COVID-19 heightens tensions over shoreline access in Rhode Island

Scott Keeley is ready for some fun in the sun.

He’s got a folding chair out, his fishing pole at his side, and a sign he’s stuck into the beach sand that reads “Shoreline Access Protected by the Rhode Island Constitution.”

He says he wants people at the Charlestown Town Beach to know they can move out into the sand beyond the town beach limits.

“The Constitution already says that we have access to it,” Keeley says. “When you come to the beach, spread out and use the whole shoreline. Don’t feel you have to stay inside the roped limits.”

Keely’s technically sitting in South Kingstown, just over the town line. He was arrested in this spot last year for trespassing. The town quickly dropped the charges and agreed to a $25,000 settlement.

Read more: https://thepublicsradio.org/article/covid-19-heightens-tensions-over-shoreline-access-in-rhode-island