Seaport Advisory

A 1930 Cape Cod on Quaker Lane — For Sale in Quaker Hill, CT

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:13:00 -0400

Quaker Hill · Waterford, Connecticut A 1930 Cape Cod on Quaker Lane Nearly a century of good bones, quiet streets, and Southeastern Connecticut’s shoreline just down the road — 16 Quaker Lane is offered for sale. Brokers’ Open House Saturday, September 5 • 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM 16 Quaker Lane, Quaker Hill (Waterford), CT 06375 16 Quaker Lane, Quaker Hill Some houses announce themselves; a Cape Cod settles in. Built in 1930, 16 Quaker Lane belongs to the generation of New England homes that were made to be lived in first and admired second — a steep roof to shed the winter, a compact footprint that heats sensibly, and rooms arranged around the practical rhythms of daily life. Nearly a hundred years on, that logic still holds. The home sits in Quaker Hill, the village at Waterford’s northern edge where the Thames River begins to widen toward New London Harbor. It is the kind of setting that rewards both directions of travel: a few minutes south lie Waterford’s beaches, Harkness Memorial State Park, and the shops and restaurants of downtown New London; a few minutes north, the road opens toward Norwich and the quiet of the river towns. The Character of the House Inside, the first level follows the classic Cape arrangement — living spaces gathered around the center of the house, with an easy flow from room to room. Upstairs, the second level tucks its bedrooms beneath the roofline in the way that gives these homes their particular coziness. The covered porch extends the living space outdoors in the warmer months, and the yard offers room to garden, play, or simply sit. The covered porch A home of this vintage is a stewardship, and this one has been kept up with care. A full accounting of improvements, systems, and utilities — along with floor plans of both levels and the parcel map — is set out in the property packet below, so buyers can study the house on paper before they walk it in person. At a Glance Style Cape Cod Year built 1930 Village Quaker Hill Town Waterford, CT 06375 Levels Two Outdoor living Covered porch Waterford, Briefly Waterford wraps around the western shore of the Thames and the Long Island Sound coastline, which means water is never far from the daily routine here. Residents divide their summers among town beaches, the gardens and great lawn at Harkness, and evenings at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, where new American plays are staged a short drive from this front door. Commuters reach New London’s train station and the ferry terminals in minutes, with I-95 and Route 32 close at hand. The Complete Property Packet Read the Full Story of 16 Quaker Lane Floor plans, parcel map, property details, improvements, utilities, and disclosures — presented as a page-turning digital booklet. Open the Property Packet Quaker Hill, at Waterford’s northern edge along the Thames Seeing the Home A brokers’ open house will be hosted this Saturday, September 5, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM — agents are warmly invited to preview the home. Private showings are also available by appointment. Begin with the packet, note the questions it raises, and bring them along — houses like this one are best understood room by room, on foot. Information is deemed to be reliable but not guaranteed

Seaport Community Calendar Issue 15: Into the Harvest — Fairs, Fleets & the First Weekends of Fall

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 05:52:00 -0400

Seaport Community Calendar · Issue 15 Into the Harvest: Fairs, Fleets & the First Weekends of Fall September is the shoreline's second season. The beaches are quieter, the harbors are busier, and the calendar turns from summer concerts to country fairs, boat shows, harvest festivals and a few genuinely new traditions — including a drone show over the Thames River. This issue runs from Labor Day weekend through the first weekend of October, from New London and Mystic to the Connecticut River Valley, across South County, and onto Aquidneck Island. Four Counties · One Coastal Community Where the Calendar Takes Us This Issue The Community Calendar covers New London County and Middlesex County in Connecticut, along with Washington County and Newport County in Rhode Island — a connected region of waterfronts, villages, downtowns, farms, beaches, theaters, parks and gathering places. ⚓ New London County New London, Groton, Mystic, Stonington, Waterford, Norwich, Lebanon and the communities of Southeastern Connecticut. ✦ Middlesex County Essex, Ivoryton, Old Saybrook, East Haddam, Haddam Neck, Durham, Portland and the lower Connecticut River Valley. ☼ Washington County Westerly, Charlestown, Narragansett, South Kingstown, Wickford and the Rhode Island shoreline. ◈ Newport County Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Jamestown, Tiverton and the coastal traditions of Aquidneck Island. Top Seaport Picks Five Weekends Worth Planning Around There is a lot happening between now and Columbus Day. These five stand out for their setting, their tradition, and their ability to turn a September weekend into a memorable one. Pick 01 Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival September 12–13 · New London Vessel tours, the Burning of Benedict Arnold, a military skills challenge and Eastern Connecticut's first drone light show over the Thames River. Pick 02 Durham Fair September 24–27 · Durham Connecticut's largest agricultural fair, now in its 106th year, with a midway, livestock, thousands of exhibits and main-stage music. Pick 03 Wickford Harbor Fire September 18 · Wickford Village Floating fire pits on the harbor, live music around the village, food trucks and shops open late — free, and celebrating its tenth year. Pick 04 Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week October 1–4 · Newport Four days of rare automobiles, seminars and gatherings, ending with the Concours d'Elegance at Fort Adams and a new Supercar Concours. Pick 05 Harvest Fair at Norman Bird Sanctuary October 3–4 · Middletown, RI A 52-year Aquidneck Island tradition: hayrides, the mud pit, artisan vendors, local food and music on 300 acres of sanctuary land. Community Spotlight · Submitted by a Reader I AM THE PROBLEM Edward A. Burke · Solo Exhibition · Three Rivers Gallery, Norwich Exhibition: August 27 through October 2, 2026 Artist Reception: Thursday, September 3, 5:00–6:30 p.m. Gallery Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Location: CT State Community College – Three Rivers, 574 New London Turnpike, Norwich, CT Curated by: Sandra Jeknavorian, Gallery Director and Professor of Art Through thirteen paintings and drawings, Norwich-area artist Edward A. Burke looks at climate change, plastic pollution, coral reefs, pollinators and the everyday choices that shape them — a murmuration of starlings that eclipses the sun, a coffee-pod forest, a honey bee beneath a cascade of discarded plastic. “The title of this exhibition is not an accusation. It is an invitation.” View the Exhibition Catalog New London County, Connecticut U.S. Coast Guard Band at Avery Point September 7 · 5 p.m. · Groton Date: Monday, September 7, 2026 (Labor Day) Location: Branford House Lawn, UConn Avery Point, Groton, CT Admission: Free Best For: Picnics, families and the last summer sunset on the Sound The full Coast Guard Band closes out the summer outdoors on the Branford House lawn. Bring chairs, a blanket and dinner, and let Labor Day end with a brass section and a water view. Official Event Link Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival September 12–13 · New London Dates: Saturday and Sunday, September 12–13, 2026 Venues: Fort Trumbull State Park and Waterfront Park, New London, CT Saturday Night: Burning of Benedict Arnold march on Bank Street at 7:30 p.m.; 300-drone light show over the Thames at about 8:30 p.m. Getting Around: Free water taxi and shuttle bus between venues Features: Military and private vessel tours, Coast Guard demonstrations, Sunday military skills challenge, kids' zone, live music New London's signature maritime weekend adds something the region has never seen: a drone show over the river, visible from downtown. Park once, ride the water taxi between Fort Trumbull and the waterfront, and stay for the evening. Official Festival Website Festival Schedule Groton City Brew Run September 12 · Groton Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Area: City of Groton, CT After the Run: Brew festival, food trucks and community activities Benefit: Riverfront Children's Center The Greater Mystic Chamber and Groton Utilities bring back the Brew Run — an active morning followed by local beer and food trucks, all for a good cause. Pair it with the Maritime Festival across the river for a full Saturday. Event Information Mystic Garlic Festival September 19–20 · Olde Mistick Village Dates: Saturday and Sunday, September 19–20, 2026 Location: Olde Mistick Village, 27 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT Features: Garlic growers and farms, bakers, food vendors, crafters, artisans and live music Best For: Food lovers, families and an easy Mystic afternoon Now in its 19th year, the Garlic Festival fills the village with growers, food vendors and makers. It is one of the few festivals where the shopping bag smells as good as the lunch. Official Event Link Mystic Film Festival September 24–27 · Mystic & Westerly Dates: Thursday through Sunday, September 24–27, 2026 Venues: Mystic Luxury Cinemas at Olde Mistick Village and venues in Westerly, RI Features: Independent features, shorts and documentaries, filmmaker Q&As and workshops Opening Night: Films by local filmmakers The ninth annual festival brings independent film to both sides of the state line, with opening night devoted to work made right here. Tickets and passes are on sale now. Official Festival Website The Garde Turns 100 October 3 · 6 p.m. · New London Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Location: Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street, New London, CT The Evening: An immersive recreation of the theater's 1926 grand opening — newsreels, silent pictures, antique cars, a red carpet, klieg lights on State Street and a speakeasy lounge Also This Fall: Illusionist Leon Etienne (Sept. 26), Randy Travis (Oct. 1) New London's movie palace celebrates its centennial by turning back the clock to opening night. Period costumes are encouraged, and Upper State Street becomes part of the show. Centennial Details & Tickets Connecticut Renaissance Faire Weekends Through October 25 · Lebanon Dates: Saturdays and Sundays through October 25, plus Labor Day and Columbus Day Mondays Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Location: Lebanon Country Fairgrounds, 122 Mack Road, Lebanon, CT Admission: $18 general, $10 youth (7–15), children 6 and under free Themed Weekends: Dragons & Adventure (Labor Day), Roses & Romance, Shirefolk, Faerie Ring Revels, Pirate & Viking Invasion and more Full-contact jousting, more than 200 artisan shops and a different theme every weekend across nine weekends. Free Kids Day on September 5 admits youth 7–15 free with a paid adult. Official Faire Website Middlesex County, Connecticut Haddam Neck Fair September 4–7 · Haddam Neck Dates: Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7, 2026 Admission: General admission listed at $15; kids under 12 free Parking: Free Best For: Families, livestock, rides, food and Labor Day tradition The Connecticut River Valley's Labor Day fair opens this issue's fair season: agricultural exhibits, animals, entertainment, midway rides and the unmistakable atmosphere of a classic country fair. Official Fair Website Connecticut Audubon Tree Swallow Cruises Sept. 5, 13 & 20 · Essex Remaining Dates: September 5, 13 and 20 Departure Windows: Approximately 3:30–5:00 p.m., depending on date Length: Approximately 3.5 hours Departure: Essex Steam Train & Riverboat area, Essex, CT Best For: Nature, photography, birds and river sunsets Three chances remain to watch hundreds of thousands of tree swallows gather over the lower Connecticut River at sunset before funneling into their roost — one of the great seasonal spectacles in New England. Cruise Information September at The Kate September 4–25 · Old Saybrook September 4: Reverend Horton Heat, 8:00 p.m. September 5: D.A. Foster & the Shaboo All Stars, 8:00 p.m. September 13: Mike DelGuidice of Billy Joel's band, 7:00 p.m. September 19: The Linda Ronstadt Experience, 3:00 p.m. September 25: 40 Fingers, 8:00 p.m. Location: The Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT Old Saybrook's 284-seat theater keeps a full September calendar, from rockabilly to a night with Billy Joel's longtime touring vocalist. Arrive early and visit the Katharine Hepburn Museum off the lobby. Full Calendar & Tickets The Snow Goose — World Premiere Through October 18 · East Haddam Run: Now playing through October 18, 2026 Location: The Goodspeed, 6 Main Street, East Haddam, CT Based On: Paul Gallico's novel Best For: Theatre, new works and Connecticut River weekends Goodspeed's world-premiere musical settles into its run this month. A brand-new production in one of Connecticut's most historic theaters is a strong anchor for a fall day in East Haddam. Show Details & Tickets Durham Fair September 24–27 · Durham Dates: Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27, 2026 Hours: Thursday 4–10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Admission: Thursday $10 for all; Friday–Sunday $20 adults, $10 seniors, children 11 and under free Location: Durham Fairgrounds, Routes 17 & 68, Durham, CT Features: Midway, livestock competitions, thousands of exhibits and national country acts on the main stage at no extra charge The 106th Durham Fair is the largest agricultural fair in Connecticut and a full weekend in itself. Discounted advance tickets are sold online through midnight on September 24. Official Fair Website Schedule Tickets Ivoryton Playhouse: Closing One, Opening Another Through Sept. 6 & From Oct. 1 · Ivoryton Come From Away: Final performances through Sunday, September 6 The AfterParty: Annual fundraiser, Saturday, September 19 from 5:00 p.m. A Piece of My Heart: October 1–25, the true stories of six women who served in Vietnam Location: Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT The Playhouse's America 250 season turns a corner this month: the last week of Come From Away, a September fundraiser, and an October opening that honors the 250th anniversary of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Season & Tickets Portland Agricultural Fair October 2–4 · Portland Dates: Friday, October 2 (gates at 3 p.m.) through Sunday, October 4, 2026 Location: 1401 Main Street, Portland, CT Features: Livestock shows, truck and tractor pulls on one of New England's longest pull tracks, petting zoo, pony rides, aerobatic acts, rides and an entertainment tent Best For: Families and the last major fair of the Connecticut season Portland closes the state's fair calendar with a bigger home and a Sunday mud bog. If you missed Durham, this is the encore. Official Fair Website Washington County, Rhode Island Schedule Change: Misquamicut FallFest, normally held in mid-September at Misquamicut State Beach, has been canceled for 2026 after the festival's longtime amusement provider withdrew over staffing. The Misquamicut Business Association says it expects to return in 2027. Rhythm & Roots Festival September 4–6 · Ninigret Park Dates: Friday, September 4 through Sunday, September 6, 2026 Location: Ninigret Park, Charlestown, RI Friday: Festival begins at noon; music begins at 1:00 p.m. Features: Cajun, zydeco, blues, bluegrass and Americana on three stages, dancing, food and camping South County's big Labor Day sendoff. Ninigret Park becomes a three-day music community, and the dance tent is where the weekend actually happens. Official Festival Website Artist Lineup General Stanton Jazz Fest September 13 · 2–7 p.m. · Charlestown Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026 Time: 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. Location: General Stanton Inn, 4115 Old Post Road, Charlestown, RI Lineup: Dan Moretti & The Hammond Boys, Evening Sky, Joe & Paula Trio Tip: Bring a lawn chair The second annual Jazz Fest follows August's blues festival on the same historic grounds — an easy Sunday afternoon of live jazz, food and lawn chairs. Tickets & Details Surftown Half Marathon, Relay & 5K September 13 · Westerly & Misquamicut Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026 Half Marathon Start: 7:30 a.m. 5K Start: 7:40 a.m. Start/Finish Area: Misquamicut / Wuskenau Town Beach area Course: Watch Hill, Weekapaug and the Westerly coastline One of southern New England's most scenic road races runs the length of the Westerly shoreline before finishing back at the beach. Race Information Wickford Harbor Fire — 10th Anniversary Season September 18 · 5:30–9 p.m. · Wickford Date: Friday, September 18, 2026 (final fire of the season October 16) Time: 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. Location: Brown and Main Streets, Wickford Village, North Kingstown, RI Admission: Free Features: Floating fire pits on the harbor, live music around the village, food trucks, free face painting and petting zoo, shops open late Ten years in, Harbor Fire has become one of the shoreline's best free nights out. Stroll the village, follow the music from block to block, and watch the fires glow on the water. Event Information Fayerweather Fall Festival & Outdoor Craft Market September 19 · Kingston Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026 Location: Fayerweather Craft Guild, 1895 Mooresfield Road, Kingston, South Kingstown, RI Apple Crisp: With ice cream and a beverage for $5, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Best For: Local craft vendors, a small-town Saturday and the first apple crisp of the season A modest, well-loved South Kingstown tradition on the grounds of the historic Fayerweather House — the kind of event that marks the season more than any calendar does. Event Details General Stanton Sunday Market Sundays Through September 20 · Charlestown Schedule: Sundays through September 20, 2026 Location: General Stanton Inn, Charlestown, RI Best For: Local makers, small businesses and a slow Sunday Three Sundays remain in the season for the market at the General Stanton Inn. Browse locally, then stay for lunch. Market Information Newport County, Rhode Island Newport International Polo: The Final Month Saturdays Through September 26 · Portsmouth September 5: USA vs. England September 12: American Polo Classic September 19: USA vs. Switzerland September 26: Season Finals Start Time: 4:00 p.m. in September Location: Newport Polo Grounds, 250 Linden Lane, Portsmouth, RI The 150th-anniversary season closes with four Saturdays of international matches, tailgating and divot stomping. Schedules can shift, so confirm the match before you pack the picnic. Official Polo Website Tickets IYRS Newport Classic Yacht Regatta September 5–6 · Newport Dates: Saturday and Sunday, September 5–6, 2026 Host: IYRS School of Technology & Trades, Thames Street, Newport, RI Features: Ocean racing, a parade of classic boats and an awards ceremony Best For: Wooden-boat lovers and anyone with a spot on the harbor The 47th edition of Newport's classic-yacht weekend fills the harbor with varnish and canvas. Watch the parade from the waterfront and the racing from Fort Adams. Regatta Details Newport International Boat Show September 17–20 · Downtown Newport Dates: Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20, 2026 Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday Location: Newport Yachting Center and the downtown waterfront Parking Tip: Easton's Beach with a shuttle, or the Jamestown–Newport ferry with free Jamestown parking Seventeen acres of boats, gear and seminars turn the harbor into one of New England's largest marine marketplaces. It runs rain or shine. Official Boat Show Website 12 Metre North American Championship September 18–20 · Narragansett Bay Dates: Friday through Sunday, September 18–20, 2026 Where to Watch: Fort Adams, Castle Hill, Bannister's Wharf and Goat Island Cost: Free from shore Best For: Sailing history, photography and a reason to walk the harbor during Boat Show weekend The historic 12 Metre yachts of America's Cup legacy race in Traditional and Classic divisions on the bay. Castle Hill offers the elevated view; Fort Adams puts you closest to the marks. Championship Details Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival September 18–20 · Rosecliff, Newport Dates: Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20, 2026 Primary Location: Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI Features: Tastings, expert-led seminars, a celebration of local chefs and a Sunday jazz brunch Best For: Food, wine and a Gilded Age weekend The 21st annual festival brings chefs, winemakers and spirits to Bellevue Avenue's most theatrical setting. It shares the weekend with the Boat Show and the 12 Metre racing — book lodging early. Festival Information Cider Fest at Newport Vineyards September 20 · 12–5 p.m. · Middletown Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026 Time: 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. Location: Newport Vineyards, 909 East Main Road, Middletown, RI Features: House-made ciders, seasonal food, live music and family activities More than 30 years running, Cider Fest is the island's low-key answer to Wine & Food weekend: in-house ciders, music on the lawn and something for the kids to do. Event Details Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week October 1–4 · Newport Dates: Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4, 2026 Concours d'Elegance: Sunday, October 4, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. at Fort Adams State Park New in 2026: A Supercar & Hypercar Concours on Saturday, October 3, and a 50-mile Supercar Drive on Thursday Also: The Gathering at Rough Point, seminars with Jay Leno, the Concours Village at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Getting There: Complimentary trolley loops and ferry service to Fort Adams from Jamestown and Newport Named Motoring Event of the Year at the International Historic Motoring Awards, the seventh Motor Week adds a second concours for the first time. Ticketing varies by event. Official Motor Week Website Week at a Glance 52nd Annual Harvest Fair October 3–4 · Middletown, RI Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 3–4, 2026 Location: Norman Bird Sanctuary, 583 Third Beach Road, Middletown, RI Admission: $14 general; $10 ages 3–18; free under 3 Early Bird: Discounted tickets with expedited entry through September 15 Features: Hayrides, the mud pit, Mabel's barrel train, midway games, more than 40 food and craft vendors, live music Since 1974, the Harvest Fair has defined the season on Aquidneck Island. More than 10,000 people come through in a weekend; the early-bird tickets are worth grabbing before mid-September. Official Fair Website Beavertail Lighthouse Tower Climb Days Select Dates Sept. 7 – Oct. 12 · Jamestown Season: Select dates between September 7 and October 12, 2026 Hours: 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. Location: Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, Beavertail Road, Jamestown, RI Best For: Families, photographers and a windy view of Narragansett Bay's mouth The tower opens for climbs on select afternoons this fall. Check the museum's schedule for exact dates, then stay for the tide pools and the sunset at Beavertail State Park. Climb Day Schedule Looking Ahead Mark the Calendar for Mid-October Chowder Days at Mystic Seaport Museum — traditionally Columbus Day weekend; watch for the Museum's 2026 announcement. Wickford Harbor Fire — the season's final fire, Friday, October 16. Bowen's Wharf Seafood Festival — October 17–18, downtown Newport, free admission. Mystic Apple Festival — October 17–18, Olde Mistick Village. The Snow Goose closes at Goodspeed October 18; the Connecticut Renaissance Faire runs weekends through October 25. The Season Turns Slowly Here On the shoreline, fall does not arrive in a day. It shows up as a drone show over a harbor, a Ferris wheel in a hayfield, a floating fire on a village pond and the first apple crisp at a craft guild. The best way to experience this region in September is the way locals do: one weekend at a time, close to home, with the car windows down. Have an Event? This issue's Community Spotlight came to us through this address. We would love to know what is happening in your town, venue, gallery, nonprofit or organization. Submit events to info@seaportre.com Event dates, times, locations, admission prices, schedules and ticket availability can change. Outdoor events may also be affected by weather. Please use the official event links above to confirm the latest information directly with the organizer before attending. Local Roots. Strong Communities. Brighter Together. At Seaport Real Estate Services, our work brings us through the neighborhoods, downtowns, waterfronts, back roads, business districts, farms, marinas and village centers that make this region special. The Community Calendar is one small way we can highlight the people, places and events that keep our coastal communities connected.

