With riverwalk, Warren reclaims its waterfront

Tourister riverwalk is in — and bocce courts, fire pit and public grill are coming this week

By Ted Hayes
Posted 8/2/18

A nearly half-mile stretch of the Warren River that for decades has been all but inaccessible to the public has opened back up, as workers at the Tourister Mill complex are nearing completion on a …

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With riverwalk, Warren reclaims its waterfront

Tourister riverwalk is in — and bocce courts, fire pit and public grill are coming this week

Posted

A nearly half-mile stretch of the Warren River that for decades has been all but inaccessible to the public has opened back up, as workers at the Tourister Mill complex are nearing completion on a 2,200-foot public walkway along the river stretching from Main to Sisson Street.

The walkway was agreed to by Brady Sullivan, the New Hampshire-based developer, as officials sought approval for the 290-unit apartment complex. And though the walk’s installation has not come without growing pains, including complaints about fishermen from boaters and a nearby marina owner, Tourister officials say the riverwalk will be a welcome addition to Warren as a whole, and not just those who rent in the upscale complex.

Tom Remmes, the work superintendent on the site, said the eight-foot wide walk will be mostly complete soon — and there will be much more than a walk there. By the end of next week, workers hope to finish installing a public-access fire pit, bocce court, gas grill and bike racks. And to keep fishermen from casting off the walkway, three dedicated fishing areas have been installed along its length.

“That should be a more stable area” for fishing.

Still, there have been complaints.

Al Elson, who owns Striper Marina across the water in Barrington, said several boaters who rent moorings from him adjacent to the complex have complained about fishing lines, hooks and sinkers getting tangled on their mooring lines and even on the boats themselves.

Last week, he said, a renter told him he found line and a dead scup on his boat, and another complained earlier about small chunks of concrete that appear to have been thrown from the shore, landing on his boat and damaging his boat’s gelcoat.

One night last week, Mr. Elson said he saw at least 50 anglers fishing from shore behind the complex. He said he plans to reach out to Warren Harbormaster Ed Cabral and let him know about the impact to his boaters.

“These guys don’t want to come out to their boats and find fishing line and sinkers out there,” he said.

Marina

Though the riverwalk is moving along, Tourister officials appear to have turned away, at least for the moment, from a plan to build a 50-slip marina behind the complex.

There are several issues with the plan: First, Striper Marina owns seven slips behind the complex, and some or all of them would likely need to be moved or be eliminated to make room for the marina. Mr. Elson said he last spoke to Tourister officials about the marina last year, but the parties were unable to come to an agreement over those key moorings.

And at a Warren Harbor Commission meeting earlier this year, Mr. Cabral said he expressed concern over the whole idea of a marina. The current rips through the area, he said, and docking boats there would be a dicey enterprise even for experienced mariners:

“The current in that area can be treacherous and things can go bad very quickly,” he said. “With the bridge just north of there, I just find it to be a very difficult area.”

Any marina plan would have to be approved by the state Coastal Resources Management Council, but Mr. Cabral said he has heard of no recent movement on that front.

“I don’t think they’re at a stage” where they can move ahead with the marina at this time, Mr. Cabral said.

The mill complex, which will be built in stages, will eventually be home to 290 apartment units and more than 100 commercial spaces. So far, Mr. xx said approximately 65 apartment units have been rented out.

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