Selectmen weigh Fish Pier access as Sunshine Seafood lawsuit raises legal costs

Selectmen in Stonington spent multiple meetings debating a platform at the town Fish Pier and the competing needs of dealers, fishermen and general pier users, and accounted for the cost of a lawsuit filed by Sunshine Seafood.

The dispute centers on a platform and associated personal property at the Fish Pier that some dealers and fishermen say is necessary for loading and day-to-day operations, and others say blocks access, crowds parking and presents safety concerns. Multiple fishermen and dealers told the board the platform allows efficient offloading; others said trailers, totes and equipment have at times impeded truck access and hoist use.

Why it matters: the disagreement escalated to litigation. Town Manager Billings reported the town had been served with a lawsuit from Sunshine Seafood over the pier/platform actions; board members discussed increasing the legal budget to cover defense costs and related counsel expenses. During budget work the board increased the legal line to provide contingency for the pending case.

Discussion and responses: Selectman comments recorded in the minutes show a split between preserving functional operational space for dealers and the Selectmen’s duty to maintain safe, equitable public access. Supporters of the platform said it is used daily and that Sunshine Seafood had offered financial support for repairs. Opponents said personal property on town property limits shared use; several residents asked that the Harbor Committee clarify rules for pier management.

Procedural steps and next actions: the board has not recorded a new formal policy change in the minutes included in the transcript; instead meetings showed direction to revisit harbor permitting and to work through the Harbor Committee to recommend rules on allocation, storage and use of the platform area. Budget sessions reflected adding funds for legal costs; the town manager said more precise counsel estimates were pending.

The meeting record shows no Selectmen vote to remove the platform in the segments provided. The Selectmen urged clearer Harbor Committee oversight of daily pier operations and signaled that any permanent change would follow standard notice, Harbor Committee recommendations and, where applicable, legal review. The budget and legal planning work remain active items on future agendas.