The Multifamily Brief: Submarines, Statutes & a Thousand New Doors — CT & RI's 2026 Apartment Market

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:01:00 -0400

Town Meeting Minute · Special Edition · August 2026 The Multifamily Brief: Submarines, Statutes & a Thousand New Doors Everything moving the multifamily market in New London, Middlesex, Washington, and Newport Counties — the demand engine, the capital, the pipeline, and the two statehouses rewriting the rules. There are markets where multifamily is a spreadsheet exercise. Southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island are not one of them. Here, the story writes itself in steel: one employer planning 8,000 hires in a single year, a $76.6 billion Navy award, and a housing stock that was never built to absorb it. Layer on the most consequential rewrite of land-use law either state has seen in a generation, and you get the rare moment when demand, capital, and regulation are all pulling the same direction. This special edition maps all of it. At Periscope Depth — The 60-Second Read Demand: Electric Boat plans roughly 8,000 hires in 2026 alone — about 3,500 at Quonset Point, 2,500 tradespeople in Groton — on the back of the largest contract award in its 127-year history. Capital: Institutional buyers have arrived inside our footprint: a $121M, 693-unit portfolio trade included 305 units in Groton and Norwich, and a 136-unit New London portfolio moved for $17.3M. Supply: More than 1,000 new units are delivered, approved, or pending in Groton and Stonington alone — and it still isn’t enough. Over 82 of Groton’s workforce commutes in. Rules: Connecticut’s HB 8002 and Rhode Island’s 2025 housing package both took effect January 1, 2026 — parking minimums slashed, conversions unlocked, and a June 2028 planning deadline with real teeth. The Demand Engine: 8,000 Hires and a $76.6B Anchor Every rent roll in this region ultimately traces back to the Thames River. General Dynamics Electric Boat — already employing more than 27,000 people — plans to hire roughly 8,000 workers in 2026, more than double its 2025 pace. The internal breakdown: about 3,500 at Quonset Point in North Kingstown, RI; roughly 2,500 tradespeople in Groton; about 1,000 in engineering and design; and another 1,000 across other functions. EB’s own talent leadership calls this the strongest hiring demand in more than two decades — and describes it as a peak that will continue for several years. EB’s 2026 hiring plan by location and function, alongside the July 2026 Navy award — the largest in company history. The fuel behind it: a $76.6 billion Navy award announced July 29, 2026 — $42.1B for nine Block VI Virginia-class attack submarines, $29.5B for five Build II Columbia-class boats, and roughly $5B earmarked for workforce and industrial-base investment. This is not a cyclical bump. It is a multi-decade production program with congressional backing. Now the friction: Groton hosts 27,000+ jobs, yet more than 82 of its workforce commutes in because there is nowhere to live. The town’s population has been essentially flat while household sizes shrink — meaning unit demand rises even without population growth. Meanwhile, New London’s average asking rent actually fell 2.28 year-over-year to $1,656 in early 2026 even as hiring accelerated — a dislocation between the demand story and current pricing that patient investors should be underwriting closely. New construction tells the other half of the story: Harbor Heights in Mystic asks $2,180–$4,375, Stonington Village in Pawcatuck $2,200–$4,100, and Triton Square in Groton from about $1,975. Capital Watch: The Institutions Have Found the Chart For years, southeastern Connecticut multifamily traded mostly among local and regional owners. That era is ending. The clearest signal came in June 2025, when a $121 million, four-property, 693-unit portfolio changed hands — and 305 of those units sit squarely in our footprint: Peppertree in Groton (205 units, built 1975) and Huntington Ridge in Norwich (100 units, built 2004). The buyer, a national workforce-housing operator with a track record of 165,000+ units, immediately folded Peppertree into its renovation platform. The thesis, in the buyer’s own framing: well-located Class B assets in Connecticut’s most resilient submarkets, bought for high occupancy and steady rent growth. Central & Southeast CT Portfolio incl. Peppertree (Groton) & Huntington Ridge (Norwich) Units 693 (305 local) Price $121.0M Per Unit ~$174,600 blended Read National capital buying the EB thesis directly New London 3-Property Portfolio Courtview Square, Harbortree, Bristol Apartments Units 136 Price $17.3M Per Unit ~$127,200 Read Out-of-state seller to regional owner-operator Millyard at Meadow Commons Newington (benchmark comp) Units 269 Price $78.15M Per Unit ~$290,500 Read What new construction commands in central CT Norwich Duplex Portfolio Five buildings, May 2025 Units 10 Price Undisclosed Read Small-portfolio market remains liquid Per-unit figures are blended estimates; individual asset allocations and cap rates were not publicly disclosed. The Spread Worth Watching New construction in central Connecticut is trading near $290K per unit. Class B product in the EB commute shed traded near $175K blended. Stabilized small portfolios in Norwich are marketing at roughly 11 in-place returns — one 19-unit offering advertises ~21 ROI at full market rents. That spread is the whole opportunity, in one sentence. The Pipeline: A Thousand Doors and Counting Groton and Stonington are carrying the region’s supply response almost single-handedly — and even so, the math falls short of 8,000 hires a year. Here is the board as it stands: Groton · Approved Columbia Crossing — 395 units Five 5-story buildings on 18 acres above Gold Star Highway. The largest single approval in the region’s modern pipeline. Groton · Completed 2025 Triton Square — 304 units Studio through 2BR on the former Seely School site; first occupancy spring 2025, rents from ~$1,975. Mystic / Stonington · Expanding Harbor Heights — ~250 + 44 Beacon and Enclave phases nearly full; a 44-unit luxury townhome final phase cleared wetlands with completion targeted fall 2027. Marketed openly toward senior EB engineers and downsizers. Pawcatuck · Built 2026 Stonington Village — ~124–160 units Mixed-use with ~10,000 SF of retail near the Westerly Amtrak station; ~25 middle-income units count toward the town’s 10 affordability goal. Groton · Proposed Ledges Phase II — 195 units 375 Drozdyk Drive. On the town’s development ledger but no building permits yet — a name to watch, not to count. Washington & Newport Counties, RI The Rhode Island Board Lofts on Fairgrounds (275 units, South Kingstown, conceptual master plan); Southpoint Commons (72 units, Westerly, under construction, 57 affordable); Rosebrook Commons (144 units, Middletown); Polo Center (60 units, Middletown). Narragansett, meanwhile, moved the other way — restricting multifamily in its high-density zones. The counterpoint deserves its own line: roughly 600+ new units will land between 2026 and 2028 in the Groton–Stonington corridor alone. Lease-up assumptions on new product should be staggered accordingly — the demand story is real, but so is the delivery calendar. Policy Watch: Two Statehouses, One Direction Connecticut and Rhode Island rewrote their multifamily rulebooks within weeks of each other. Connecticut: HB 8002 has teeth Signed November 26, 2025 after the veto-and-special-session saga, “An Act Concerning Housing Growth” is the most consequential CT land-use law in decades. The mechanics that matter for multifamily: every town must adopt a housing growth plan — its own, or a regional plan through its Council of Governments — and both SCCOG and RiverCOG towns face a June 2028 submission deadline. Miss it, and a town loses eligibility for the 8-30g affordable-housing appeals moratorium. That is real leverage: the moratorium threshold also drops from 2 to 1.75 of housing stock, and new “priority housing development zones” offer as-of-right construction paths. Beyond planning: parking minimums are eliminated for developments under 16 units statewide (the old local opt-out is gone), middle housing of 2–9 units gets a summary process in commercial and mixed-use zones, commercial-to-residential conversions are expressly enabled, and fair rent commissions now reach every town over 15,000 residents — which in our footprint pulls in Groton, New London, Norwich, Stonington, East Lyme, Waterford, and Middletown. Algorithmic rent-setting software is banned outright. Infrastructure grant money through OPM is tied to plan compliance — carrot and stick in the same statute. Rhode Island: the 2025 package landed, the 2026 sequel stalled Rhode Island’s 2025 six-bill package took effect January 1, 2026, and it changes the map in Washington and Newport Counties: municipalities must provide village or mixed-use zoning allowing residential use in commercial districts; where public water and sewer exist inside the urban-services boundary, zoning must allow density beyond single-family by right; townhomes are legalized wherever equivalent density is already permitted; and e-permitting expands to DEM, CRMC, and DOT by October 2026. The 2026 follow-on was a different story. With Speaker Shekarchi’s departure, most of the nine-bill package stalled — including the single-staircase reform (up to 4 floors / 16 units) that would have transformed small-lot infill math, and the tax cap on new affordable-inclusive rentals. Parking maximums near transit and Zoning Enabling Act cleanups did pass. Advocates plan a 2027 reintroduction; small-scale developers should treat single-stair as a live watch item, not a dead letter. The Opportunity Radar Where does all of this leave an investor or developer looking at the next 24 months? Five plays stand out: B+ Class B value-add in the EB commute shed — Groton, New London, Norwich, Waterford 11 In-place returns on stabilized Norwich small portfolios <16 Units at which CT parking minimums now vanish — small infill just got easier One: Class B value-add in the commute shed — the $121M portfolio trade validated the thesis at institutional scale, and 1970s-era stock with loss-to-lease sits directly in the hiring path. Two: small stabilized portfolios in Norwich at double-digit in-place yields, still accessible to private capital. Three: commercial-to-residential conversion, now expressly enabled in both states — Groton’s hotel conversions already prove the model locally. Four: sub-16-unit infill, where the parking-minimum repeal materially changes per-unit land efficiency in downtown New London and Norwich. Five: the entitlement window — filing before towns adopt their (potentially restrictive) housing growth plans ahead of June 2028, and using 8-30g and RI comprehensive permits in low-affordability suburbs where the leverage is strongest. From the Seaport Desk Two Ways Into This Market, Right Now Crystal Lake Apartments — a fully approved 92-unit development, Groton Everything this issue describes about approval scarcity is exactly why Crystal Lake matters. Located at 0 Crystal Lake Road in Groton, the project received Special Permit and Site Plan approval from the Groton Planning & Zoning Commission on August 12, 2025: 92 units (64 studios, 28 one-bedrooms) across two 3-story buildings on roughly 8.4 acres, with a clubhouse, 99 parking spaces, EV infrastructure, recreation areas, and a multi-use trail connection. In a market where entitlement is the scarcest input, this is a defined project — approvals, elevations, floor plans, and unit mix in hand — sized precisely for the workforce renter the region is short on. Explore Crystal Lake The Tides — leasing now at 135 Gold Star Highway, Groton The commercial-to-residential conversion play isn’t theoretical here — it’s leasing. The former Days Inn at 135 Gold Star Highway has been reborn as The Tides, a 60-unit apartment community placed squarely in the EB commute path. Andrew O’Reilly of Seaport Real Estate Services is handling leasing — reach out for availability, floor plans, and pricing. View The Tides Disclosure: Seaport Real Estate Services represents the Crystal Lake Apartments development opportunity and handles leasing for The Tides. Consistent with our editorial standards, coverage of these properties in this publication is limited to publicly available records and marketing materials, and neither property receives a Seaport Impact Rating. The Last Word Markets rarely hand you a demand driver this legible. A submarine program funded for decades, a workforce doubling its hiring pace, two legislatures dismantling the frictions that kept supply scarce — and a pricing environment where the existing stock hasn’t yet repriced to the story. The gap between what this region will need and what is currently approved is measured in thousands of doors. The investors who do the town-by-town homework now — before the housing growth plans are written and before the next delivery wave leases up — will be the ones the next issue of this newsletter writes about. Disclosure: Seaport Real Estate Services may represent buyers, sellers, or owners of properties affected by matters discussed in this publication. All figures are drawn from public records, published reports, and marketing materials as of August 2026 and are subject to change; per-unit prices on portfolio transactions are blended estimates. Nothing in this publication constitutes investment, legal, or tax advice. Interested parties should conduct independent due diligence.

