Dispute over Fish Pier platform spurs lawsuit and higher legal budget

A long-running dispute over a loading platform at Stonington’s Fish Pier prompted Sunshine Seafood to file a lawsuit and officials to set aside additional legal funds in the draft budget.

Town Manager Billings told the selectmen the town had been served with litigation from Sunshine Seafood arising from prior decisions about whether personal property and a platform could remain at the pier. Board members recount frequent, competing testimony: some users said the platform is necessary for dealers to load catch, while others said privately owned trailers and totes block access and should be removed.

Selectman John Steed discussed the legal issues and suggested the town might opt to return Sunshine Seafood’s payments as a settlement option; he estimated potential legal costs “somewhere around $30,000.” TM Billings recommended planning for approximately $25,000 in legal expenditures while the budget is finalized. The board increased the legal line in the town budget and adjusted reserves to account for the expected expense.

The meeting record shows no final settlement or judgment; the litigation and its budget impact remain active items while the town refines its 2021 budget and consults counsel.