Nearly six years ago, Champlin’s Marina submitted plans to expand the marina area approximately four acres, extending 240 feet beyond the current docks into the Great Salt Pond, with an additional 2,990 feet in fixed docks, for 140 more boats. The CGSP, the Town of New Shoreham, The Land Trust and The Block Island Conservancy, immediately joined forces to oppose the expansion.

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In a much awaited decision, the RI Supreme Court reversed Judge Netti Vogel’s Superior Court decision, which if allowed to stand, would have permitted Champlin’s Marina to increase the size of its facility by two-thirds by extending its docks 170 feet out into the Great Salt Pond. The Supreme Court decision comes in response to an appeal from the Committee for the Great Salt Pond, and other objectors, who argued that any
decision to approve the marina’s expansion would have to come from the RI Coastal Resources Management Council which has sole authority to approve marina expansion applications, and that Judge Vogel’s decision to approve the marina’s expansion plans, without remanding the application back to the CRMC for reconsideration, was completely without precedent.

This means that the marina’s plan for expansion will now be heard and decided by a newly constituted CRMC which no longer has on the Commission Zarella, Sahagian, and Ricci, the three members who voted in favor of the marina expansion in 2008. The upcoming hearings will allow new testimony to be introduced into the record and the new CRMC members will have to read the 3075 pages of existing testimony in the record before they can vote on the outcome.

Although the Supreme Court’s decision is a terrific victory for the Committee and the other opposition groups, because it has stopped the proposed marina expansion plan in its tracks, it basically sets the clock back four years by reopening the hearings for the marina expansion to a point before the CRMC had voted to deny the application. This means that the Committee and the other opposition groups will have to prepare another expensive legal defense of the Great Salt Pond before the CRMC. The Committee would like to thank our supporters and the other marina opposition groups for making this outcome possible. We also need to remind everyone that the RI Supreme Court victory means that we have only won another skirmish in our long battle to protect the Great Salt Pond. If we are to continue to preserve one of Block Island’s most priceless resources we need your continued support. Please support the Committee with your continued membership and Legal Defense Fund contributions.

The Committee for the Great Salt Pond has been Block Island's primary voice regarding the Champlin’s matter and has spent over $150,000 on legal and other fees to fight the expansion. The CGSP has promised not to get "Champlin's Fatigue" and has vowed to stay on course in order to protect future generations' use of the Great Salt Pond. But we can't do it alone. We need your help! Please provide your support by donating to the legal fight to protect the Great Salt Pond. In advance, thank you!