Portsmouth neighbors vent over McCorrie Beach disputes

Accusations fly at raucous community meeting

Jim McGaw
Posted 6/24/16

PORTSMOUTH — Neighborly love was often in short supply during a commuprnity meeting Thursday night regarding recent disputes at McCorrie Point Beach.

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Portsmouth neighbors vent over McCorrie Beach disputes

Accusations fly at raucous community meeting

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Neighborly love was often in short supply during a community meeting Thursday night regarding recent disputes at McCorrie Point Beach.

About 70 people attended the often-raucous gathering at Town Hall and at the center of the storm was Nicholas F. Dealy, a relative newcomer to the neighborhood. Mr. Dealy purchased his home on William Street — at the bottom of McCorrie Lane and directly overlooking the beach — in January 2015. 

Since then, many neighbors complained, the police presence at the town-owned beach has dramatically increased due to what they characterized as excessive — and trivial — complaints about drinking, smoking, campfires, noise, speeding cars and other issues.

No action was taken at the meeting — neighbors would have to go before the Town Council to request any specific ordinance changes — but the gathering served as an opportunity for homeowners near the beach to vent their frustrations and to learn more about what’s allowed and what isn’t. As is the case on all town-owned property, drinking and smoking is prohibited on McCorrie Point Beach, although police acknowledge they don’t cite anyone unless there’s a disturbance.

David Silvia of McCorrie Lane spoke for many who crammed into the Town Council chambers at Town Hall when he said things were just fine at the beach before Mr. Dealy moved in.

“Why are we being restricted by one person who says we can’t park this way, we can’t smoke? Now we have one person who bought a piece of property and he wants (the beach) to be his backyard. One man is ruining it for four, five generations of friends and family,” Mr. Silvia said to loud applause. 

“Basically, the majority of us just want to be left alone,” he added.

Police Chief Thomas Lee, who facilitated the meeting along with Fire Chief Michael Cranson and Council President Keith Hamilton, detailed the number of called complaints regarding the beach that police have received over the past five years:

• 2011-2012: 39 calls

• 2012-2013: 31

• 2013-2014: 41

• 2014-2015: 32

• 2015-2016: 132

“So there’s been a huge increase in calls,” said Chief Lee, noting that 30 of the complaints from the past year were “unfounded.” Only one person was arrested, for maintaining a fire on the beach after 11 p.m., he said.

Both he and Chief Cranson urged residents to contact them only for serious complaints — such as when people make excessive noise on the beach during early morning hours — because the calls can tax their resources. 

“If we’re down there quite often and there’s something else going on on the other side of town, it does cause a delay,” said Chief Cranson.

Some in Dealy’s corner

When a resident asked if the same person was calling police over and over again, Chief Lee said he couldn’t reveal the identity of any complainants. It soon became clear, however, that Mr. Dealy wasn’t the only homeowner in the area who wanted increased enforcement of local ordinances governing the beach.

“I will respectfully tell you it’s not one person,” said Mr. Hamilton. “We’re not going to attack individuals here.”

One resident who also complained of noise at McCorrie Point was Fred Healey, who lives close to the beach at the end of McCorrie Lane. 

“We hear disturbances day and night,” Mr. Healey said, noting that many people in the neighborhood don’t see what goes on at McCorrie Point because they live further away from the beach. “We picked up 50 beer cans right at the Point.”

Susan Kelchner, who’s lived on Robin Road near the beach for 38 years, said she doesn’t complain about fireworks on or around July 4. “But last year it went on for weeks,” she said. “I’ve called. I hate to bother you guys.”

An Annette Drive resident said he had no problems with his neighbors on the beach, but objected to people from Providence and elsewhere who come to McCorrie Point, “play Spanish music all night long and speed down McCorrie Lane.”

Sal Carceller, who lives on Lepes Road, suggested the town require a sticker for people to park at the beach, similar to Sandy Point. The sticker should be free to residents, but not for those outside of Portsmouth, he said.

“I believe when people pay for something, people tend to respect it more,” said Mr. Carceller, whose idea was greeted enthusiaastically by several audience members.

Wesley Echols, who lives further up from the beach on Wampanoag Drive, said he’s been living in the area for 25 years but started noticing problems only six or seven years ago. He said unlike Sandy Point Beach, which is also owned by the town but has lifeguards and is strictly regulated, McCorrie Point is “less predictable,” which can pose problems.

“What you have down there is a multi-use beach with a lot going on, and nobody knows what’s going on,” Mr. Echols said.

