Selectmen approve two additional Pier buying permits after contested debate

At a Selectmen meeting recorded across meetings this year, the Town of Stonington voted to allow two additional lobster‑buying permits for the town Pier, a decision that divided the board and drew strong objections from local fishermen and members of the Harbor Committee.

The board motion to sell two buying permits passed by a 3–2 tally after members debated whether adding buyers would worsen congestion on the Pier. The meeting record shows public commenters and harbor stakeholders urging the board to defer to the Harbor Committee’s recommendations and to consider capacity, parking and safety.

The contested vote followed a lengthy exchange in which fishermen described how the Pier’s parking and skiff capacity are already stressed. "What is the point of having the Harbor Committee anymore if you aren't going to listen to them," said Dick Larrabee Jr., addressing the board and urging that the decision be returned to the committee for further review. Several buyers and working captains described daytime congestion and impacts on employees and boat logistics.

Board members who supported the permits said they believed the pier could accommodate additional buyers or that localized reconfiguration could allow limited expansion. After the initial permit vote, Selectman John Steed moved to stay (delay) the decision for a month to allow the Harbor Committee to examine options; that motion failed 2–3.

The record shows the board considered but did not adopt ordinance changes at that meeting; Selectmen and harbor volunteers agreed to continue ordinance revisions and revisit procedural rules for buyers, skiffs and parking.

What happens next: the Selectmen left open the possibility of additional Harbor Committee work on ordinance language and capacity limits; the public urged a formal committee review and some audience members said they would request the issue be remanded or revisited at a future meeting.