We had assumed Little Compton to be a welcoming community. What we have experienced is sadly the opposite.”

— Tim Ehrlich

I’ve been harbormaster for over 20 years and I’ve worked hard to keep it looking historic. My biggest concern is to see one dock, five docks — it doesn’t belong there. — Little Compton harbormaster Michael Massa”

Longstanding tensions in Little Compton — between year-round residents and seasonal homeowners, tradition and change — have surfaced over a proposal to install a private floating dock behind a waterfront home at 10 Minnessota Road

The property is owned by Tim and Isabella Ehrlich, who purchased the home in 2020. The family uses it periodically throughout the year, mainly in August and during holidays, and rents it as a short-term rental when not here. A five-night stay is listed at $9,489 on VRBO.

In June, the Ehrlichs submitted an application to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) seeking approval to construct a fixed pier, aluminum gangway and floating dock along Sakonnet Harbor. The proposal includes a 74.5-foot pier, a 16-foot gangway and a 72-square-foot float.

The Ehrlichs say the dock would primarily serve their family, including their young children and Isabella Ehrlich’s parents, who have mobility limitations that make accessing the rocky shoreline difficult. In a Nov. 3 letter to the town council, they cited injuries and knee replacements that have made entering the water increasingly challenging.

As news of the proposal spread, opposition quickly followed. The dock would be located just outside the Sakonnet Yacht Club, where the Ehrlichs are members, and residents began submitting letters to the town council, CRMC and other officials.

“I honestly thought this was a joke proposal,” wrote summer resident Kevin Callaghan, who questioned why the first and only private dock on the harbor would be placed in that area. Callaghan and others cited concerns about safety, environmental impacts and the loss of the harbor’s natural character.

Several residents questioned the family’s ties to the community and criticized the use of the home as a short-term rental. Summer resident Harvey Thayer described the Ehrlichs as “real estate speculators” and claimed renters frequently disrupt the neighborhood. He also noted the Sakonnet Yacht Club is roughly 160 yards away, and that a private dock is unnecessary.

Similar concerns were raised by members of the Sakonnet Yacht Club’s board of governors. Board member Chris Brislin wrote that the club offers a “practical and viable alternative,” making a private dock unnecessary.

Others warned that approving the proposal would set a precedent. “Once one dock is built, others will undoubtedly follow,” wrote Sakonnet Point Road residents Lisa and Andy Mims.

Little Compton Harbormaster Michael Massa addressed the proposal at a Nov. 6 town council meeting, where he said the dock would impede public shoreline access and conflict with the harbor’s historic character.

“I’ve been harbormaster for over 20 years and I’ve worked hard to keep it looking historic,” Massa said. “My biggest concern is to see one dock, five docks — it doesn’t belong there.”

Massa also warned that Sakonnet Harbor is unlike other harbors and raised environmental and safety concerns.

The proposal was again discussed at the Nov. 13 harbor commission meeting, where residents cited exposure to severe weather and boating hazards.

“I think it’s an unwise structure,” said resident Bruce Chafee, noting vulnerability to northwest winds.

The harbor commission voted unanimously to recommend that the CRMC reject the application. Commission member Ben Gauthier said he struggled to identify a compelling need, given safety concerns and the availability of the yacht club.

In a subsequent letter to the town council, Gauthier wrote that all safety issues could be addressed through the yacht club and raised concerns about the property’s rental use, stating that short-term rentals increase risk in the harbor due to inexperience and congestion.

Ehrlich responds

Following the commission’s recommendation, Tim Ehrlich addressed the town council on Nov. 20, reading a letter defending his family and criticizing what he described as misinformation and bias.

He rejected claims that the property is primarily commercial, stating the family uses the home during August, holidays and school vacations. He said their four children’s ages limit how much time they can spend there.

Ehrlich said the family is active in the community and holds memberships in several local clubs. He denied engaging in real estate development, despite his wife’s work in construction.

“Our rental activity is limited — approximately 44 days annually,” he said, adding that this is less than some neighboring properties.

He also disputed claims that the dock would be used by renters or boats, saying it would only accommodate kayaks or small rowboats.

Ehrlich responded directly to allegations of parties at the property, stating that rentals prohibit gatherings and citing an instance in which an abutter hosted large events on the Ehrlichs’ property without permission.

He also accused Thayer and others of holding a personal grievance after being asked not to cross the family’s lawn.

“We had assumed Little Compton to be a welcoming community,” Ehrlich said. “What we have experienced is sadly the opposite.”

The town council voted unanimously to forward all letters of opposition and the harbor commission’s recommendation to the CRMC, which will review the application at a future meeting.