PORTSMOUTH — The Navy sent word Monday that it intends to release 260 acres of land along Aquidneck Island’s west side.

The three island towns have spent a decade planning for the day this high-value land with its views to the bay’s East Passage and Newport Harbor would be declared “surplus.” The moment is cause for celebration, said Tina Dolen, executive director of the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission

“The BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure Program) process for surplusing 260 acres of Naval Station Newport property that officially began on December 23, 2008 seemed at times as though it would never end,” she said. “ That day is finally here.”

“Planning takes patience but that work is now paying off,” said Dr. Robert Quigley, the Portsmouth resident who has chaired the West Side Task Force that spearheaded the ten-plus year effort on behalf of the towns. “Exciting changes are on the horizon for Aquidneck Island. We’re on a roll as far as I can see.”

They had thought they were close to this moment a year ago, Ms. Dolen said, but an eleventh-hour bid by the Narragansett Indian tribe for what it said are tribal ancestral lands put everything on hold.

The Navy granted four extensions totaling 150 days to enable the Bureau of Indian Affairs to present the tribe’s claim. But on December 4, 2009, the Bureau withdrew its application and informed the BRAC Program Management Office that it was unable to pursue the federal transfer of property.

Dr. Quigley said that, while it came as a surprise, the tribal claim “was the sort of thing you learn to expect” in such planning efforts. He called it a necessary process, adding that he believes the fact that the island towns had a clear, accepted plan in place helped their cause.

The announcement is scarcely the end of the road, Dr. Quigley added.

“There are certainly hurdles ahead but we have cleared one of the biggest,” he said.

Still to be determined is what groups will get the land and how much, if any, they will pay. First shot goes to non-profits, environmental groups, town and state interests among others, after which private ventures are considered.

The towns wasted no time launching the next phase. Tuesday afternoon, the island planning commission met at Portsmouth Town Hall with the Aquidneck Island Reuse Planning Authority to map out the next steps. These included election of officers, advertising for a “reuse coordinator,” applying for grants, and setting in motion what is expected to be an 18-month process. Next will likely be a public hearing to explain the process to town officials and others.

Future of Burma Road

A key issue to be resolved is the status of Burma Road, Dr. Quigley said. The federally owned road runs from the Newport Navy Base north to Melville in Portsmouth and is the only route up and down the west side.

“For quite awhile it has been something of a no-man’s land,” federally owned but with foggy jurisdictions — even for matters as basic as resolving speeding tickets. He expects that it will eventually transfer from being a federal road to a state road.

Although people should not expect to see physical changes overnight, Dr. Quigley offered a few predictions about what the earliest might be.

Best chance to happen first is a small waterfront park and fishing pier in Middletown, he thinks.

“There is a small dilapidated pier there now but we have money approved from the state DEM (Department of Environmental Management)” to improve this area. “It would be a wonderful place for people to go fishing and enjoy the views.” The Navy called this site Mid-way Pier, the park will be caled Greene Lane Park.

In Portsmouth, where nearly three-quarters of the 260 acres is located, Dr. Quigley said one of the early moves might be for Melville Marine District boat companies to make use of former military fuel depot land. Although more cleanup is needed there, much of it is suited (or soon could be) for boat storage, light industry and other uses. Boat companies in the thriving marine district have long been clamoring for space to expand.

Once the Burma Road issues are cleared up, he said he hopes to see improvements to the road. These would include overlook areas, easier public access at the Newport/Coddington Cove end, and better access at the north end in Portsmouth — “getting rid of that hairpin turn.”

The West Side Master Plan envisions a mix of used along the route — from marine related light industry to open space and public transit.

The 350-page plan “outlines development that is designed to optimize economic returns to the communities, preserve sensitive environmental areas, provide new recreational opportunities and access to Narragansett Bay, improve transportation, create bicycle and trail networks, and maximize opportunities for the marine trades and Navy related technology industries.”

“This project represents the Town of Portsmouth’s largest single opportunity in our effort to redevelop property that had been under Navy control since World War II, into a producer of new tax revenue and new jobs,” Portsmouth Town Council President Peter J. McIntyre said earlier this year.

Dr. Quigley called this a proud and unusual moment for regional planning.

“This is one of the few times that public officials have been proactive and ahead of the curve,” he said, adding that the leadership of all three towns deserves credit for anticipating this day and planning for it.

“If we didn’t have a plan, we would be years behind,” Dr. Quigley said. “Now we’re off and running.