The Working Waterfront Series 3

ginopenasa@seaportre.com (Gino Penasa) — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:12:00 -0400

Working Waterfront Report — Marina Operations & Management The Hidden Revenue Streams Most Marina Operators Are Missing Most marina owners can recite their slip rates from memory. Fewer can tell you, without pulling out a calculator, what percentage of their gross revenue comes from anything other than slips and fuel. That gap is where a lot of value quietly leaks out of an otherwise well-run marina. Slip fees and fuel margins are the visible economics of a marina, and the numbers everyone benchmarks against. But in property after property, the ancillary lines are where the real upside sits. They’re also the lines most operators under-manage simply because they’re not the first thing anyone looks at. Here’s where that upside tends to hide. Storage Look beyond “winter” storage trailers, kayaks, gear, off-site Additional Services Detailing, winterize, shrink wrap, haul out & delivery Service & Repair In-house or contracted space for outside vendors Ship Store / Retail Gear, safety equip, provisions, grab & go items Food & Beverage Drives transient boat & foot traffic, creates vibe & culture Events & Charters Seasonal, high margin, great for name recognition Most operators run two or three of these well, but leave significant income on the table by not executing others well, or not at all. Dry Storage and Rack Storage Wet slips get the attention, but dry storage is a cost effective additional source of revenue. Whether it’s a forklift-served rack system, simple dry land trailer/boat storage on a back lot, delivering boats to client’s homes or waterfront kayak storage racks often carry better margins per square foot than wet slips. Storage requires less capital-intensive infrastructure (no dredging, no floating dock replacement cycle) and can be priced on a seasonal or annual basis with minimal ongoing labor. Another opportunity may exist if your dry storage is priced the same way it was five years ago, or worse, priced as an afterthought to fill space. It’s a revenue stream worth revisiting on its own terms, not just as overflow for the wet side. Service, Winterization, and Haul-Out Related Revenue Every marina in a seasonal climate has haul-out and winterization revenue available, but not every marina captures it. Winterization, detailing, shrink-wrapping and service work are happening to most boats during fall & winter. If you don't offer these services. revenue is leaving your property and your pocket. A modest in-house service operation, offering shrink-wrapping, detailing services or investing in a hydraulic trailer can convert money currently going to other businesses into a real profit center. Leases, Access Fees and Concessions These are along the lines of the previous category, revenue that can stay on your property. Fuel delivery services, a dockside restaurant or snack bar, a kayak/paddleboard rental concession, a fishing charter operator based out of your facility, shrink wrapping and detailing services are all potential lease or revenue-share arrangements that many owner-operators either run at cost, or don’t pursue at all because managing a tenant relationship feels like a distraction from the core marina business. Structured correctly, these are almost completely passive income sources once the lease or access agreement is in place. They are also services that many of your customers want and make your marina a desirable place to park a boat. Ship’s Store and Retail The on-site store is easy to treat as a convenience for tenants rather than a business line. But a well-curated ship’s store that includes fuel additives, safety gear, bait, ice, apparel and grab & go items captures dollars that would otherwise go to a marine supply store ten minutes away. It doesn’t need to be large to be worthwhile; it needs to be stocked with what your specific customer base actually buys (or forgets at home) and priced like a business rather than an amenity. Transient Dockage and Event Rental Permanent slip holders are the backbone of marinas, but transient dockage paying day rates, weekend rates, or event-driven demand is where pricing power exists. Unlike annual slip rates, which are often sticky due to long-term tenant relationships, transient rates can flex with demand, local events, and seasonality. Marinas near a waterfront restaurant, brewery, or event venue are often sitting on dockside rental or event-hosting revenue they’ve never formally packaged and marketed. Membership, Loyalty, and Ancillary Fees Pump-out fees, guest passes, trailer parking, kayak or launch storage racks, bike rentals — individually small, collectively meaningful, and almost always underpriced relative to what tenants would readily pay for convenience. A membership or tiered-amenity structure (basic slip vs. slip-plus-amenities) can also increase average revenue per tenant without raising the headline slip rate, which matters when slip rates themselves are politically sensitive with a long-tenured customer base. Additionally, packaging multiple services can give you consistent revenue in shoulder and off seasons that can justify the hiring that is often needed to provide the amenities. Why This Matters at the Deal Table For an owner planning to hold, these are revenue and margin opportunities. For an owner planning to sell, they’re something more specific: they’re the difference between a marina valued purely on current NOI and one valued on demonstrated upside. Buyers and appraisers respond to documented, defensible revenue diversification not hypothetical upside described in a listing narrative. A marina that can show three or four ancillary lines with real historicals, even modest ones, tells a very different story in underwriting than one that’s 90 dependent on slip fees and fuel. The operators who capture this value aren’t necessarily running bigger facilities, they’re capturing a more complete range of the money exchange already happening on their property, and pricing and packaging it deliberately instead of letting it run on autopilot or line someone else’s pocket. If you want the fundamentals behind why marinas hold value the way they do in the first place, see some of my previous articles What Makes a Marina a Strong Commercial Investment in 2026? and What Is a Working Waterfront? Want a second opinion on your marina’s revenue mix? EMAIL GINO or give him a call at (860) 984-5101 to discuss what's happening in the market. Next in the series: “Navigating Coastal Permits: What Buyers and Developers Need to Know”

