Public access to Portsmouth's shoreline just got a lot better. Here's how.

PORTSMOUTH — There are five new designated rights-of-way in town, granting the public shoreline access to both the Sakonnet River and Narragansett Bay.

Well, the rights of way are not exactly new — the public has been using them for decades, and some of them even already have CRMC signage, but they never were officially designated as public rights-of-way by the state.

The Coastal Resources Management Council, the town of Portsmouth and the town’s harbor commission and right-of-way commission worked together to rectify that legal status, consulting deeds and plat maps and holding a public hearing in April 2022 before the CRMC’s right-of way-subcommittee recommended approving the official designation of all five access points under discussion: Beach Street at Cedar Avenue, Cedar Avenue, Fountain Avenue, East Power Street and Cory’s Lane.

At a semi-monthly meeting of the CRMC on Tuesday, the full board of council accepted the subcommittee’s recommendations and heard a few comments from Abigail Brown of the Portsmouth right-of-way commission, as well as Tom Grieve of the Portsmouth harbor commission, about safety concerns at the East Power and Cory’s Lane rights-of-way before voting unanimously to approve the designation of all five.

Brown explained to the board that the road on East Power Street is in need of repairs, and there are some concerns in town about safety and parking.

“We would hope that if this is (turned into) a CRMC right-of-way, that we could make sure that road is repaired, because it’s not safe,” she said.

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CRMC counsel Anthony DeSisto explained it was a common misconception the CRMC should be responsible for the road repair.

“This designation recognizes the legal status of East Power Street, but the care and control rests with the town of Portsmouth — regulation also," he said. "Because this is actually owned by the town of Portsmouth, and it is a street so-called, they still have regulatory powers over it as they would any street in the town.”

When Grieve expressed concerns about the safety of people using the Corey’s Lane right-of-way between the Preservation Society of Newport County property and the grounds of Portsmouth Abbey School due to its intersection with the railroad track used by the Rail Explorers tour company, DeSisto indicated the CRMC had neither jurisdiction nor ownership over any of the elements involved and the town would need to resolve any concerns.

Grieve pointed out the railroad is overseen by the state Department of Transportation, explaining RIDOT took responsibility for other railroad intersections on Aquidneck Island and expressing his view the agency would need to be involved in any safety modifications to the Corey’s Lane intersection.

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DeSisto assured both Brown and Grieve he would write an official letter to Portsmouth’s town solicitor delineating the CRMC position on ownership and upkeep of the rights of way. He also said he would send a copy of the letter to RIDOT’s legal counsel to loop them in on the potential railroad safety issue and Portsmouth’s view that RIDOT should be responsible for accommodating any necessary safety updates at the Corey’s Lane right-of-way.

“We should mention the fine work of the town of Portsmouth, particularly the harbor and right-of-way commission, did on this matter. It was a pleasure working with them.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse visits Portsmouth’s Gull Cove to announce funding for shoreline access, coastal resilience

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on Tuesday joined state officials and community partners at Gull Cove in Portsmouth to announce a new $200,000 federal grant for the state Department of Environmental Management.

In partnership with Save The Bay and The Nature Conservancy, RIDEM will use the funding to improve shoreline access and coastal resiliency at Gull Cove, which has experienced increased flooding and erosion due to climate change.

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Plans include increasing native shoreline vegetation, restoring wetlands, removing damaged infrastructure and reconfiguring vehicle access points.

The grant comes from the National Coastal Resilience Fund, which was created as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law passed late last year to restore and strengthen the natural infrastructure that protects coastal communities.

The fund, which is jointly administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will disburse $492 million over five years.

“The resiliency projects at Gull Cove … will improve shoreline access for Rhode Islanders and strengthen coastal defenses against rising seas and storms,” Whitehouse said. “I worked hard to create the National Coastal Resilience Fund so the Ocean State could rely on a dedicated stream of funding to prepare for and adapt to climate change.”

“It’s no secret that climate change impacts are already being seen and felt around Narragansett Bay. Resilience projects, like the one taking place at Gull Cove, are critical to ensuring that our local habitats and ecosystems can remain healthy throughout these changes,” Save The Bay Executive Director Jonathan Stone said.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate this National Coastal Resilience Fund award and the next phase of this project, which will decrease erosion, manage stormwater runoff, and improve public access, and are grateful for the advocacy and support of Senator Whitehouse and his staff in making it possible.”

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Portsmouth RI: CRCM designates 5 new public rights-of-way to water