An amenity most often associated with quiet relaxation has become an increasingly contentious point of concern among harborfront condo owners that abut Bristol’s only hotel.

Citing internal surveys from guests and a desire to compete with other hotels, Bristol Harbor Inn began looking into ways to possibly add a pool back in 2022. That is according to Larry Goldstein, co-owner of Goldstein Associates, the property management company that bought Thames Street Landing — The 1.7-acre waterfront parcel that includes DeWolf Tavern, various shops, restaurants, and most importantly for the purposes of this story, the Bristol Harbor Inn — in 2015 under the corporate entity TSL, LLC.

“Everything we do is mostly in the business of selling rooms, and trying to bring the tenant experience up and have a first-class experience offered in downtown Bristol,” Goldstein said in a recent interview. “We think that’s an amenity that most first-class hotels offer, but our parking is limited and we just don’t have space to do that on the grounds.”

But during a trip to Kennebunkport, Maine a few years back, a member of the TSL group was staying at the Yachtsman Hotel + Marina Club and came across something that seemed like an answer to their dilemma.

A pool boat.

If you’ve never heard of a pool boat before, you’re not alone, but it’s also exactly what it sounds like. A pool boat is a floating vessel, subject to the same regulations as any other recreational boat, that has decking and a motor, but instead of a hollowed out hull for a galley or a bathroom or storage space, it has an area to put a swimming pool, with space around it for some lounge chairs.

Goldstein said that the plan formed from there to apply to the Coastal Resources Management Council to get approval to drive five additional pilings into the area near their existing finger docks located to the northwest of the event tent behind DeWolf Tavern. The boat could be moored there seasonally (he said initial plans might be from May 15 to Labor Day, but that’s not set in stone).

Acknowledging that the harbor can be subject to some rough seas in stormy weather, Goldstein said it was purposeful to moor the pool boat closer to the cay wall to offer some more protection.

The boat itself would be about 44 feet long by 20 feet wide. The pool within the boat would be 8 feet wide by 20 feet long and 4 feet deep. It would be accessible from a new ramp built off the existing event deck. In the off season, it would be hauled out of the water and stored on private property.

Stone Harbour raises a challenge flag
Abutting Bristol Harbor Inn to the north, Stone Harbour Condo Associates has come out in firm opposition to the concept of the pool boat floating within a clear sight line of their property.

Howard Sutton, President of the Stone Harbour Condominium Association, said in a recent interview and at the recent May 29 meeting of the Bristol Town Council that their three biggest concerns regarding the pool boat boils down to noise, safety, and a fear of property values being negatively impacted.

Although Goldstein said in an interview that the pool boat would be locked behind a gate, accessible only to hotel guests from 9 a.m. to sunset, that no alcohol would be allowed on the premises, and that it would be under the watch of hotel staff, Sutton said these assurance were not sufficient.

“This is a problem waiting to happen,” he told the Town Council. “Nobody is going to police it. Nobody is going to check the coolers. Nobody is going to go down there when they’re smoking cannabis. It’s going to end up being a party boat in front of multimillion dollar condos that contribute over $800,000 to the coffers of the Town of Bristol.”

Support from Town criticized as well
Sutton also took issue with the fact that Goldstein had solicited comments in support of the pool boat nearly a year ago in June of 2023, but only informed Stone Harbour representatives about the concept in early May of this year, prior to a mandatory notice being sent out by CRMC to abutters ahead of a public hearing to deliberate on the proposal.

A letter from Town Administrator, Steven Contente, filed June 6, 2023 and addressed to CRMC, contains a sticking point for Sutton and the condo owners.

“The applicant has kept its’ residential neighbors updated as to the proposal and are committed to implementing controls that will protect the Town’s interests at this location,” Contente wrote in the letter.

“That is a blatant falsehood,” Sutton said, reiterating he hadn’t heard of the concept at all until May 6 of this year. “We’ve objected to that on the basis that, for lack of a better term, the waters of CRMC had been tainted already by them getting an indication from the Town of Bristol that it supported this project.”

The letter from Contente states that the pool boat would serve a “compelling public purpose that will benefit our public as a whole. The proposed pool is a water-dependent use that offers substantial public, economic gain to the state of Rhode Island.”

Tom Moses, an attorney representing the condo association, also took issue with this endorsement from Contente.

“This is not a public pool. This is a private activity for the benefit of guests of the hotel,” he told the Town Council. “I see no public benefit of this at all. And the economic gain is to only the hotel. It is not to the State of Rhode Island or the Town of Bristol. These are hyperbole at best.”

Contente, called for a comment on the issue, did not waver in his support of the proposal from Bristol Harbor Inn.

“We only have one hotel in Bristol, and if it will help them, I’m in support of it…Personally, any time people can get outdoors and enjoy the harbor and be healthy, I think it’s a nice thing.” he said. “We’ve had very good luck with Bristol Harbor Inn. Ever since they’ve opened we’ve had no problems there that I’m aware of. They run a very good business, they’re well managed, and they’re claiming they’ll manage this well to not be an issue for the neighbors. So I support this.”

Town Council petitions CRMC to delay hearing
At the Town Council meeting on May 29, the Council heard testimony from Sutton, Moses, Contente, and Harbormaster Gregg Marsili. Notably, no representative from TSL, LLC was present. They ultimately decided to motion to send a request to CRMC to delay hearing the issue until the Town could hold its own meetings with the Harbor Commission to receive more testimony, and then form a more informed opinion to provide to CRMC.

No official hearing has been set by CRMC at this time to discuss the pool boat, but the public comment deadline for the issue was set for June 15. The Council’s motion asked CRMC to extend that deadline and to hold off on a hearing until a later date. That passed, with only Councilwoman Mary Parella dissenting.

“We have a Town Beach in town that’s not that far away. You could rent a bike and you could be there in maybe 10 minutes. We have other waterfront beaches on Union Street and Walley Street as well…I don’t think this is a good location,” she said in her comments. “Why do we want to introduce this and then, once we open that floodgate, now we have other people saying ‘Hey this is a great idea. I want to put a boat out here, I want to put a pool over there’. I’ve very, very concerned about that.”

Sutton, for his testimony, said this was the first time he’s ever received consensus on an issue while leading the condo association.

“In my five years as president of this association, this is the only time I have ever had an issue that has no dissenting viewpoints, and it’ll probably be the only time I ever have an issue that doesn’t have a dissenting viewpoint,” he said. “I’m lucky if I can get 81 units to agree that the sun sets in the West.”