Residents question new Poplar Point beach fence after town cites deed requirement

Tom Quinn, a Poplar Point resident, told the North Kingstown Town Council the town-installed fence between the Poplar Point right-of-way and the beach parking lot surprised neighbors and may infringe the deeded 10-foot corridor.

Quinn said he and others prefer the existing line of boulders for aesthetics and public access and reported field measurements showing the right-of-way narrowing “to under 4 feet” in places. “Why now?” he asked, saying he had seen inconsistent community notice before installation and feared future conflict over maintenance and encroachment.

Town Manager Ralph Malis responded that town staff located the deed from donor W.H. Wright, dated 1972, which he said obliges the town to provide a “suitable fence.” Malis said staff surveyed the area, chose a black chain-link fence as a cost-effective and low-maintenance option, and installed it to comply with the deed and avoid potential legal action. “We are legally required to put up this fence,” Malis said, adding the town hoped to honor the donor’s wishes while controlling costs.

Quinn and other residents pressed two practical points: whether the town’s posts were sited so the public right-of-way remains the full 10 feet and who would be responsible for clearing encroaching plantings that reduce the opening. Quinn said he measured some segments at roughly 48 inches between fence posts and a neighbor’s tree line.

Malis said staff had surveyed the right-of-way and expected it to be 10 feet throughout; he committed to directing Public Works to re-check the measurements the next day and to meet with residents if discrepancies remained. He also said the town solicitor advised that the town has responsibility to maintain the right-of-way and that the town would act to enforce the recorded width.

On fence design, Malis told the council the only alternatives considered were more expensive options such as wood; he said rock barriers or plantings do not satisfy the deed’s requirement for a “fence” as the town interprets that term. He acknowledged that the choice to install a chain-link fence without a public meeting disappointed some neighbors and said staff would remain open to “aesthetic” suggestions if the town and residents can agree on changes that both satisfy the deed and are affordable.

Several residents thanked the council and Malis for following up. Resident Ted Gary (99 Wright Lane) reiterated disappointment that neighbors felt caught off guard but said he appreciated the town’s candor.

Malis asked residents to continue communicating directly with the manager’s office and said he would personally inspect the right-of-way and meet with neighbors if needed. He said the town’s intent was to preserve the public access, comply with the deed, and avoid litigation while trying to be responsive to neighborhood concerns.