own Meeting Minute Issue 14: Decision Season — The Verdicts Are Starting to Land

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 05:56:00 -0400

Town Meeting Minute • Issue 14 Decision Season: The Verdicts Are Starting to Land For months we have tracked towns writing frameworks, drafting plans, and scheduling hearings. Now the region is entering decision season. Stonington's ten-year plan goes back to public hearing August 18. Waterford is weighing whether to adopt its own rezoning of the former airport property. Groton just denied a follow-up amendment. Tiverton set a September special meeting on its most contested commercial project. What towns decide over the next thirty days will echo through land value for the next decade. New London County, CT Middlesex County, CT Washington County, RI Newport County, RI Issue 13 was about municipal control — towns taking ownership of the rules. Issue 14 is about what happens when those rules meet the voting stage. Public hearings are being continued under crowd pressure, follow-up amendments are being denied, long-litigated commercial projects are being forced toward final answers, and regional housing-finance tools are quietly being positioned in the background. This is the phase where watch-list items become recorded decisions, and recorded decisions become market facts. Top Story Stonington's Draft 2026 POCD hearing drew a crowd, ran nearly two hours, and was continued to August 18 — with plan amendments now on the table before adoption. Key Window August 18 through September 15, 2026 — the continued Stonington hearing, the Waterford rezoning decision watch, September agendas, and Tiverton's special meeting all land in this stretch. Big Theme Frameworks are colliding with public pressure. Not everything is passing — and the denials are telling us as much about market direction as the approvals. Last Updated: August 17, 2026 How to Use This Issue Use this issue as a decision tracker. Several items from Issue 13 have now produced outcomes — a denial in Groton, a continued hearing in Stonington, a special meeting in Tiverton — and several more will produce outcomes within the next thirty days. The goal is to identify which decisions are about to become final, which parcels and corridors they touch, and where property owners still have a window to participate, comment, or reposition before the record closes. Watch-list items are becoming recorded decisions — and recorded decisions become market facts. Status Tracker New London County CT Stonington Item: Draft 2026 Plan of Conservation and Development Status: Public hearing held August 4; continued to August 18 for additional public comment Next Step: Attend or watch the August 18 continued hearing; track the amendments presented in response to resident concerns and the adoption vote. Who Should Watch: Property owners, village stakeholders, conservation groups, housing advocates, and coastal property owners. New London County CT Waterford Item: PL-26-13 — 140 Waterford Parkway South town-initiated zoning map amendment Status: Public hearing held; decision watch Next Step: Confirm the Commission's vote, minutes, effective date, and any revised map language once posted. Who Should Watch: Landowners, developers, neighbors, housing advocates, industrial users, and investors. New London County CT Groton Item: REGA26-0004 Open Space Common Interest Communities Status: Denied Next Step: Understand what the denial means for larger parcels: the previously adopted Open Space CIC framework stands as written, without the follow-up refinements. Who Should Watch: Owners of larger residential parcels, developers, engineers, planners, and land-use counsel. New London County CT Groton — New Applications Items: SPEC26-0003 Veritable Distillery Tasting Room, 3 Pearl Street (Mystic); SIT26-0003 Credit Union Branch and Offices, 350 Long Hill Road Status: Newly posted to the pending land-use page Next Step: Track hearing scheduling, staff comments, and decisions on both applications. Who Should Watch: Mystic commercial owners, Long Hill Road corridor investors, and hospitality operators. Newport County RI Tiverton Item: Seasons Corner Market major land development (Colbea Enterprises) Status: Preliminary plan hearing opened August 4; special meeting set for September 15 Next Step: Watch the September 15 special meeting for Planning Board action, conditions, and the interplay with the pending court appeal. Who Should Watch: Commercial owners, corridor investors, neighbors, and retail-site operators. Washington County RI Narragansett Item: Comprehensive Plan Update Status: Work session and workshop materials posted; drafting phase Next Step: Watch for the next public workshop, draft chapter releases, and the push toward state approval targeted for late 2026. Who Should Watch: Coastal property owners, investors, rental owners, municipal leaders, and residents concerned with growth. New London County CT East Lyme Item: Holmes Road subdivision and subdivision regulation revisions Status: Parcel-level application and regulatory revisions in process Next Step: Watch the September Planning Commission agenda for the subdivision outcome and final regulation language. Who Should Watch: Builders, landowners, civil engineers, neighbors, and buyers watching future supply. New London County CT New London & Norwich Item: Municipal Redevelopment Authority (MRDA) membership and housing growth zones Status: Regional housing-finance positioning underway Next Step: Watch for certified housing growth zone boundaries near transit hubs and downtowns, and the first funded projects. Who Should Watch: Downtown property owners, transit-adjacent landowners, multifamily developers, and adaptive-reuse investors. Document Links to Watch These are the source links readers can use to go deeper. Where possible, we are linking directly to hearing notices, pending application pages, application materials, presentation decks, and independent reporting. Municipalities frequently update packets, minutes, videos, and decision notices after meetings, so these links should be revisited. Stonington POCD Public Hearing Notice 2026 Plan of Conservation and Development Page Hearing Coverage: Residents Voice Concerns Over 10-Year Plan Watch next: the August 18 continued hearing, final amendment language, the adoption vote, and implementation priorities. Waterford Planning & Zoning Agenda Center PL-26-13 Staff Report / Application Materials The Day: Waterford Debates Rezoning Airport Property Watch next: meeting minutes, media link, final vote, effective date, and any revised map documents. Groton Pending Land Use Applications REGA26-0004 Narrative and Proposed Text (Denied) SPEC26-0003 Veritable Distillery Tasting Room Narrative SIT26-0003 Credit Union Branch Narrative Watch next: the reasoning behind the REGA26-0004 denial, and hearing dates for the two new applications. Tiverton Planning Board Page August 4 Public Hearing Notice Coverage: Board Sets September 15 Special Meeting EastBayRI: Seasons Market Back Before Planners Watch next: the September 15 special meeting, plan revisions, conditions, and the status of the court appeal. Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update Page July 8 Town Council / Planning Board Work Session Presentation Watch next: the next public workshop, draft chapter language, housing strategies, and the state-approval timeline. East Lyme Planning Commission Page (Agendas / Minutes / Materials) July 14 Planning Commission Agenda Watch next: the September agenda, the Holmes Road decision, and final adopted subdivision regulation language. New London & Norwich Coverage: Cities Positioning for MRDA Housing Funds Watch next: certified housing growth zone boundaries, the first funded projects, and follow-on zoning changes near transit and downtown areas. Old Saybrook / Middletown / Westerly Old Saybrook Affordable Housing Plan Progress Report Middletown P&Z Applications Westerly Zoning Code Revisions (2025–2026) Binder Watch next: middle-housing regulation drafts, Z2026-4 implementation, and Westerly's zoning ordinance rewrite timeline. The Short Version Issue 14 is about outcomes. Stonington's long-range plan met real public resistance and will be back for a continued hearing on August 18, with amendments already drafted in response. Waterford's town-initiated rezoning of the former airport property has been argued in public, and the decision record is what matters now. Groton denied its follow-up Open Space CIC amendment — a reminder that refinement is not automatic — even as new commercial applications appear in Mystic and on Long Hill Road. Tiverton's most litigated commercial project now has a September date with a decision. And in the background, New London and Norwich are positioning for state housing-growth-zone money that could reshape downtown redevelopment math. What We Reviewed This issue continues the four-county scan: New London and Middlesex Counties in Connecticut, plus Washington and Newport Counties in Rhode Island. As always, the goal is not to summarize every meeting in every town. The goal is to identify the municipal actions most likely to affect land value, housing supply, development feasibility, commercial demand, and long-term planning direction. The highest-impact items this cycle come from Stonington, Waterford, Groton, Tiverton, Narragansett, East Lyme, New London, Norwich, and Old Saybrook. Middletown and Westerly move to the radar with implementation and rewrite stories worth monitoring. These items rose to the top based on timing, scale, public engagement, policy direction, and likely real estate impact. Meeting & Source Links Town Meeting Minute is built from municipal agendas, meeting packets, pending-application pages, public hearing notices, plan-update pages, and related reporting. Meeting formats, source links, packet materials, outcomes, and public comment rules may change, so always confirm directly with the municipality before attending or relying on a meeting item. Stonington: POCD Continued Public Hearing Meeting: Stonington Planning & Zoning Commission — Continued Public Hearing Date: August 18, 2026 • 7:00 PM Location: Stonington Board of Education District Office, 204 Mistuxet Avenue, Mystic Item: Adoption of the 2026–2036 Plan of Conservation and Development Stonington POCD Hearing Notice Stonington 2026 POCD Page Waterford: 140 Waterford Parkway South Decision Watch Body: Waterford Planning & Zoning Commission Item: PL-26-13 town-initiated zoning map amendment — hearing held July 28; confirm outcome via minutes and meeting media Waterford P&Z Agenda Center PL-26-13 Staff Report / Application Materials Groton: Denial and New Applications Source: Town of Groton Pending Land Use Applications Items: REGA26-0004 Open Space Common Interest Communities — Denied; SPEC26-0003 Veritable Distillery Tasting Room, 3 Pearl Street; SIT26-0003 Credit Union Branch and Offices, 350 Long Hill Road Groton Pending Land Use Applications Tiverton: Seasons Corner Market Special Meeting Meeting: Tiverton Planning Board — Special Meeting Date: September 15, 2026 Item: Seasons Corner Market major land development — preliminary plan review (Colbea Enterprises, LLC) Tiverton Planning Board Page Meeting Coverage Narragansett: Comprehensive Plan Drafting Phase Source: Comprehensive Plan Update page and July 8 work session presentation Items: Housing affordability analysis, land use, natural resources, hazards, and the path to state approval Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update July 8 Work Session Presentation East Lyme: September Agenda Watch Body: East Lyme Planning Commission (regular meetings second Tuesday) Items: Holmes Road subdivision and subdivision regulation revisions East Lyme Planning Commission Page New London & Norwich: MRDA Positioning Source: Regional reporting on Municipal Redevelopment Authority membership Item: Housing growth zones near transit hubs and downtowns; state bonding funds for housing-supporting infrastructure Coverage: Positioning for Housing Funds How the Seaport Impact Ranking Works Each item in Town Meeting Minute is assigned a Seaport Impact Score from 1 to 10. This is not an official municipal score, and it is not a prediction that an application, regulation, policy, or plan will be approved or denied. It is our internal editorial framework for evaluating how much a meeting item could matter to property owners, investors, developers, tenants, and the broader real estate market. The score is based on six factors: land value, housing supply, development feasibility, commercial demand, regulatory direction, and timing. The higher the score, the more likely the item is to influence market behavior, property positioning, future development potential, or long-term planning strategy. Land Value Could this change what a property is worth, how it is marketed, or what a buyer may be willing to pay? Housing Supply Could this create, restrict, redirect, or influence future residential units? Development Feasibility Could this affect whether a project can realistically be built based on zoning, infrastructure, cost, approvals, or site constraints? Commercial Demand Could this affect tenant demand, business expansion, corridor viability, or adaptive reuse potential? Regulatory Direction Does this show where the town may be heading on density, conservation, infrastructure, economic development, or housing policy? Timing Is there a hearing, vote, approval, appeal period, policy change, funding decision, or application milestone coming soon? How to read the score: Items scoring above 8 are high-impact signals that may influence broader market direction or future land-use strategy. Items between 6 and 8 are meaningful watch-list items. Items below 6 may still matter locally, but the likely market impact is narrower, more property-specific, or less immediate. Crowded hearing rooms are becoming part of the story: public pressure is actively reshaping plans before adoption. Highest Impact Item 1. Stonington: The POCD Meets the Public — and the Public Pushes Back Continued Public Hearing — August 18 Meeting: Stonington Planning & Zoning Commission • August 18, 2026 • 7:00 PM • Stonington BOE District Office, 204 Mistuxet Avenue, Mystic Item: Adoption of the 2026–2036 Plan of Conservation and Development Seaport Impact Score: 9.5 / 10 — Very High Impact View Stonington POCD Hearing Notice Read Hearing Coverage Stonington takes the top spot this issue for one simple reason: timing. The August 4 public hearing on the draft ten-year plan drew dozens of concerned residents, ran nearly two hours, and was continued to August 18 to allow more time for public comment. The town's planning consultant, SLR, has already presented amendments to the draft in response to community concerns — meaning the plan is being actively rewritten in real time, in public, days before a possible adoption vote. What Happened The draft plan, first released in May and filed with the Town Clerk on May 20, went to public hearing on August 4. Instead of a quiet procedural step, the hearing became a genuine community debate, and the Commission continued it rather than closing the record. What Is Coming The continued hearing on August 18 is the moment to watch. The Commission must weigh the amendments, the remaining public comment, and the statutory requirement to update the plan — last adopted in 2015 — before voting on adoption of the 2026–2036 document. Why This Could Change the Game A POCD does not approve or deny any single project, but every future zoning amendment, subdivision, and land-use decision in Stonington will be measured against its language. When residents force amendments before adoption, they are shaping the reference document for a decade of decisions in one of the region's most constrained and valuable markets. Seaport Read Watch the final amendment language closely — especially anything touching housing, village districts, conservation priorities, and coastal resilience. The gap between the May draft and the adopted version will tell you exactly where the political pressure points are in Stonington, and those pressure points are where future land-use fights will happen. 2. Waterford: The Airport Property Rezoning Reaches the Decision Stage Decision Watch Body: Waterford Planning & Zoning Commission Item: PL-26-13 — Town-Initiated Zoning Map Amendment, 140 Waterford Parkway South (~188 acres) Seaport Impact Score: 9.2 / 10 — Very High Impact View Waterford Agenda Center Read The Day's Coverage Waterford's 140 Waterford Parkway South story has now been argued in public. Regional coverage of the town-initiated rezoning frames the debate clearly: town officials have presented the amendment as a way to open the former airport property to apartment development while preventing undesirable industrial projects from using the land — and neighbors remain skeptical. What Happened The July 28 public hearing put the town's own zoning framework for the roughly 188-acre parcel on the record. This follows the earlier rejection of the developer-led rezoning tied to a concept of roughly 600 apartments and townhouses on the former airport site, which sits directly across I-95 from the Crystal Mall — where Electric Boat's office and training build-out is expected to concentrate thousands of workers. What Is Coming The key items now are the Commission's vote, the adopted map language, and the effective date. Whether the amendment passes as proposed, passes with modifications, or fails will determine whether this parcel's next chapter is written by the town, by a future applicant, or by continued stalemate. Why This Could Change the Game This is the region's clearest test of the town-initiated model. If Waterford successfully writes the framework for its largest housing-capable parcel — deciding how much industrial land remains, where multifamily belongs, and how residential transitions work — other towns with large, contested parcels will study the playbook. Seaport Read Whatever the vote, the record being created here matters. The staff materials, the public comments, and the Commission's stated reasoning will define the negotiating terrain for every future proposal on this site — and for the industrial-to-residential conversion question across southeastern Connecticut. 3. Groton: A Denial That Tells You Where the Line Is REGA26-0004 Denied Source: Town of Groton Pending Land Use Applications Item: REGA26-0004 — Open Space Common Interest Communities follow-up text amendment — Denied New Items: SPEC26-0003 Veritable Distillery Tasting Room, 3 Pearl Street; SIT26-0003 Credit Union Branch and Offices, 350 Long Hill Road Seaport Impact Score: 8.8 / 10 — High Impact View Groton Pending Applications Issue 13 flagged REGA26-0004 as a follow-up amendment that could refine Groton's Open Space Common Interest Community framework. The Town's pending land-use page now lists it as denied. That outcome matters as much as an approval would have — because it tells landowners exactly which version of the rules they are working with. What Happened The follow-up amendment did not advance. The previously approved Open Space CIC framework remains the operative tool, as originally adopted, without the proposed refinements. For owners of larger residential parcels, the due-diligence question shifts from "what will the new text say" to "what does the adopted text actually allow on my land." What Else Is Moving The same pending-applications page shows fresh commercial activity: a special permit application for a Veritable Distillery tasting room at 3 Pearl Street in Mystic, and a site plan for a credit union branch and offices at 350 Long Hill Road, both posted in mid-August. Mystic hospitality demand and Long Hill Road corridor reinvestment both remain live stories. Why This Matters Denials define the edge of regulatory flexibility. Groton has the employment base, housing demand, and land constraints that make its land-use tools regionally significant — and this denial suggests the Town intends to let the adopted CIC framework operate as written before revisiting it. Seaport Read For larger parcels in Groton, feasibility analysis should now be run against the adopted Open Space CIC text, not a hoped-for revision. Meanwhile, the steady flow of commercial applications in Mystic and along Long Hill Road is a demand signal worth tracking on its own. 4. Tiverton: Seasons Corner Market Gets a Date With a Decision Special Meeting — September 15 Meeting: Tiverton Planning Board • hearing opened August 4; special meeting set for September 15, 2026 Project: Seasons Corner Market — Major Land Development, Preliminary Plan Review (Colbea Enterprises, LLC) Seaport Impact Score: 8.3 / 10 — High Impact View Meeting Coverage Read EastBayRI Coverage The proposed convenience store, drive-through coffee shop, and four-pump fueling station at Main and Souza Roads is one of the most procedurally contested commercial projects in the region — and it is now moving toward a preliminary-plan answer. What Happened At the August hearing, Colbea's attorney walked the board through a remarkable procedural history: a 2021 concept review, a 2022 master-plan denial, a zoning board reversal, a Superior Court ruling upholding that reversal, ten hearings on special-use permits, and the 2026 preliminary-plan filing. The town solicitor noted that while an appeal remains at the court level, no stay is in place — the applicant has the right to present, and the board cannot deny on the basis of the pending appeal alone. A motion for conditional approval was made and then withdrawn on advice of the board's counsel, and the matter now heads to a September 15 special meeting. Why This Matters This project has become a case study in how long, expensive, and litigated a single commercial approval can be in coastal Rhode Island. The outcome — and any conditions attached — will shape how corridor commercial development is evaluated in Tiverton, and how developers price approval risk across Newport County. Seaport Read Watch the September 15 meeting for conditions, revisions, and the board's handling of the appeal backdrop. However it resolves, the message to commercial developers is unambiguous: entitlement timelines in contested coastal corridors must be measured in years, and carrying costs need to be underwritten accordingly. 5. Narragansett: The Numbers Behind the Comprehensive Plan Are Stark Comprehensive Plan Update — Drafting Phase Source: Town of Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update; July 8 Work Session Presentation Seaport Impact Score: 7.9 / 10 — Meaningful Regional Impact View Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update View July 8 Work Session Presentation Narragansett's plan update has moved past process and into substance, and the posted work-session materials contain the most important housing data point in this issue: the presentation shows a median-income household able to afford roughly $287,000 in home price against ownership costs near $875,000 — a gap that frames everything else in the plan. What Happened The Town Council / Planning Board work session materials and public workshop content are now posted, covering seasonal population swings, a declining year-round population, employment structure, and the affordability gap. The update process is targeting completion on a timeline built around state approval in late 2026. Why This Matters When a coastal town's own planning documents quantify a three-to-one gap between what residents can afford and what housing costs, the housing chapter of the new plan stops being boilerplate. The strategies chosen — or avoided — will shape rental regulation, density decisions, and redevelopment feasibility across one of Rhode Island's most seasonal markets. Seaport Read Narragansett is the Washington County marker for the coastal affordability squeeze. Investors and rental owners should read the draft housing language as it emerges, because plans that document a crisis this clearly tend to produce policy responses — and policy responses move markets. 6. East Lyme: The Mechanics of Growth Grind Forward Subdivision / Regulation Work Body: East Lyme Planning Commission Items: Holmes Road subdivision and subdivision regulation revisions Seaport Impact Score: 7.6 / 10 — Watch List View East Lyme Planning Commission Page East Lyme remains the region's best example of housing policy becoming housing mechanics. The Holmes Road subdivision — the parcel-level test of how new units actually get delivered — continues through review alongside the ongoing rewrite of subdivision regulation sections covering waivers, water and sewer mains, test pits, sanitation and water supply reports, underground utilities, open space, easements, and sewerage systems. Why This Matters Subdivision rules determine the economics: lot yield, site costs, approval timing, and infrastructure obligations. The final adopted language will influence every future residential subdivision in town. Seaport Read Watch the September Planning Commission agenda. The combination of a live subdivision application and a regulation rewrite in the same season means the new rules will be stress-tested almost immediately — and builders should read the final text before pricing land. 7. New London & Norwich: The Money Behind the Next Housing Cycle Regional Housing-Finance Watch Item: Municipal Redevelopment Authority (MRDA) membership and housing growth zones Seaport Impact Score: 7.4 / 10 — Watch List Read the Coverage New to the scan this issue: the state's Municipal Redevelopment Authority, a quasi-public agency built to spur transit-oriented development. New London voted earlier this year to join, Norwich moved to follow, and the authority has tens of millions in bonding capacity — with more proposed — to help member municipalities plan and market certified “housing growth zones” around transit stations, bus hubs, and downtowns. Why This Matters The money is flexible: developers can seek project gap funding, and municipalities can fund sewer extensions, flood protection, and other infrastructure that supports more housing — and it is not limited to affordable projects. That combination can quietly change redevelopment math for downtown parcels and long-vacant buildings. Seaport Read The parcels to watch are the ones inside future certified zone boundaries — generally within a half mile of transit or downtown cores. Owners of underused buildings in downtown New London and downtown Norwich should track zone certification closely, because the boundary line itself may become a value line. 8. Old Saybrook: The Middle-Housing Transition Is Still the Quiet Story Housing Policy Watch Source: Old Saybrook Affordable Housing Plan Progress Report Item: Housing Growth Plan transition and middle-housing zoning requirements Seaport Impact Score: 7.0 / 10 — Watch List View Old Saybrook AHP Progress Report Old Saybrook stays on the list because the adopted affordable-housing progress report continues to flag a structural transition: the future Housing Growth Plan will guide strategy, and required zoning updates on middle housing and parking restrictions are coming. Nothing dramatic happened this cycle — which is exactly why owners should be paying attention now, before the regulation drafts appear. Seaport Read The next housing conversation in Old Saybrook will likely arrive as middle housing, mixed-use zones, and parking rules rather than large subdivisions. Main Street and shoreline mixed-use owners have a window to understand their parcels' potential before the new language defines it for them. Other Items on Our Radar Middletown With Z2026-4 and the Active Adult Housing amendment approved, Middletown moves from the rankings to implementation watch. The application page continues to show steady activity — municipal 8-24 referrals, special exceptions, and code amendments — and the real story now is how the housing-growth code changes show up in actual applications this fall. Westerly Westerly's multi-year Zoning Code Revisions project (2025–2026) is the sleeper item on the Rhode Island side: a full ordinance restructuring covering districts, boundaries, and general provisions. Separately, the state's new non-owner-occupied property tax took effect July 1 — a cost input every coastal rental owner in Washington County should be modeling. Norwich (Local) Beyond the MRDA story, Norwich remains a strong adaptive-reuse and infill market. Downtown revitalization targeting long-vacant buildings for housing is the theme to watch as state funding tools come online. Ledyard / Portsmouth Ledyard's governance question — whether to separate the Planning and Zoning Commissions — remains a capacity item that could shape how the town handles future development pressure. Portsmouth and greater Newport County stay in the scan for housing, military-related demand, tourism, and coastal resilience pressure. The four-county scan continues: New London, Middlesex, Washington, and Newport Counties. Issue 14 Impact Rankings The rankings below are based on potential market impact, not political importance or likelihood of approval. A lower-ranked item may still be highly important to a specific neighborhood, property owner, applicant, or community group. Rank County Town Item Score Why It Matters 1 New London CT Stonington 2026 POCD Continued Hearing & Adoption Vote 9.5 Public pressure is amending the plan before adoption, and the August 18 hearing may close the record on a decade of policy. 2 New London CT Waterford 140 Waterford Parkway South Decision Watch 9.2 The vote on the town-initiated rezoning will define the future of the region's largest housing-capable parcel. 3 New London CT Groton REGA26-0004 Denied; New Commercial Applications 8.8 The denial fixes the Open Space CIC rules as adopted, while Mystic and Long Hill Road show fresh commercial demand. 4 Newport RI Tiverton Seasons Corner Market — September 15 Special Meeting 8.3 A years-long, litigated commercial entitlement is finally approaching a preliminary-plan answer, with region-wide lessons on approval risk. 5 Washington RI Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update — Housing Data 7.9 The town's own materials quantify a stark affordability gap that will shape the plan's housing strategies. 6 New London CT East Lyme Holmes Road Subdivision & Regulation Revisions 7.6 A live subdivision and a regulation rewrite in the same season will define delivery economics for future housing. 7 New London CT New London & Norwich MRDA Membership & Housing Growth Zones 7.4 State bonding funds for transit-oriented and downtown housing could redraw the redevelopment map in both cities. 8 Middlesex CT Old Saybrook Middle Housing & Housing Growth Plan Transition 7.0 Middle housing, mixed-use zoning, and parking rules could quietly reshape shoreline redevelopment options. The common thread this issue is resolution: hearings closing, amendments failing, and decisions taking shape. The Big Picture Issue 14 shows the other half of municipal control: accountability to the public and to the record. Towns that spent the spring writing frameworks are now defending them in crowded hearing rooms, amending them under pressure, and in some cases voting them down. Stonington is rewriting its ten-year plan in response to residents. Waterford is deciding whether its own rezoning survives its own process. Groton drew a line on how far a new tool can be stretched. Tiverton is being pushed toward a decision by procedure, litigation, and time. The common thread is resolution. The frameworks phase is ending, and the outcomes phase is beginning — and outcomes, unlike frameworks, get recorded, take effect, and start moving value. Seaport Takeaway: The next thirty days will produce more recorded land-use decisions in this region than the previous ninety. The owners who benefit will be the ones who read the decisions — not just the headlines — and reposition before the market prices them in. Why We Track This At Seaport Real Estate Services, we believe the best real estate advice starts before a property hits the market. Municipal agendas, zoning text amendments, map changes, public hearing notices, water and sewer studies, POCD updates, and subdivision regulations often reveal where value is being created, constrained, or redirected. That is why we read the packets, track the meetings, and look for the connection between public policy and private real estate value. Have a Property That Could Be Impacted? If you own land, commercial property, multifamily property, or a redevelopment site in New London County, Middlesex County, Washington County, or Newport County, municipal decisions may already be affecting your property’s future value. Seaport Real Estate Services helps property owners, investors, developers, and municipalities understand how zoning, infrastructure, market demand, and land-use policy intersect. Contact Seaport Real Estate Services to discuss how local planning decisions may affect your property. Disclosure: Seaport Real Estate Services may represent buyers, sellers, or owners of properties affected by matters discussed in this publication. Nothing in Town Meeting Minute should be read as a solicitation, an offer, or advice regarding any specific property or transaction. Public Access Note: Meeting formats, agenda materials, application documents, hearing dates, public comment rules, voting outcomes, appeal periods, and online links may change. Readers should confirm all meeting details and application statuses directly with the applicable municipality before attending, watching, relying on, or submitting comment on any public meeting.

