Selectmen approve two new buyers at the Fish Pier amid objections from harbor users

The Town of Stonington Board of Selectmen voted to issue two additional buying permits for the Fish Pier and to authorize repairs intended to slow a fast hoist, decisions that divided harbor users and prompted calls to return the question to the Harbor Committee.

At a December meeting the board approved the sale of two buyer permits to local dealers after public discussion about congestion and safety on the Pier. Several fishermen and residents, including Dick Larrabee Jr. and Marsden Brewer, told the board that the Pier already suffers from overcrowding, blocked hoists and parking constraints, and urged the board to defer any new permits until the Harbor Committee completed proposed ordinance revisions.

The board's approval carried by a narrow margin, 3–2. A subsequent motion to stay the decision for a month and allow the Harbor Committee to propose a capacity plan failed.

The board also authorized $2,500 to install a reduction tank on hoist #6 to slow its operation after marine contractors and Harbormaster recommendations; Selectman Evelyn Duncan presented the mechanical concern and the funding vote passed unanimously where recorded. The repair was pitched as a safety step after reports that the hoist was operating too quickly during cargo lifts.

Town Manager Billings said that the Harbor Committee is continuing work on ordinance changes for skiff permits, parking and hoist operations, and the selectmen agreed to reconvene with committee members to review proposed language and financial implications. Several members of the public expressed frustration that committee input had not determined the outcome and said the decision undermined the harbor advisory process.

The selectmen noted the two-step nature of the dispute: equipment repairs to reduce immediate safety risks, and longer-term ordinance work to address capacity and access. The board asked staff to circulate proposed harbor ordinance edits and to bring any further permit requests back to a public Harbor Committee meeting.