Signs, kayaks removed 

Recently installed signs explaining rules on alcohol use and campfires without a permit — both prohibited — have been vandalized twice and stolen once, said Chief Lee. Police have since moved the signs to appease neighbors who complained they obstructed shoreline views, he said.

Signs aren’t the only things that have been removed from the beach. One of the most incendiary issues around the beach involved the removal of several small boats, kayaks and dinghies from the area back in March. 

Residents have long suspected Mr. Dealy of being the culprit, and he admitted as much Thursday when he raised his hand after a Union Street man asked who was responsible for the “cleanup.” The same resident then demanded that Mr. Dealy be arrested — throwing in an expletive for good measure. 

Chief Lee, however, said Mr. Dealy is already “making restitution on the property that couldn’t be recovered.” (After the meeting, Mr. Dealy acknowledged he had removed some “wrecked boats” and paid $350 in restitution to one person.)

Terry Hook, of Robin Road, is still looking for his property.

“Does anyone know where my kayak is?” he asked his neighbors. “It has the name ‘Hook’ on it.”

Dos and don’ts

Much of Thursday’s discussion centered on what residents can and cannot do on the beach under the law. 

Despite the increased police presence, Chief Lee said there's been no “crackdown” at the Point. Drinking and smoking is prohibited at the town-owned beach, he said, but police aren’t about to start sniffing drinks for alcohol or checking people for cigarettes.

“We’re not sweeping the beach saying, ‘Who can we cite here for alcohol?’ if it’s not causing a disturbance,” Chief Lee said. At the same time, that doesn’t mean police are giving beachgoers permission to drink alcohol, he said.

The same goes for the operating hours for the beach, which officially closes at 9 p.m. Police are not going to throw people out after hours unless they're causing a disturbance, he said.

Mr. Carceller said it’s become “unpleasant” to visit the beach lately due to all the police checks. “When I go down there, I’m quite aware that you guys are there,” Mr. Carceller said. “If we can’t stay past 9, I’m just going to stay in my yard.”

“It might be a good idea,” replied Mr. Dealy, as many in the crowd groaned in derision.

Chief Lee said under state law residents can walk along the shore at any time, using any of the available rights of way. He suggested parking on McCorrie Way or other nearby streets that aren’t posted after hours. “We’re not going to be towing anyone,” he said.

Fires, fireworks

Another point of confusion was the permitting of campfires. Chief Cranson said residents must apply for a permit for a small burning that’s good for seven days. After securing the permit, a resident must call the Fire Department at least one hour before the campfire during that week-long period.

A bonfire is covered under a separate permit that’s good for one day, he said. Any open burning must be at least 25 feet away from a motor vehicle, Chief Cranson added.

Chief Lee said by town ordinance, a fire must be out by 9 p.m. However, since it’s not really dark then, the town is considering extending the hours, he said.

Fireworks purchased in Rhode Island are legal, but those that are shot up in the air and explode are illegal unless someone obtains a permit from the state fire marshal’s office, the fire chief said.

“Those large ones that come out of the tubes? That’s a felony in Rhode Island,” Chief Lee added.

Chief Lee also made it clear the town is not taking away any deeded beach rights that some residents own. He said he believed the deeded rights, which carried over when the town took ownership of the beach, allows those residents to cross their neighbors’ property to access the beach. He made it clear, however, “that we’re not lawyers up here,” and urged residents to check the status of their deeded rights at Town Hall.

Mr. Hamilton also wanted to squash a rumor that’s being going around: “We’re not here to make McCorrie Point like Sandy Point,” he said, adding that there are no plans for bathhouses, concessions nor lifeguards at McCorrie Point.

He urged residents to practice common sense before they call police to report someone at the beach after hours. 

“If there are people out there at 3 o’clock in the morning playing salsa music, call the police. But if it’s 9:15 and it’s the end of the day and they’re having a glass of wine, let them relax,” Mr. Hamilton said to applause.

‘No rules’

After the meeting, Mr. Dealy said he was discouraged by what he heard, adding it only reinforced something he’s always believed.

“There are no rules on McCorrie Beach,” he said.

Mr. Dealy also stood by his assertion at a previous Town Council meeting that he didn’t feel safe due to his neighbors’ wrath.

“I was threatened this Sunday. A man was swearing at me from the beach,” Mr. Dealy said.

So, he called police.

Portsmouth Police Department Portsmouth Fire Department McCorrie Point McCorrie Beach McCorrie Point Beach Sandy Point Beach McCorrie Lane Portsmouth Town Council

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.