Community Calendar Issue 14: Late Summer & Early Fall Events Across Coastal CT & RI

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 15:05:00 -0400

Seaport Community Calendar · Issue 14 The Last Stretch of Summer & the First Signs of Fall Summer is not finished yet. August and early September bring some of the shoreline's best reasons to get outside — county fairs, waterfront music, art, theatre, river cruises, road races, cultural festivals, polo, food, boats, and community traditions. This issue takes us from Mystic and Groton to Essex and East Haddam, across South County, and onto Aquidneck Island as one season slowly begins to give way to the next. Four Counties · One Coastal Community Summer Isn't Over Yet The Community Calendar covers New London County and Middlesex County in Connecticut, along with Washington County and Newport County in Rhode Island — a connected region of waterfronts, villages, downtowns, farms, beaches, theaters, parks and gathering places. ⚓ New London County Mystic, Groton, Stonington, New London, Waterford, Norwich, Uncasville and the communities of Southeastern Connecticut. ✦ Middlesex County Essex, Old Saybrook, East Haddam, Haddam Neck, Middletown and the towns of the lower Connecticut River Valley. ☼ Washington County Westerly, Charlestown, Richmond, Narragansett, South Kingstown, Misquamicut, Watch Hill and the Rhode Island shoreline. ◈ Newport County Newport, Portsmouth, Middletown, Jamestown, Tiverton and the coastal traditions surrounding Aquidneck Island. Top Seaport Picks Five Events Worth Building a Weekend Around There is plenty happening across the region, but these five stand out for their setting, tradition, community energy and ability to turn an ordinary weekend into a memorable one. Pick 01 Washington County Fair August 12–16 · Richmond, RI Rhode Island's major agricultural fair combines livestock, midway rides, food, music and generations of summer tradition. Pick 02 Black Ships Festival August 14–16 · Newport & Bristol A distinctive celebration of the cultural and historic relationship between Rhode Island, Japan and the United States. Pick 03 Tree Swallow Cruises Aug. 30 & Sept. 5, 13, 20 · Essex Thousands of tree swallows gathering over the lower Connecticut River at sunset make this one of the region's great seasonal experiences. Pick 04 Rhythm & Roots Festival September 4–6 · Charlestown Three days of music, dancing, food and festival energy at Ninigret Park make Labor Day weekend feel like summer's encore. Pick 05 Newport International Boat Show September 17–20 · Newport More than 17 acres of boats, marine gear and waterfront activity turn downtown Newport into one of New England's major boating destinations. New London County, Connecticut Mystic Outdoor Art Festival August 9 · Downtown Mystic Sunday Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Location: Downtown Mystic, CT Admission: Free Best For: Art, walking downtown, families, shopping and local restaurants If you're reading Issue 14 as it is released, there is still time to catch the final day of the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival. The long-running juried show fills downtown Mystic with artists, visitors and one of the village's busiest summer weekends. Official Event Link Festival Details Exploring Waterford: History Scavenger Hunt Through September 6 · Waterford Run: Continuing through September 6, 2026 Location: Waterford, CT Theme: Local history and America's 250th anniversary Best For: Families, local history and exploring town landmarks This interactive scavenger hunt invites participants to explore Waterford landmarks and learn about the people and places that helped shape the town. It is a different way to turn local history into an afternoon out. Official Event Link U.S. Coast Guard Band at Avery Point September 7 · 5 p.m. · Groton Date: Monday, September 7, 2026 Time: 5:00 p.m. Location: Branford House Lawn at UConn Avery Point, Groton, CT Admission: Free Best For: Families, picnics, music and waterfront views The full U.S. Coast Guard Band performs outdoors on the Branford House lawn at Avery Point for a free Labor Day concert. Bring food, chairs or a blanket and take in one of Groton's best waterfront settings. Official Event Link Groton City Brew Run September 12 · Groton Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Area: City of Groton, CT After the Run: Brew festival, food trucks and community activities Benefit: Riverfront Children's Center The Greater Mystic Chamber and Groton Utilities bring back the Groton City Brew Run, combining an active morning with local beer, food trucks and a community fundraiser. Event Information Art in Waterford: Past + Present + Future Through September 17 · Waterford Town Hall Location: Waterford Town Hall, 15 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission: Free Best For: Local art, history and community culture Waterford's juried art exhibition remains on display into September, featuring regional artists and work connected to local scenery, veterans and the nation's 250th anniversary. Official Event Link Late-Summer Entertainment at Mohegan Sun August · Uncasville August 13: Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream August 14: Brandi Carlile August 25: Connecticut Sun vs. Chicago Sky August 26: Connecticut Sun vs. Golden State Valkyries Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT For readers looking for a larger indoor event, Mohegan Sun continues through August with professional basketball and nationally touring entertainment just a short drive from the shoreline. View Arena Schedule Middlesex County, Connecticut Goodspeed's Crazy For You Through August 16 · East Haddam Final Week: Through Sunday, August 16, 2026 Location: The Goodspeed, 6 Main Street, East Haddam, CT Best For: Musical theatre, date nights and Connecticut River day trips There is still time to catch the closing week of Crazy For You at The Goodspeed, with Gershwin music, comedy and classic musical theatre inside one of the Connecticut River Valley's landmark venues. Show Details Atlanta Rhythm Section at The Kate August 18 · 7:30 p.m. · Old Saybrook Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: The Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT Best For: Live music and an evening in downtown Old Saybrook The Atlanta Rhythm Section brings more than five decades of Southern rock history to The Kate, adding another strong live-music night to Old Saybrook's summer calendar. Official Event Link The Snow Goose — World Premiere August 28–October 18 · East Haddam Opening: Friday, August 28, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. Run: August 28 through October 18 Location: The Goodspeed, East Haddam, CT Best For: Theatre, new works and Connecticut River weekends Goodspeed launches the world premiere of The Snow Goose, based on Paul Gallico's novel. A new production opening in one of Connecticut's most historic theaters makes this an especially interesting late-summer cultural event. Show Details & Tickets Connecticut Audubon Tree Swallow Cruises Aug. 30 & Sept. 5, 13, 20 · Essex Dates: August 30; September 5, 13 and 20 Departure Windows: Approximately 3:30–5:00 p.m., depending on date Length: Approximately 3.5 hours Departure: Essex Steam Train & Riverboat area, Essex, CT Best For: Nature, photography, birds and river sunsets One of the Lower Connecticut River's most extraordinary seasonal sights occurs when enormous numbers of tree swallows gather in synchronized flocks near sunset before settling into their evening roost. Cruise Information CT Audubon Essex Steam Train Haddam Neck Fair September 4–7 · Haddam Neck Dates: Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7, 2026 Admission: General admission listed at $15 Children: Kids under 12 free Parking: Free Best For: Families, agriculture, animals, rides, food and fair traditions A Labor Day weekend tradition, the Haddam Neck Fair brings together livestock, agricultural exhibits, entertainment, food, midway rides and the unmistakable atmosphere of a classic Connecticut country fair. Official Fair Website The Kate's Annual Gala Honoring Annette Bening August 29 · Old Saybrook Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026 Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: The Kate, Old Saybrook, CT Honor: Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award presented to Annette Bening The Kate's annual gala honors acclaimed actress Annette Bening with the 11th Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award, connecting the theater's namesake and legacy with another generation of American film and stage. Gala Details Washington County, Rhode Island Washington County Fair August 12–16 · Richmond Dates: Wednesday, August 12 through Sunday, August 16, 2026 Location: Washington County Fairgrounds, 78 Richmond Townhouse Road, Richmond, RI Features: Midway rides, livestock shows, music, food, games and contests Best For: Families and traditional New England fair experiences Now in its 57th year, the Washington County Fair is one of Rhode Island's signature agricultural events. Livestock, entertainment, midway rides and fair food make it an easy choice for a summer family outing. Official Fair Website Tunes on the Dunes Through August 12 · Westerly Town Beach Remaining Dates: Monday and Wednesday evenings through August 12 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: Westerly Town Beach, 365 Atlantic Avenue, Westerly, RI Admission: Free There are only a few nights left to catch this summer tradition. Live music on Westerly Town Beach is about as simple and seasonal as an evening can get — ocean, music and a South County sunset. Event Details General Stanton Inn Blues Music Festival August 23 · Charlestown Date: Sunday, August 23, 2026 Location: General Stanton Inn, 4115 Old Post Road, Charlestown, RI Admission: Listed at $20 Features: Rhode Island blues artists, BBQ, seafood and beverages Tip: Bring a lawn chair A tent, live Rhode Island blues, barbecue, seafood and a historic Charlestown inn make this one of the more relaxed and locally flavored events in this edition. Event Details General Stanton Sunday Market Sundays Through September 20 · Charlestown Schedule: Sundays through September 20, 2026 Location: General Stanton Inn, Charlestown, RI Best For: Local makers, small businesses, casual Sunday outings and shopping Not every worthwhile event needs to be a huge festival. The Sunday market at the General Stanton Inn offers a recurring reason to slow down, browse locally and spend part of a weekend in Charlestown. Market Information Rhythm & Roots Festival September 4–6 · Ninigret Park Dates: Friday, September 4 through Sunday, September 6, 2026 Location: Ninigret Park, Charlestown, RI Friday: Festival begins at noon; music begins at 1:00 p.m. Features: Multiple days of live music, dancing, food and camping Rhythm & Roots is South County's big Labor Day weekend sendoff. Ninigret Park becomes a three-day music community filled with performers, dancing, camping, food and late-summer energy. Official Festival Website Festival Details Artist Lineup Surftown Half Marathon, Relay & 5K September 13 · Westerly & Misquamicut Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026 Half Marathon Start: 7:30 a.m. 5K Start: 7:40 a.m. Start/Finish Area: Misquamicut / Wuskenau Town Beach area Course: Watch Hill, Weekapaug and the Westerly coastline Surftown gives runners one of southern New England's most scenic courses, traveling through Misquamicut, Watch Hill and Weekapaug before finishing back near the beach. Race Information Race Day Details Newport County, Rhode Island 43rd Black Ships Festival August 14–16 · Newport & Bristol Dates: Friday, August 14 through Sunday, August 16, 2026 Area: Newport and Bristol, RI Features: Taiko drumming, martial arts, traditional Japanese arts and cultural programming Admission: Varies; several activities are free The Black Ships Festival celebrates the friendship and historic cultural relationship between Japan and the United States with a weekend of performances, traditions and family-friendly activities. Official Festival Website Local Food Fest at Castle Hill August 11 · 4–8 p.m. · Newport Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 Time: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: Castle Hill Inn, Newport, RI Features: Local chefs, wine, beer, cocktails and live music Local Food Fest brings Rhode Island food and drink producers together on Castle Hill's waterfront lawn. The Narragansett Bay backdrop alone makes this one of August's more memorable culinary outings. August Event Guide Newport International Polo Series Saturdays Through September 26 · Portsmouth Season: Saturdays through September 26, 2026 August Start: 5:00 p.m. September Start: 4:00 p.m. Location: Newport Polo Grounds, 250 Linden Lane, Portsmouth, RI September 5: USA vs. England Newport Polo is one of the region's signature summer traditions — sport, tailgating, divot stomping and field-side socializing in Portsmouth. The 2026 season also marks 150 years of polo in Newport. Official Polo Website USA vs. England Tickets Citizens Pell Bridge Run August 30 · Jamestown to Newport Date: Sunday, August 30, 2026 Start: 7:00 a.m. Distance: Approximately 4 miles Route: Jamestown across the Newport Pell Bridge into Newport Best For: Runners, walkers and iconic Narragansett Bay views For one morning, runners and walkers get something motorists normally cannot: the chance to cross the Pell Bridge on foot. The point-to-point route from Jamestown into Newport offers unmistakable views of Narragansett Bay. Newport August Event Guide Newport International Boat Show September 17–20 · Downtown Newport Dates: Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20, 2026 Location: Newport waterfront Size: More than 17 acres of boats, marine products and exhibits Best For: Boaters, marine enthusiasts, waterfront visitors and families The Newport International Boat Show turns the downtown waterfront into one of the largest marine marketplaces in New England, with boats in the water, equipment displays and an entire city leaning into its maritime identity. Official Boat Show Website Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival September 18–20 · Rosecliff, Newport Dates: Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20, 2026 Primary Location: Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI Features: Wine, spirits, chefs, culinary programming and tastings Best For: Food, wine, architecture and a Newport weekend Newport's mansion setting turns an already strong culinary event into something uniquely local. The annual Wine & Food Festival brings together chefs, wine, spirits and historic Bellevue Avenue surroundings. Festival Information The Best Part of the Season May Be Right Now Late summer has a rhythm of its own. The beaches are still open, evenings remain warm and the calendar begins mixing summer traditions with the fairs, festivals and outdoor events that signal fall is on its way. It is also one of the best times to experience the shoreline as a local — after the peak of July, but before the season truly changes. Have an Event? We would love to know what is happening in your town, village, venue, business, nonprofit or local organization. Submit events to info@seaportre.com Event dates, times, locations, admission prices, schedules and ticket availability can change. Outdoor events may also be affected by weather. Please use the blue official event links above to confirm the latest information directly with the organizer before attending. Local Roots. Strong Communities. Brighter Together. At Seaport Real Estate Services, our work brings us through the neighborhoods, downtowns, waterfronts, back roads, business districts, farms, marinas and village centers that make this region special. The Community Calendar is one small way we can highlight the people, places and events that keep our coastal communities connected.

