Westerly council adopts ordinance barring roads and infrastructure on Napatree Point, removes certain plat references

The Westerly Town Council on Oct. 20 adopted an ordinance prohibiting the construction of roadways, sidewalks and other infrastructure on the sandy portion of Napatree Point, after amending the draft to remove several assessor-plat references that residents and councilors said were incorrect.

Public comment at a continued public hearing focused on drafting errors and which assessor plat numbers should be included in the ordinance. Several speakers urged the council to return to the ordinance’s original, simpler language — namely, a prohibition on building roads or infrastructure in the protected sandy portion of Napatree — rather than relying on potentially inaccurate plat-number lists.

Councilors and public speakers agreed to remove a set of assessor plat 185 lots from the draft. "If we take out all the 185 plats, it no longer applies," one councilor said, arguing the original wording would continue to protect the sandy conservation area without overreaching into developed lots. The council voted to adopt the ordinance as amended, leaving subsection B largely unchanged except for the explicit plat deletions listed at the meeting.

Council members emphasized the ordinance's limited purpose: it declares the town has no intention of building roads or other infrastructure in the town's protected sandy Napatree conservation area. The ordinance received the votes necessary and will take effect per municipal ordinance rules.

The council's action responded closely to the public record and the hearing process; several residents and councilors said the amendment was intended to stop confusion and close the item after repeated meetings.

The solicitor and town staff will update the official ordinance language to reflect the changes approved at the hearing and publish the corrected version in the town's ordinance database and meeting minutes.