06/05/10 - More than four years after a deadlocked Coastal Resources Management Council denied the Champlin’s Marina expansion, the council began a new set of hearings on the matter Thursday night.

And, as it was four years ago, Narragansett Town Hall again served as the venue.

In those four years the case has taken many twists and turns. The marina’s Superior Court appeal of the denial led to a reversal that allowed a three-acre expansion 170 feet seaward into Block Island’s Great Salt Pond; in the process the Superior Court judge rescinded three of the 10 CRMC votes on the expansion for alleged improper procedure and bias. That decision was challenged in state Supreme Court, which ordered the application sent back to CRMC to expand the record to include the so-called “Goulet Plan” — an alternative expansion design created by CRMC staff member Dan Goulet.

The plan became controversial because it was never formally entered into the official record, and the marina’s lawyers suggested in Superior Court that it was evidence that the CRMC leadership was working with the governor and the town to undermine the marina.

Thursday’s hearing, which lasted a little more than two hours, was taken up primarily with Champlin’s attorney Robert Goldberg questioning Goulet.

Goulet, an engineer who said he had designed approximately 10 marinas while in private practice, explained that he had attempted to come up with a general scheme that would call upon the marina to better utilize its existing footprint. This included expansion in the western, landward section of the marina. The marina has previously argued that the western area was too shallow and would require expensive dredging.

Goldberg repeatedly questioned Goulet about how he had arrived at the design and how exactly it would work.

Goulet, in turn, explained that he had simply taken into account the perimeter of the current marina and the number of boats that Champlin’s wanted to add.

Goulet said he focused more on a westward expansion utilizing acreage that is already within the marina’s boundaries rather than the proposed 240 feet seaward thrust into public trust waters.

He calculated the density from an aerial photo of a full marina taken on a previous July 4. “I didn’t put a [dock] layout so we didn’t have to split hairs,” Goulet said.

He purposely avoided adding more detail, he explained, leaving that for the marina’s owner.

He also said sizes of boats and their drafts vary, that’s why he didn’t provide more detail.

Goulet said he took the basic boat dimensions from Soundings magazine.

“Rather than pick a fight for a layout, I just did boat count and perimeter,” Goulet said.

Goldberg continued to pepper Goulet with questions about how the design would actually be laid out, seemingly trying Goulet’s patience.

“As I said for the sixth time,” Goulet responded, “I did not commit to any specific plan, that is up to the marina owner.”

He continued: “How you lay this area out is up to [Champlin’s owner Joseph] Grillo. It is totally up to him, how he would like to use the area,” which is now used for a dinghy dock and bumper boats.

Eventually, Chairman Paul Lemont (who stood in for CRMC Chairman Michael Tikoian, who was barred from taking part by the Supreme Court decision; though his original vote was rescinded by the Superior Court, Lemont was exonerated by the Supreme Court) said, “Mr. Goldberg, it is futile asking the same question again and again.”

Goldberg responded, “I would agree Mr. Chairman, it’s futile asking the same question again and again.”

The hearing ended because one of the council members was feeling ill. While the hearings will continue, no dates have been announced due to summer time scheduling conflicts.