Connecticut Shoreline Living

Jodi@seaportre.com (Jodi Serapilia) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:56:00 -0400

Shoreline Living: What It's Really Like to Own in a Waterfront Community | Seaport Real Estate Services Shoreline Living: Hawk’s Nest Beach, Old Lyme, CT — Part 1 of a 3-Part Series Shoreline Living: What It’s Really Like to Own in a Waterfront Community By Jodi | Seaport Real Estate Services | Old Lyme, CT The views and experiences shared in this post are personal and reflect life in the Hawk’s Nest Beach community of Old Lyme, CT. Real estate values, association rules, and community details vary — always consult with a local expert before making purchasing decisions. The Rhythm You Don’t Understand Until You’re In It There’s a rhythm to living in a shoreline community that you don’t fully understand until you’re in it. I know, because I live in Hawk’s Nest Beach, one of Old Lyme’s classic beach communities, where morning walks to the water, some tennis in the afternoon, and the slower pace of summer, or any season, aren’t marketing lines. They’re just a regular day. ~I love taking a walk or run down West End Dr, where the beach is on one side and the salt marsh, part of the Great Island Wildlife Area, is on the other. You can see the osprey nests right in the marsh. It is such a coastal vibe. Another highlight? A simple walk on the beach. Have a seat on one of the rock jetties, it’s the best spot to watch the sun set, and my favorite spot to take sunset photos, like the one below, one of my hobbies. And if you’re looking for a longer walk, head towards the “Brown House.” IYKYK. There’s nothing quite like a Hawk’s Nest sunset from the rock jetties on West End Dr. A Place Where the Water Sets the Pace Hawk’s Nest sits between Long Island Sound and the Lieutenant River, and that location shapes everything about daily life here. It is a beautiful place. A normal week can hold beach morning walks, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, or a slow bike ride through the neighborhood before dinner, all without ever feeling far from the rest of the world. We’re close to Old Lyme village, the shops, restaurants, and marinas of Old Saybrook, and the train that can have you in New York or Boston when you need it. Head west and you’ll be in the village of Niantic, with more restaurants and specialty shops to find some unique items for your shoreline home. You get that tucked-away feeling of a beach community without giving up convenience. ~I love going for a paddle along this stretch of coastline and just taking in the quiet of being out on the water, or grabbing takeout for the boat and anchoring at the end of the West End to eat at sunset. A morning paddle along the Hawk’s Nest coastline — this is the commute. A Community That Comes Back Year After Year What makes Hawk’s Nest special isn’t just the water, t’s the people and the traditions. This is the kind of place where the same families return every summer. It’s where kids ride their bikes past the same cottages their parents rode past, and where neighbors know each other by name. There’s a real sense of continuity here. The seasonal traditions, the familiar faces, the way the community shows up for one another, it’s something you feel almost immediately. ~A highlight of summer is the Fourth of July fireworks display, with a golf cart parade during the day and likely several stops at Garvin’s store for a slushie, some candy, or to buy HNB (Hawk’s Nest Beach) merch. And all summer long, residents and vacationers alike walk over to Hartford Ave for some Italian ice at Vecchitto’s, or ice cream, candy and a ride on the carousel at the Carousel Shop. The Fourth of July fireworks display — one of the highlights of summer at Hawk’s Nest. Beautiful — and Worth Understanding Before You Buy Here’s the part I always make sure people know: what makes Hawk’s Nest charming is also what makes it important to understand before you buy. Roughly half the homes here are second homes, and it’s a good market for rentals, which gives the community its seasonal character. The homes themselves range widely, from original mid-century cottages to fully winterized, year-round houses. And the differences between them matter enormously: Heating and insulation — Is it a seasonal cottage or built for year-round living? Elevation and flood zone — This affects insurance costs and long-term peace of mind. Beach rights and association membership — These vary and shape how you actually use the shoreline. Some houses in this area have deeded rights to both Hawk's Nest and Miami beach associations. And each association has its own regulations. Water and septic systems — Important to understand in any shoreline community, as this can impact year-round status and the value of a home. Septic systems can also affect year-round status as well. Two houses that look nearly identical online can be very different once you know what to look for. That’s exactly the kind of thing I help buyers see. The values of homes in Hawk’s Nest, along with the other Old Lyme beach communities, are invaluable. Buyers often pay premiums just to be in these communities. People want to buy here because their family and friends are here. And the values vary a little from association to association. Even in winter, the shoreline is stunning — and year-round living here is a real consideration. Hawk’s Nest — or One of Its Neighbors? One of my favorite parts of what I do is helping people figure out not just the right house, but the right community. Hawk’s Nest is wonderful, but it isn’t the only option along this stretch of shoreline. Depending on what you’re looking for, one of the neighboring communities might fit even better: Edge Lea Point O’Woods Old Lyme Shores Old Colony Sound View Miami Beach White Sands Each has its own personality, its own character, and its own tradeoffs. Because I live here, I can walk you through those differences from the inside, not from a listing sheet. ~I’ve been here since I was a child. I grew up in Old Colony Beach and this shoreline has been my stomping grounds since I was 10 years old. Although they all sit on the same stretch of coastline, each beach and association is a little different. From where the sandbars are to the best spots to go crabbing, I can tell you What I Really Help People With At the end of the day, buying into a shoreline community isn’t just about square footage and bedroom counts. It’s about the life around the house, the mornings, the seasons, the traditions, and the feeling of belonging to a place. That’s the part I love helping people with. Whether Hawk’s Nest is right for you or another Old Lyme beach community fits better, I’d be glad to share what I know, as your agent and as your neighbor. Let’s Talk About Shoreline Living No matter what the season or community you live in, the beauty of living near the water is all around you. Things start to come alive in the spring. With the quiet days of winter over, spring brings everyone out and about. Homeowners getting their houses ready to enjoy the peak season, days get warmer and life coming back after the cold. It is an exciting time in anticipation of the long-awaited summer. Summertime in shoreline communities is bustling, with the sounds of boats, seagulls, laughter, and backyard barbecues. And it doesn’t matter if you are a boater, paddler, or just like to lounge in the sand. You can enjoy the water however you choose. When summer starts to wind down, shoreline living is still the best, it’s just a little quieter. The fall is my second favorite season next to summer. The humidity lessens, but the warmth and sunshine stick around. The fall festivals begin and farmer’s markets have plenty of warm weather left to provide goodies for residents and visitors alike. As Halloween creeps in, along with the brisk days, many towns have their own trick-or-treating events, and what's better than a walk by the water after Thanksgiving dinner. The chill of winter won’t stop residents from walking on the beaches. It is one of the most peaceful places to go. There are holiday parades on main streets and on the water, the most fun are the boat parades with the vessels all decorated with lights for the holidays To sum it up — any season is beautiful on the shoreline. If you’re curious about life at Hawk’s Nest, Old Lyme, or anywhere along the Southeastern Connecticut Shoreline, I’d love to hear from you. No pressure — just an honest conversation about what it’s really like to live here. Old Lyme & the Connecticut Shoreline 860.919.7402 | ✉️ Jodi@Seaportre.com 860.681.3654 | ✉️ Jaime@Seaportre.com Explore Hawk’s Nest & Old Lyme Shoreline Living → More in This Series: Shoreline Living at Hawk’s Nest Beach Part 1: Shoreline Living — What It’s Really Like to Own in a Waterfront Community — You are here Part 2: Coming soon Part 3: Coming soon

Town Meeting Minute • Issue 13: Towns Are Taking Control of the Housing Conversation

