Charlestown council authorizes application to grade and gravel Charlestown Beach Road after CRMC refuses paving

Charlestown Town Council on May 12 voted unanimously to authorize the town administrator to submit an application to the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) to grade and gravel Charlestown Beach Road and pursue interim maintenance while the town explores longer-term options.

The measure follows a CRMC response to the town’s request to pave the road. CRMC staffer Jeffrey Willis, in a letter included in the council packet, wrote that “the use of bank run gravel is the preferred method to address access along this road because a gravel roadway is the least disruptive application other than a natural sand trail to allow for access to existing residences,” and that creating “a uniformly impervious surface via resurfacing with bituminous asphalt would be in direct contradiction to the goals and policies” overseen by CRMC.

The council majority said the road’s current condition is “horrible,” with residents raising immediate safety, dust and access concerns. Council members and staff discussed two tracks: seek the special-exception or emergency permit process from CRMC to allow broader repairs, and, in the short term, place and compact process (bank-run) gravel to make the road passable during the summer.

Town Administrator Peter Allen told the council the CRMC response declined the town’s request to place asphalt and instead limited what the town may now do to placing finer process gravel “in the holes only” under the current assent. Allen and other council members said the town will apply for an assent to “grade and gravel” the full extent of the road so the town can perform more extensive repairs if CRMC approves.

Council members discussed timing and costs. Allen said the town can buy a dust-control sprayer “for roughly $10,000” to apply its own dust control material rather than contracting spraying; he also said a quoted charge to have calcium chloride applied commercially was discussed in the meeting packet. The town acknowledged the prospect of additional costs if the CRMC or independent reviewers require further studies: Scott Rabideau of Natural Resources Services warned in his memo that “services of a professional engineer, coastal geologists, and coastal biologists will be required to prepare the assent application,” which would add consultant costs to any legal and permit timeline.

Councilors also discussed working with state managers. Peter Allen reported that CRMC had reached out to Terry Gray of the Department of Environmental Management to discuss partnering on the stretch beyond the last private house toward Ninigret (Breachway) and that South Kingstown has offered equipment support including a grader and roller if needed.

After debate the council voted to authorize the town administrator to submit the assent application to CRMC to grade and gravel Charlestown Beach Road. The motion was made by Councilor Mar and seconded by Councilor Stokes; the motion passed unanimously, 5–0. The council also directed staff to monitor dust-control work and to continue outreach to DEM and neighboring towns about equipment and cost sharing.

Residents who spoke during the meeting urged swift interim repairs and described long-term maintenance concerns; one longtime resident recommended placing 6 inches of process gravel and compacting and rolling it to create a solid surface. Other public commenters recommended attempting a CRMC “redline” (amendment) of a prior assent and urged removal of existing asphalt where feasible.

The council separated immediate operational direction from a longer permitting process: staff were directed to submit the assent application and pursue interim grading/gravel work and dust control, but the town will not repave with asphalt absent explicit CRMC approval or a successful special-exception determination.

The council’s action does not itself authorize construction; it authorizes the town administrator to file the permit application and to pursue interim maintenance steps discussed at the meeting.