Tiverton Property Owners Seek Judicial Intervention in Delayed Oyster Farm Decision
Tiverton property owners are asking a Superior Court judge to intervene in a dispute over a proposed oyster farm in Sapowet Cove, citing the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council's (CRMC) failure to make a final decision on the application…
Providence New Bedford, RI, October 5, 2026 — Tiverton property owners have petitioned a Superior Court judge to step into an ongoing dispute concerning a proposed oyster farm in Sapowet Cove. The legal action stems from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council’s (CRMC) prolonged failure to render a final decision on the application, which was initially submitted in 2019.
The property owners are seeking judicial intervention to prompt a resolution in the matter. The application for the oyster farm was filed with the CRMC several years ago, and the extended period without a definitive outcome has led to this legal escalation. Specific details regarding the nature of the dispute beyond the oyster farm proposal itself have not been fully elaborated in the current summary.
The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council is the state agency responsible for reviewing and permitting projects that affect the state’s coastal resources. The process for evaluating such applications typically involves public hearings, environmental reviews, and assessments of potential impacts on local ecosystems, economies, and communities. The length of time between the application submission in 2019 and the current request for judicial intervention highlights a significant delay in the CRMC’s decision-making process, according to the petitioning property owners.
The outcome of this court action could compel the CRMC to finalize its review or could lead to further legal proceedings. The specific requirements or expectations the property owners have placed before the Superior Court judge were not detailed in the provided information. Similarly, the proposed operator of the oyster farm and the exact location or scale of the proposed operation within Sapowet Cove were not specified.
As the case moves forward, the Superior Court’s involvement will aim to address the lack of finality from the CRMC regarding the oyster farm application. The duration of the CRMC’s review process, which has now extended past the typical timeframe for such decisions, is the central issue prompting the property owners’ legal action.
Story summarized from the original created by Nancy Lavin on rhodeislandcurrent.com, see more information here.
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