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:05:00 -0400

Town Meeting Minute • Issue 13 Towns Are Taking Control of the Housing Conversation Across New London County, Middlesex County, Washington County, and Newport County, the next real estate story is not just private development pressure. It is how municipalities are rewriting, refining, adopting, resisting, and redirecting the rules that determine what can actually be built. New London County, CT Middlesex County, CT Washington County, RI Newport County, RI Real estate value is shaped long before a listing hits the market. It changes when a town initiates its own zoning map amendment, when a follow-up text amendment appears, when a POCD moves to public hearing, when subdivision regulations are rewritten, when housing-growth mandates become local zoning language, or when a regional community starts asking how much growth its infrastructure and political process can support. Top Story Waterford has moved the 140 Waterford Parkway South conversation from a developer-led proposal to a town-initiated zoning framework. Key Window July 28 through August 12, 2026 — major hearings, follow-up amendments, POCD review, and land-development applications are in motion. Big Theme Towns are no longer just reacting to growth. They are deciding how growth should be structured, limited, supported, and absorbed. Last Updated: August 3, 2026 How to Use This Issue Use this issue as an early-warning tool. The goal is not to predict every approval or denial. The goal is to identify where municipal decisions may begin changing land value, development feasibility, housing supply, infrastructure demand, or commercial opportunity before the broader market reacts. Town Meeting Minute tracks municipal decisions before the broader real estate market reacts. Status Tracker New London County CT Waterford Item: 140 Waterford Parkway South Status: Town-initiated zoning map amendment / public hearing review Next Step: Confirm vote, minutes, media, effective date, and whether a concept plan follows. Who Should Watch: Landowners, developers, neighbors, housing advocates, industrial users, and investors. New London County CT Groton Item: REGA26-0004 Open Space Common Interest Communities Status: Follow-up text amendment listed on pending applications page Next Step: Review the exact proposed text and determine whether it clarifies, expands, or corrects the prior amendment. Who Should Watch: Owners of larger residential parcels, developers, engineers, planners, and land-use counsel. New London County CT Stonington Item: Draft 2026 Plan of Conservation and Development Status: Public review / public hearing scheduled Next Step: Watch for public comments, revisions, adoption timing, and implementation priorities. Who Should Watch: Property owners, village stakeholders, conservation groups, housing advocates, and coastal property owners. New London County CT East Lyme Item: Holmes Road 20-lot subdivision and subdivision regulation revisions Status: Parcel-level application and regulatory revisions in process Next Step: Track the subdivision outcome and the final language of regulation revisions. Who Should Watch: Builders, landowners, civil engineers, neighbors, and buyers watching future supply. Middlesex County CT Middletown Item: Z2026-4 housing-growth zoning code and map amendments Status: Approved Next Step: Watch how the approved code changes affect housing, parking, and redevelopment opportunities. Who Should Watch: Multifamily owners, mixed-use property owners, developers, and downtown investors. Washington County RI Narragansett Item: Comprehensive Plan Update Status: Public input / planning process underway Next Step: Watch for the next public workshop, draft updates, housing language, and coastal resilience priorities. Who Should Watch: Coastal property owners, investors, rental owners, municipal leaders, and residents concerned with growth. Newport County RI Tiverton Item: Seasons Corner Market major land development Status: Preliminary plan public hearing scheduled Next Step: Watch for Planning Board action, public comments, traffic discussion, and plan revisions. Who Should Watch: Commercial owners, corridor investors, neighbors, and retail-site operators. Middlesex County CT Old Saybrook Item: Housing Growth Plan transition and middle-housing requirements Status: Housing policy implementation watch Next Step: Track zoning updates, mixed-use apartment feasibility work, and Housing Growth Plan direction. Who Should Watch: Main Street owners, mixed-use property owners, shoreline investors, and housing advocates. Document Links to Watch These are the source links readers can use to go deeper. Where possible, we are linking directly to agendas, staff materials, pending application pages, proposed text, draft plans, public notices, and application materials. Some municipalities update packets, minutes, videos, and decision notices after the meeting, so these links should be revisited. Waterford Planning & Zoning Agenda Center July 28 P&Z Agenda: PL-26-13 PL-26-13 Staff Report / Application Materials Hearing Coverage / Plain-English Summary Watch next: meeting minutes, media link, final vote, effective date, and any revised map documents. Groton Pending Land Use Applications REGA26-0004 Narrative and Proposed Text Groton 2035 Full Working Draft Watch next: final text, meeting action, effective date, and application examples using the CIC framework. Stonington Draft POCD Public Hearing Notice 2026 Plan of Conservation and Development Page Watch next: public comments, revised draft, adoption timing, and implementation priorities. East Lyme July 14 Planning Commission Agenda Planning Commission 2026 Agendas Watch next: Holmes Road decision, subdivision regulation draft, public hearing continuation, and final adopted language. Middletown Planning & Zoning Applications Watch next: Z2026-4 implementation, amended zoning map language, parking changes, and housing-growth application activity. Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update Page Watch next: September workshop details, survey results, draft plan language, and housing / natural hazard priorities. Tiverton August 4 Planning Board Hearing Notice Planning Board Page Watch next: preliminary plan decision, plan revisions, traffic comments, and Planning Board conditions. Old Saybrook Affordable Housing Plan Progress Report Old Saybrook Land Use Department Watch next: middle-housing regulations, mixed-use apartment feasibility work, CMDA coordination, and Housing Growth Plan timing. The Short Version Issue 13 is about municipal control. Waterford is reframing a major land-use question through its own zoning map amendment. Groton is continuing to refine its Open Space Common Interest Community framework. Stonington and Narragansett are using long-range plans to shape future growth. East Lyme, Middletown, and Old Saybrook are working through the mechanics of housing policy. Tiverton shows that commercial land development remains part of the regional growth story. What We Reviewed This issue expands the scan across four counties: New London and Middlesex Counties in Connecticut, plus Washington and Newport Counties in Rhode Island. The goal is not to summarize every meeting in every town. The goal is to identify the municipal actions most likely to affect land value, housing supply, development feasibility, commercial demand, and long-term planning direction. The highest-impact items this cycle come from Waterford, Groton, Stonington, East Lyme, Middletown, Old Saybrook, Narragansett, and Tiverton. Other towns remain on the radar, but these items rose to the top based on timing, scale, policy direction, and likely real estate impact. Meeting & Source Links Town Meeting Minute is built from municipal agendas, meeting packets, pending-application pages, public hearing notices, plan-update pages, and related reporting. Meeting formats, source links, packet materials, outcomes, and public comment rules may change, so always confirm directly with the municipality before attending or relying on a meeting item. Waterford: 140 Waterford Parkway South Meeting: Waterford Planning & Zoning Commission Date: July 28, 2026 • 6:30 PM Item: PL-26-13 town-initiated zoning map amendment Status: Public hearing / application review Waterford July 28 P&Z Agenda PL-26-13 Staff Report / Application Materials Groton: Open Space CIC Follow-Up Source: Town of Groton Pending Land Use Applications Item: REGA26-0004 Open Space Common Interest Communities Related Status: Groton 2035 POCD listed as approved; 49 & 53 West Main commercial redevelopment listed as approved Groton Pending Land Use Applications REGA26-0004 Narrative and Proposed Text Stonington: Draft 2026 POCD Meeting: Planning & Zoning Commission Public Hearing Date: August 4, 2026 • 7:00 PM Location: Stonington BOE District Office, 204 Mistuxet Avenue, Mystic Stonington POCD Public Hearing Notice Stonington 2026 POCD Page East Lyme: Holmes Road & Subdivision Rules Meeting: East Lyme Planning Commission Date: July 14, 2026 • 7:00 PM Item: Holmes Road 20-lot subdivision and subdivision regulation revisions East Lyme July 14 Planning Agenda Middletown: Housing Growth Zoning Work Source: Middletown Planning & Zoning Applications Item: Z2026-4 zoning code/map amendments tied to Public Act 25-1 Status: Approved Middletown P&Z Applications Old Saybrook: Housing Plan Transition Source: Affordable Housing Plan Progress Report Item: Housing Growth Plan transition and middle-housing zoning requirements Old Saybrook AHP Progress Report Narragansett: Comprehensive Plan Update Source: Comprehensive Plan Update page Items: Land use, housing, natural resources, open space, economic development, transportation, hazards, and services Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update Tiverton: Seasons Corner Market Meeting: Tiverton Planning Board Public Hearing Date: August 4, 2026 • 6:30 PM Item: Major land development preliminary plan review Tiverton Planning Board Public Hearing Notice How the Seaport Impact Ranking Works Each item in Town Meeting Minute is assigned a Seaport Impact Score from 1 to 10. This is not an official municipal score, and it is not a prediction that an application, regulation, policy, or plan will be approved or denied. It is our internal editorial framework for evaluating how much a meeting item could matter to property owners, investors, developers, tenants, and the broader real estate market. The score is based on six factors: land value, housing supply, development feasibility, commercial demand, regulatory direction, and timing. The higher the score, the more likely the item is to influence market behavior, property positioning, future development potential, or long-term planning strategy. Land Value Could this change what a property is worth, how it is marketed, or what a buyer may be willing to pay? Housing Supply Could this create, restrict, redirect, or influence future residential units? Development Feasibility Could this affect whether a project can realistically be built based on zoning, infrastructure, cost, approvals, or site constraints? Commercial Demand Could this affect tenant demand, business expansion, corridor viability, or adaptive reuse potential? Regulatory Direction Does this show where the town may be heading on density, conservation, infrastructure, economic development, or housing policy? Timing Is there a hearing, vote, approval, appeal period, policy change, funding decision, or application milestone coming soon? How to read the score: Items scoring above 8 are high-impact signals that may influence broader market direction or future land-use strategy. Items between 6 and 8 are meaningful watch-list items. Items below 6 may still matter locally, but the likely market impact is narrower, more property-specific, or less immediate. Zoning amendments, public hearings, and planning documents often reveal where value may be shifting. Highest Impact Item 1. Waterford: The Town Rewrites the 140 Waterford Parkway South Conversation Public Hearing / Review Meeting: Waterford Planning & Zoning Commission • July 28, 2026 • 6:30 PM Application: PL-26-13 — Town-Initiated Zoning Map Amendment Seaport Impact Score: 9.6 / 10 — Very High Impact View Waterford Agenda View Staff Report / Application Materials Waterford remains the lead story for Issue 13 because the 140 Waterford Parkway South conversation did not end with the earlier rejection of the private rezoning request. It has now reappeared as a town-initiated zoning map amendment. What Happened The July 28 Planning & Zoning agenda centered on a proposed zoning map amendment for the approximately 188-acre property at 140 Waterford Parkway South. Unlike the earlier developer-led request, this version is being framed as a municipal zoning action. What Is Coming The next step is to verify the meeting outcome once official minutes or decisions are posted. At this stage, the key fact is that the town has taken ownership of the zoning framework rather than leaving the entire conversation inside a private development proposal. Why This Could Change the Game This is a major shift. Waterford is not simply deciding whether to accept or reject a housing concept. It is deciding how much industrial land should remain, where multifamily may belong, where lower-density residential may transition, and how a large constrained parcel should fit into the town’s long-term land-use structure. Seaport Read The town-initiated approach may become a model for how municipalities handle large, controversial, housing-capable parcels. Rather than waiting for applicants to define the debate, towns may increasingly attempt to write the framework first. 2. Groton: Open Space Common Interest Communities Are Still Evolving Follow-Up Text Amendment Source: Town of Groton Pending Land Use Applications Item: REGA26-0004 — Open Space Common Interest Communities Related Items: Groton 2035 POCD approved; 49 & 53 West Main Street commercial redevelopment approved Seaport Impact Score: 9.3 / 10 — Very High Impact View Groton Pending Applications View REGA26-0004 Proposed Text Groton remains one of the most important land-use communities in the region. The prior Open Space Common Interest Community amendment was already approved, and now REGA26-0004 appears as a follow-up item on the Town’s pending land-use page. What Happened Groton’s pending application page now lists REGA26-0004, while also showing the 2026 Draft Plan of Conservation and Development as approved. The same page shows commercial redevelopment at 49 and 53 West Main Street as approved, 7 Brew Coffee at 731 Long Hill Road as withdrawn, Lucky Dog Training Facility at 800 Flanders Road as pending, and soil excavation/remediation at 901 Route 12 as approved. What Is Coming The key due diligence item is the exact proposed text for REGA26-0004. The presence of a follow-up Open Space CIC item suggests the framework may be getting clarified, refined, or expanded. That matters for larger parcels, including land that may be evaluated through a more flexible planning lens. Why This Could Change the Game Groton has the employment base, housing demand, land constraints, and infrastructure questions that make land-use regulation especially important. A more refined Open Space CIC tool could change how larger parcels are valued and marketed. Seaport Read Groton is not just reacting to housing demand. It is building tools that could shape the next development cycle. For landowners, the important question is where the new framework can realistically apply. 3. Stonington: The POCD Public Hearing Is the Long-Range Value Story Public Hearing Scheduled Meeting: Stonington Planning & Zoning Commission • August 4, 2026 • 7:00 PM Item: Draft 2026 Plan of Conservation and Development Location: Stonington BOE District Office, 204 Mistuxet Avenue, Mystic Seaport Impact Score: 8.9 / 10 — High Impact View Stonington POCD Notice View Stonington 2026 POCD Page Stonington’s Draft 2026 Plan of Conservation and Development has moved into public review, with a public hearing scheduled for August 4. The Town describes the overarching theme as “Nurture, Celebrate, and Sustain Stonington.” What Happened The draft POCD was prepared, found substantially complete by the Planning & Zoning Commission, filed with the Town Clerk, and posted for public review. What Is Coming The public hearing is the important next step. This is where housing need, preservation, coastal resilience, village character, conservation, infrastructure, and economic development are brought into the same long-range policy document. Seaport Read Stonington is one of the most constrained and valuable markets in the region. The POCD will not determine one project by itself, but it will shape the language future projects must respond to. 4. East Lyme: Holmes Road and the Mechanics of Growth Subdivision / Regulation Work Meeting: East Lyme Planning Commission • July 14, 2026 • 7:00 PM Items: Holmes Road 20-lot subdivision and subdivision regulation revisions Seaport Impact Score: 8.2 / 10 — High Impact View East Lyme Agenda East Lyme continues to be an implementation story. The July 14 agenda includes a 20-lot subdivision on approximately 12.67 acres on Holmes Road, along with ongoing subdivision regulation revisions. What Happened The Holmes Road application brings the housing conversation to a parcel-level review. At the same time, the town is reviewing subdivision regulation sections involving waivers, water and sewer mains, test pits, sanitation reports, water supply reports, potable water, underground utilities, open space, easements, water systems, and sewerage systems. Why This Matters Subdivision rules determine the economics. They affect lot yield, site costs, approval timing, infrastructure obligations, and whether housing can actually be delivered. Seaport Read East Lyme may not have the largest single project this issue, but it has one of the most important planning themes: the details that determine whether housing policy becomes actual supply. 5. Middletown: Housing Growth Compliance Moves Through the Code Approved Source: Middletown Planning & Zoning Commission Applications Item: Z2026-4 — zoning code and map amendments tied to Public Act 25-1 Related Item: Active Adult Housing regulation amendment approved Seaport Impact Score: 8.0 / 10 — High Impact View Middletown P&Z Applications Middletown gives us the Middlesex County version of the housing-growth story. Its Planning & Zoning application page lists Z2026-4 as approved, describing amendments to multiple sections of the zoning code and zoning map to comply with the housing and parking mandate in Public Act 25-1. What Happened The application page also lists an approved amendment related to Active Adult Housing regulations. Together, these items show that Middletown is moving housing policy into code language. Why This Matters Zoning compliance is not just a legal exercise. It can affect where new housing forms are permitted, how parking is handled, and how property owners think about future redevelopment options. Seaport Read Middletown is a key Middlesex County market to watch because its scale, institutions, downtown, and infrastructure make housing-policy implementation especially relevant. 6. Narragansett: Comprehensive Planning Becomes the Coastal Housing Lens Comprehensive Plan Update Source: Town of Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update Recent Items: July 8 Town Council / Planning Board work session; July 13 public workshop Seaport Impact Score: 7.7 / 10 — Meaningful Regional Impact View Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update Narragansett is updating its Comprehensive Plan, with housing, land use, natural resources, open space, transportation, hazards, services, and economic development all listed as planning elements. What Happened The Town held a Town Council / Planning Board work session on July 8 and a public workshop on July 13. The public survey was scheduled to close July 31, with another public workshop tentatively planned for September. Why This Matters Coastal Rhode Island towns face the same tension we are seeing in coastal Connecticut: housing demand, limited land, environmental sensitivity, infrastructure pressure, and the desire to preserve community character. Seaport Read Narragansett is a Washington County marker for how coastal communities may frame housing and growth through long-range planning rather than project-by-project debate alone. 7. Tiverton: Commercial Land Development Remains Part of the Growth Story Public Hearing Scheduled Meeting: Tiverton Planning Board • August 4, 2026 • 6:30 PM Project: Seasons Corner Market Type: Major Land Development — Preliminary Plan Review Seaport Impact Score: 7.1 / 10 — Watch List View Tiverton Public Hearing Notice Tiverton’s August 4 Planning Board hearing involves a major land-development preliminary plan review for a proposed Seasons Corner Market at the northeast intersection of Main and Souza Road. What Happened The notice describes a proposed convenience store with a drive-through coffee shop and gasoline filling station with four fueling pumps in the Pedestrian Friendly Zoning District and General Commercial Zoning District. Why This Matters Not every high-impact land-use item is residential. Commercial nodes, drive-through uses, fuel, convenience retail, and corridor design all influence how growth is absorbed and how nearby land is valued. Seaport Read Tiverton is the Newport County reminder that growth pressure is not only about housing units. It is also about how towns manage commercial convenience uses, traffic, corridor identity, and redevelopment patterns. 8. Old Saybrook: Middle Housing and the Housing Plan Transition Housing Policy Watch Source: Old Saybrook Affordable Housing Plan Progress Report Item: Housing Growth Plan transition and middle-housing requirements Seaport Impact Score: 7.0 / 10 — Watch List View Old Saybrook AHP Progress Report Old Saybrook’s adopted affordable-housing progress report flags an important policy transition. The report explains that the future Housing Growth Plan will guide strategies, and it notes required zoning updates related to middle housing and parking restrictions. Why This Matters Old Saybrook sits at the intersection of shoreline value, limited land supply, transit access, seasonal demand, and housing pressure. Even small zoning changes can matter when applied to commercial and mixed-use areas. Seaport Read Old Saybrook belongs on the watch list because the next housing conversation may not look like large subdivisions. It may show up through middle housing, mixed-use zones, parking rules, and incremental redevelopment. Other Items on Our Radar Norwich Norwich remains a strong adaptive-reuse and infill market to monitor. Prior agenda items involving mixed-use renovation, accessory housing, shelter use, commercial pad reuse, and subdivision extensions remain relevant, but did not displace the higher-impact regional items in this issue. Ledyard Ledyard’s review of whether to separate the Planning Commission and Zoning Commission remains a governance-capacity item. It matters because review structure can influence how effectively a town handles future development pressure. Westerly Westerly remains on the Rhode Island watch list for housing, land use, planning-board activity, and coastal-market pressure. This cycle did not produce a top-ranking item from the source material reviewed, but the town should remain in the scan. Portsmouth / Newport County Portsmouth’s Planning Board calendar showed a July meeting cancellation during this scan, but Newport County remains important because housing, military-related demand, tourism, coastal resilience, and redevelopment constraints all affect long-term land-use pressure. This issue expands the scan across New London, Middlesex, Washington, and Newport Counties. Issue 13 Impact Rankings The rankings below are based on potential market impact, not political importance or likelihood of approval. A lower-ranked item may still be highly important to a specific neighborhood, property owner, applicant, or community group. Rank County Town Item Score Why It Matters 1 New London CT Waterford Town-Initiated 140 Waterford Parkway South Zoning Framework 9.6 The town is reframing a major housing and industrial land-use question through its own zoning map amendment. 2 New London CT Groton REGA26-0004 Open Space Common Interest Communities 9.3 A follow-up CIC amendment could refine a major tool for larger residential parcels and land-value analysis. 3 New London CT Stonington Draft 2026 POCD Public Hearing 8.9 Long-range policy could shape housing, preservation, resilience, village development, and coastal land value. 4 New London CT East Lyme Holmes Road Subdivision and Subdivision Regulation Revisions 8.2 The mechanics of growth are moving through subdivision rules and parcel-level review. 5 Middlesex CT Middletown Housing Growth Zoning Code and Map Amendments 8.0 Public Act 25-1 compliance is moving into zoning language, with implications for housing and parking rules. 6 Washington RI Narragansett Comprehensive Plan Update 7.7 Coastal housing, land use, natural resources, economic development, and hazard planning are being evaluated together. 7 Newport RI Tiverton Seasons Corner Market Major Land Development 7.1 Commercial corridor development, fuel, convenience retail, and drive-through uses remain important land-use signals. 8 Middlesex CT Old Saybrook Middle Housing and Housing Growth Plan Transition 7.0 Middle housing, mixed-use zoning, and parking limits could affect shoreline redevelopment options. The common thread is control: towns are shaping how growth is reviewed, supported, limited, and absorbed. The Big Picture Issue 13 shows that municipal governments are becoming more active authors of the real estate story. Some towns are initiating zoning map changes. Others are refining newly adopted regulations, advancing POCDs, working through subdivision rules, implementing housing-growth legislation, or evaluating how commercial development fits into evolving corridors. The common thread is control. Towns are trying to determine not simply whether growth happens, but how it happens, where it happens, what infrastructure must support it, and how it fits the identity of the community. Seaport Takeaway: The next opportunity may not be found only by watching listings. It may be found by watching which towns are rewriting the rules before the market catches up. Why We Track This At Seaport Real Estate Services, we believe the best real estate advice starts before a property hits the market. Municipal agendas, zoning text amendments, map changes, public hearing notices, water and sewer studies, POCD updates, and subdivision regulations often reveal where value is being created, constrained, or redirected. That is why we read the packets, track the meetings, and look for the connection between public policy and private real estate value. Have a Property That Could Be Impacted? If you own land, commercial property, multifamily property, or a redevelopment site in New London County, Middlesex County, Washington County, or Newport County, municipal decisions may already be affecting your property’s future value. Seaport Real Estate Services helps property owners, investors, developers, and municipalities understand how zoning, infrastructure, market demand, and land-use policy intersect. Contact Seaport Real Estate Services to discuss how local planning decisions may affect your property. Public Access Note: Meeting formats, agenda materials, application documents, hearing dates, public comment rules, voting outcomes, appeal periods, and online links may change. Readers should confirm all meeting details and application statuses directly with the applicable municipality before attending, watching, relying on, or submitting comment on any public meeting.

