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Narragansett Council Adopts New Beach Leasing Rules to Increase Turnover of Cabanas and Lockers
Summary
The council approved Recreation Advisory Board recommendations to consolidate cabana/locker leases to a single principal lessee and to set multi‑year terms for newly issued facilities (subcommittee recommended five years); council debated but ultimately approved the plan 5‑0 after public remarks from long‑time lessees.
The Town Council approved changes to Narragansett’s town‑beach leasing policies on Dec. 2 after a review by the Recreation Advisory Board and a subcommittee. The recommended changes consolidate applications to a single principal lessee (instead of two names on an application) and set a term limit for newly issued cabana, changing‑room and locker leases (the subcommittee recommended five-year terms for new leases beginning in 2025). The council voted 5-0 to adopt the recommendation as presented.
Parks and Recreation staff described the rationale: many leases had effectively been held for decades, producing long waiting lists and limited turnover; shifting to one principal lessee and multi‑year terms is intended to free units and move families up the waiting list. The director noted that many current lessees are elderly and that the change was designed to respect existing holders while increasing future availability. The director said cabana and locker fees are significant (cabanas cited at $3,000; some lockers at $840) and that staff expects incremental turnover over the next year as the policy takes effect.
A longtime lessee, Diane Peretti, asked the council to heed the Recreation Advisory Board’s vetting and said the committee sought "a fair and equitable solution for the current lessees and the future lessees." After questions from council members about waiting‑list lengths and the timeline for announcing available lockers, the council approved the recommendation and asked staff to report back at next year’s annual meeting with data on turnover and releases.
What happens next: Parks and Recreation staff will implement the single‑principal‑lessee application process for cabanas, changing rooms and lockers; newly issued leases starting in 2025 will carry the multi‑year term adopted by the council. Staff will prepare and distribute updated leasing packages in advance of the January application period and report back on results.
