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Stonington faces lawsuit over Fish Pier platform; selectmen boost legal budget amid dispute
Summary
Selectmen were notified the town was served with a lawsuit from Sunshine Seafood over votes and Harbor Committee actions concerning a Fish Pier platform. The board increased its legal budget line while debate over pier access continues.
Stonington selectmen said the town has been served with a lawsuit from Sunshine Seafood challenging recent Harbor Committee and Selectmen actions related to a platform at the Fish Pier, and discussed increasing the town’s legal budget to cover anticipated costs.
Town Manager Billings told the board the complaint was received amid ongoing disagreement among harbor users over whether the platform obstructs hoists and truck access. During budget deliberations, board members discussed estimates for outside counsel, with figures mentioned in the $25,000–$30,000 range; the board agreed to increase the legal line to cover those expenses. Selectman John Steed described the town’s obligation to ensure public-safety and access, and said Sunshine Seafood had been contacted previously but had not engaged satisfactorily in discussions.
The dispute stemmed from months of public comment and Harbor Committee debate documented during meetings in March and earlier, where dealers and users offered competing accounts of how the platform affects operations. At a March meeting, several users and dealers urged the board to retain the platform while others said personal property stored there blocks essential access. The Selectmen did not vote that night to remove the structure; litigation followed.
No hearing date or timetable for resolving the lawsuit was mentioned at the meetings summarized in the record. The town’s action at the January budget session was procedural—allocating funds for legal defense—rather than a substantive adjudication of the harbor access dispute. The board also discussed nonlitigation options, including mediation and talking further with harbor stakeholders, but recorded no final decision beyond the budget adjustment.
Next steps: the town plans to engage counsel and monitor court scheduling. The Selectmen noted any final property or access decisions that would affect private rights or town property would require appropriate notice and, where applicable, further votes or town-meeting authority.