What a Home Actually Costs to Own in CT & RI: 208 Towns Compared

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 03:36:00 -0400

2026 Property Tax Report · Connecticut The list price tells you what a home costs to buy. It says nothing about what it costs to own — and in 2026, that second number is where Connecticut buyers get surprised. The same home, one town line apart, can carry a tax bill that differs by well over a thousand dollars a month. 10.85 Lowest rate(Washington) 68.95 Highest rate(Hartford) 28.39 Statewidemedian 169 Towns inthis report The number most buyers never check Everyone shopping for a home watches the price. Far fewer ask the question that actually sets the monthly payment: what’s the property tax? In Connecticut, the answer comes from the town’s mill rate — the dollars of tax charged per $1,000 of assessed value — and it varies more than almost anywhere in the country. The mechanics are simple. Connecticut assesses every home at 70 of its market value, then applies the local mill rate. A $400,000 home has an assessed value of $280,000; multiply by the mill rate and divide by 1,000 for the annual tax. But because the rate ranges from under 11 mills to nearly 69 across the state, that simple math produces wildly different outcomes town to town. The same $415,000 home, taxed across Connecticut Take one home priced at $415,000 — near the statewide median — and drop it into each town without changing anything else. The tax bill is a different animal in every one. $263 → $1,669 Monthly property tax on the same $415,000 home — from Washington at the low end to Hartford at the high. That’s a swing of roughly $1,400 a month, nearly $17,000 a year, decided by nothing but the town line. Over a ten-year hold, that gap alone is the difference between about $32,000 and $200,000 handed to the tax collector — on identical houses. It’s the single biggest reason we tell buyers to underwrite the tax before they fall for the price. Cheap to buy often means expensive to own You’d assume the lowest-priced towns would be the cheapest to live in. Statewide, the opposite is frequently true. Measured as a share of what a home actually sells for — the true effective tax rate — many modest-priced markets carry the heaviest load, while some of the priciest carry the lightest. The extremes tell the story: Washington taxes its homes at just 0.76 of value, the lightest in Connecticut, while Hartford reaches 4.83, the heaviest. A dollar of home in Hartford carries more than six times the annual tax it would in Washington. Between those poles sit 167 other towns — and the table below lets you find any of them. Every Connecticut town, ranked and searchable Search for your town, filter by county, or sort any column. The bar beside each effective rate shows where that town falls on the statewide scale, from lightest (green) to heaviest (amber). Town County Mill Rate Median Price Annual Tax Effective Rate Next Reval Districts No towns match your search. · Official CT OPM rates, FY 2025–2026 (Grand List Oct 1, 2024) · town rate only — see districts below The tax that isn’t in the mill rate Every figure above is the town rate. For roughly half of Connecticut, that is the whole bill. For the other half, it isn’t. Connecticut has 320 special taxing districts spread across 89 of its 169 towns — fire districts, boroughs, sewer and improvement districts, beach and lake associations. Each levies on top of the town rate and bills separately, and most buyers never hear about them until a second envelope arrives. +61.32 Mills added by the Lakeridge Tax District in Torrington — on top of the town’s own 38.45. A parcel inside it pays a combined 99.77 mills, which is more than Hartford, the “highest” town in the table above. Lakeridge is the extreme, but the effect is ordinary. In Groton, a house in the Poquonock Bridge Fire District pays 29.51 mills against the town’s 24.81 — moving its effective rate from 1.74 to 2.07, which is the difference between a middling tax town and a heavy one. Neighbours on the same street can sit on opposite sides of the line. Three things about districts catch people out: They overlap. A parcel in the City of Groton can also sit in the Groton Sewer District. Stonington Borough and the Stonington Fire District are separate levies on ground that overlaps. You are not choosing one from a list; you can be in several, and they add together. Some charge a flat fee instead of a rate. Nineteen of them bill a fixed dollar amount a year regardless of what the house is worth — $675 in Watertown’s Lake Winnemaug Association, $550 in Madison’s Lee Manor. A flat charge is regressive against a modest house and trivial against an expensive one. They cluster where you least expect. Greenwich has twenty-nine districts, more than any other town in the state. Westport has sixteen, Branford fourteen, Stonington eleven. These are not struggling municipalities bolting on levies — they are places where private roads, beaches and sewers get funded parcel by parcel. Find the districts in your town Type a town to see every district OPM lists for it, with the rate each one adds. Whether a specific address falls inside one is a question only the assessor can answer — but this tells you whether there is anything to ask about. · CT OPM special taxing district rates, FY 2025–2026 Our Connecticut Property Tax & Affordability Tool lets you tick every district that applies to a parcel and adds them to the bill properly — including the flat-fee ones. If you’re buying in 2026, watch the revaluation clock A point of confusion we clear up constantly: your purchase price does not become your assessment. Connecticut doesn’t tax you on what you paid. You inherit the town’s existing assessment — 70 of appraised value from its last townwide revaluation — and that figure holds for the full five-year cycle. Buying doesn’t trigger a reassessment of your one home. Instead, your sale becomes a comparable the assessor studies at the next townwide revaluation — so the price catches up on the town’s schedule, not at your closing. The “Next Reval” column above shows exactly when that clock strikes for each town. If yours reads 2026, assessments there are being recalculated to today’s market right now. One exception worth knowing: New Milford assesses primary residences at 60 rather than the usual 70. Same house, same mill rate, a materially lighter bill if you live there — and the full ratio if it’s a second home. Our backyard: the southeastern shoreline Close to home, the shoreline tells a clear story. The premium coastal towns — Lyme, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, Stonington, Essex — carry high prices but remarkably light effective rates, near 1.0–1.3. You pay more up front, far less to hold. The value markets and cities run the other way: lower entry prices, steeper annual carry. Southeastern CT · lightest to hold Lyme · New London County · 14.50 mills 1.01 Old Saybrook · Middlesex County · 15.50 mills 1.08 Old Lyme · New London County · 16.23 mills 1.14 Stonington · New London County · 18.18 mills 1.27 Essex · Middlesex County · 18.63 mills 1.30 Town rates only. Four of these five towns contain special districts — Old Lyme has six beach associations, Stonington eleven districts, Lyme one, Old Saybrook eight. A shoreline parcel inside one carries more than the figure shown. And the shoreline doesn’t stop at the state line. If your search runs east into Rhode Island — Westerly, Watch Hill, Narragansett, Newport — the tax math changes entirely: Rhode Island assesses at nearly 100 of value, taxes homes and commercial property at different rates, and now adds a state surcharge on high-value second homes. We built a companion Rhode Island Property Tax & Affordability Tool for exactly that stretch of coast. Run any home, any town — in seconds Enter a price and a town in our free tool. See the 2026 property tax, any districts that apply, the town’s affordability profile, and when its assessments next change. No sign-up. Open the CT Property Tax & Affordability Tool → Buying across the border? Try our Rhode Island tool → What this means for your move If you’re buying, put the tax and the revaluation year into your underwriting from day one — not as a surprise at closing. Ask the assessor whether the parcel sits in a district before you write the offer, because that answer can move the monthly number by hundreds. Choosing the right town can be worth thousands a year on the same home. If you’re selling in a low-rate town with no district, that’s part of your home’s competitive story and belongs in the marketing. And if you’re weighing the shoreline against the value towns, know that you’re really choosing between a higher entry price with a light annual carry, or a lower entry price with a steeper one. At Seaport Advisory, we weigh mill rates alongside median price, effective tax rate, district levies, revaluation timing, and local affordability to give you the full cost-of-ownership picture across Connecticut — so the home that looks affordable actually is. Posted by Tim Bray · Seaport Advisory Mill rates are the official Connecticut Office of Policy and Management FY 2025–2026 primary real property rates (Grand List of October 1, 2024), all 169 towns. Median sale prices reflect current Market Pulse data. Revaluation years are from the CT OPM schedule under Public Act 22-74, adjusted for town-level deferrals. Effective rates apply each town’s mill rate to its median sale price at the 70 assessment ratio and will differ for any individual home; New Milford assesses primary residences at 60. Special taxing district rates are the OPM FY 2025–2026 published figures. Districts levy on top of the town rate, bill separately, and can overlap, so a single parcel may sit in more than one — and most parcels in a town with districts sit in none of them. Nineteen districts bill a flat annual charge rather than a mill rate, and six set a variable rate OPM does not publish as a single figure. Whether any district applies to a specific address is a question for the town assessor. Verify any figure with the assessor. Not tax or legal advice.

Rhode Island 50 Rule: RIGL 23-27.3-106 Explained

tbray@seaportre.com (Tim Bray) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:59:00 -0400

Rhode Island · Renovation Limits Rhode Island’s 50 Rule Applies to Every Building in the State Not just homes on the water. It’s written into state law, it runs on a fixed twelve-month clock, and it has three tiers — not one line. Seaport Advisory · Southern Rhode Island & Southeastern Connecticut Most people first hear about the 50 rule in a flood context — renovate a house past a certain point and the whole structure has to be brought up to current flood standards. That version is real, and it comes from the federal flood insurance program. Rhode Island has its own, and it is broader. It sits in the state building code rather than in a local flood ordinance, which means it reaches a farmhouse in Hopkinton the same way it reaches a cottage in Charlestown. If you own property here and you are planning work, that distinction is the first thing worth understanding. 01 — The Statute What is Rhode Island’s 50 rule? Under RIGL 23-27.3-106, if alterations or repairs within any twelve-month period cost more than 50 of the building’s physical value, the code’s requirements for new structures apply. The same threshold applies to damage — fire, storm, or anything else. What makes the Rhode Island version distinctive is that it isn’t a single line you either cross or don’t. There are three bands, and each one carries a different consequence. Under 25 · RIGL 23-27.3-106.4 Restore in kind. The building official may permit repair using materials of equal quality to the original. 25 to 50 · RIGL 23-27.3-106.3 The official’s discretion. The building official determines how far the altered portions must conform. Outcomes vary by town and by inspector. Over 50 · RIGL 23-27.3-106.1 New-construction code. The whole structure has to meet current requirements. In a flood zone, that means elevation. That middle band is where most renovations actually land, and it is the least predictable of the three. Two owners doing similar work in different towns can get meaningfully different answers. 02 — The Clock Twelve months, statewide In Connecticut the period over which costs get added up is set town by town, and it ranges from a single permit to the life of the building. Rhode Island removed that variable: the window is twelve months, everywhere. That cuts both ways. It is predictable, which is genuinely useful when you are planning. But it also means work you have already done this year counts against the work you are about to do, regardless of how many separate permits it was pulled under. Before you scope anything, pull the property’s permit history. The building official will. 03 — The Trap The furnace only counts inside the flood zone This is the provision almost nobody knows about, and it is the one most likely to change your answer. Outside a mapped flood hazard area, the building official excludes non-permit items — painting, decorating, landscaping, fees — when computing the percentage. Inside a flood hazard area, that relief is not available. Your full construction budget counts, mechanical systems included. Same contract, same scope. Only the flood map changed. There is a second piece to this. The statute requires physical value to be based on current market value — established by an appraiser, estimator, or real estate broker — rather than replacement cost. Those two numbers can be far apart on an older coastal home, and the difference decides whether a project clears the threshold or trips it. Most owners default to whatever figure is easiest to find. When that number understates the building, a defensible valuation is the most effective legitimate lever available. 04 — The Advantage Rhode Island doesn’t count the height you add If a project does trip the threshold in a flood zone, elevation is usually what follows. And here Rhode Island is meaningfully better to work in than Connecticut. Under RIGL 45-24-31, building height for a property in a mapped flood zone is measured from base flood elevation, and freeboard up to five feet is excluded from the height calculation. You may also use a CRMC Design Elevation Map to establish a higher design elevation than the FEMA panel shows. Same house, same lift. Only the measuring point differs. In Connecticut there is no statewide equivalent, so raising a house often pushes it past the district height limit and into a zoning variance. In Rhode Island, elevating generally does not consume your allowable height. It is one of the few places where the rules here are more permissive than across the Pawcatuck. 05 — Also In Play Three things that run alongside CRMC review is separate, and can be stricter Work on a coastal feature, or generally within 200 feet of one or of tidal waters, requires a CRMC Assent. That review runs in parallel with the local determination — clearing one does not clear the other. In South County that catches a great deal of the inventory. Freeboard: one foot is the floor, not the norm The state building code baseline is one foot above base flood elevation. Local ordinances and CRMC design elevations frequently push coastal properties to two feet or more. Confirm the number for your specific parcel rather than assuming the minimum. Not every town earns you a flood insurance discount Westerly, Charlestown, Narragansett, Newport, and Bristol participate in FEMA’s Community Rating System at Class 7, worth roughly a 15 premium discount. North Kingstown and Warwick are at Class 9. Several South County towns do not participate at all — worth knowing before you quote an owner a number. 06 — Next Steps Three questions for your building official 1 What structure value will you accept, and from whom? 2 How much freeboard above base flood elevation does this town require? 3 What permit history is already on file for this property? That third question matters more than people expect. The permit file is how the twelve-month window gets reconstructed, and the official will look at it whether you do or not. Run Your Numbers See which tier your project falls into. The calculator applies the flood zone carve-out automatically, shows how much headroom you have before the 50 line, and gives you your town’s CRS status and contact. Open the RI 50 Rule Calculator → Working in Connecticut? The rules there differ enough to need their own tool → None of this replaces the determination your building official makes, and CRMC may have its own view. But knowing which tier you are in, and which questions decide it, is the difference between a renovation that goes to plan and one that stops partway through. Seaport Real Estate Services advises buyers, sellers, and owners across southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. If you are weighing a renovation on or near the water, reach out — we would rather talk it through before the scope is set than after. This article is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Statutory citations are to RIGL Title 23 Chapter 27.3 and RIGL 45-24-31; confirm current text and any town-specific figure with the municipality, the building official, and CRMC before relying on it.