKA would be open to that kind of arrangement. Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The resolution, authored by Councilman William Aiello, says that Westerly is requesting ownership of "any associated roads and/or easements" in addition to the land.

That would give the town – and, by extension, the general public – the right to use Lighthouse Road, councilors said on Monday.

The only vote against the resolution came from Council President Edward Morrone, who noted that the federal government had initially offered the lighthouse to the town, and that a previous council passed it up and backed the WHLKA's bid to take over the property.

"We gave our word that we supported them, and now we’re reneging on that," he said.

Morrone also objected to the fact that the vote took place at a special council meeting, which meant that public comment was not permitted, and said that the WHLKA should have been able to participate in the discussion.

Is it too late to change course?

Westerly's push to acquire the land is coming at the tail end of a process that began in 2021 when the Coast Guard declared the Watch Hill Lighthouse to be "excess property." In early July, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed announced that the government was poised to turn over the lighthouse to the WHLKA.

"Transferring ownership to local care and ensuring the preservation of these sites is a win for the community," Reed said in a statement at the time. "It ensures public access and will keep the lighthouses standing as symbolic beacons for future generations."

Reed's spokesman, Chip Unruh, said this week that the transfer hadn't been finalized. Although the WHLKA's application has been approved by the National Park Service, the U.S. General Services Administration still has to officially accept the Park Service's recommendation and hand over the deed.

Unruh played down the Town Council's concerns, saying that roughly 150 other lighthouses had changed hands under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act Program and he wasn't aware of any instances where public access was taken away.

But he said Reed is "obviously going to listen and make sure their voices are heard" and can pass those comments along to the GSA.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Westerly seeks to preserve shoreline access at Watch Hill Lighthouse