The Public’s Radio — Watch Hill Lighthouse transfer on hold now amid questions over shoreline access
A private road sign is posted at the entrance of Lighthouse Road, the access road to the Watch Hill Lighthouse property. Alex Nunes/The Public’s Radio
Oct 20, 2023
By Alex Nunes — The U.S. General Services Administration now says the deal to transfer the lighthouse to the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association won’t be finalized until Westerly investigates concerns about public access to the land.
The U.S. General Services Administration says the town of Westerly will be given time to research whether the public has the legal right to use an access road leading to the popular Watch Hill Lighthouse property before the federal government transfers the land and buildings to a private non-profit.
The Department of Interior recommended earlier this year that ownership of the property be awarded to the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, which has helped manage the property since the 1980s. The General Services Administration is tasked with finalizing the transfer.
The non-profit group has told the federal government it intends to keep the property open to the public but can’t guarantee access to the land over Lighthouse Road, which the group believes is private.
“Prior to conveying the Lighthouse, the General Services Administration is waiting for the results of ongoing research and analysis by the Town of Westerly’s solicitor regarding the status of Lighthouse Road,” GSA spokesperson Paul Hughes confirmed in an email on Thursday.
The development follows discussions between state elected officials – state Sen. Victoria Gu, state Rep. Tina Spears, and state Rep. Terri Cortvriend – and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed’s office.
Spears said this week she and others conveyed the concerns of constituents who are worried access to the property, which is an important spot to fish for recreation and sustenance, could be threatened by transferring the land to a private group.
Spears said she believes protections for public access need to be worked into the documents that finalize the transfer and that unresolved questions about public access over Lighthouse Road should be addressed before the land is given to the Lighthouse Keepers.
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