Neronha Seeks To Intervene In Champlin's Marina Expansion Lawsuit

NEW SHOREHAM, RI — The office of Attorney General Peter F. Neronha on Monday filed a petition to intervene in the lawsuit known as Town of New Shoreham v. Champlin’s Realty Associates.

Neronha argues that it's essential to discredit, once and for all, a quiet "memorandum of understanding" reached between Champlin's and the Coastal Resources Management Council. The Dec. 29 MOU improperly paved the way for Champlin's Marina to expand, the AG has argued.

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Even though the state's highest court last month refused to bless the deal, substantive issues surrounding the validity of the decision were still left hanging, the petition argues.

The town of New Shoreham, the Committee for Great Salt Pond, the Block Island Conservancy and the Block Island Land Trust continue to say that the MOU can not be regarded as a "final agency decision" due to procedural violations. They argue that stakeholders were improperly excluded from the decision-making process.

“Agency decisions made outside of the administrative process come at the expense of the public’s confidence and trust, both in the process and in the institutions charged with overseeing it,”said Neronha in a statement.

The case before the Rhode Island Superior Court is one of several lawsuits stemming from the proposed marina expansion on Block Island. Neronha said his office seeks to ensure that the CRMC does its job and follows all procedural steps.

“Our motion to intervene in this matter, filed in court yesterday, should make it clear that this Office has a strong ongoing interest in ensuring that the regulatory processes put in place to protect our natural resources are followed by state agencies,” Neronha said.

In related news, state rep. Deborah Ruggiero has filed legislation that would look at overhauling the CRMC. The Jamestown Democrat charges that the commission is comprised of political appointees and that its members often skip meetings.

"We should take a deep, honest look at whether this is a responsible form of environmental stewardship for the Ocean State," Ruggiero said.