Home Industries Law Neronha sues Quidnessett Country Club over seawall on Narragansett Bay shoreline

Neronha sues Quidnessett Country Club over seawall on Narragansett Bay shoreline

By

Matthew McNulty

-

05/12/2026

06-12-24QuidnessettSeawall-17 — THE UNPERMITTED SEAWALL along Narragansett Bay at Quidnessett Country Club that Attorney General Neronha says was built without approval and has not been removed despite state orders. / COURTESY OF SAVE THE BAY VIA THE RHODE ISLAND CURRENT

PROVIDENCE – R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha filed a lawsuit against Quidnessett Country Club on Tuesday, accusing the private golf club of building an unpermitted seawall along Narragansett Bay, which it has refused to remove despite prior state orders. The complaint, filed in Providence County Superior Court, claims the seawall was constructed without required

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PROVIDENCE – R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha filed a lawsuit against Quidnessett Country Club on Tuesday, accusing the private golf club of building an unpermitted seawall along Narragansett Bay, which it has refused to remove despite prior state orders.

The complaint, filed in Providence County Superior Court, claims the seawall was constructed without required approvals and remains in place in violation of state environmental law and regulatory directives from the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council.

The attorney general’s office is seeking removal of the structure and restoration of the shoreline.

According to the complaint, CRMC inspectors first identified the unauthorized seawall in August 2023 along the club’s golf course shoreline and determined that vegetation had been removed and tidal areas filled with stone and other material.

The agency later issued notices of violation and a cease-and-desist order.

State regulators subsequently ordered the club to remove the materials, submit a restoration plan and restore the affected coastal area, according to the filing. The office alleges those directives were not fully carried out, and that the seawall remains in place.

“Quidnessett Country Club has engaged in actions that not only erode our shorelines, but also erode the rule of law,” Neronha said in a statement. He added that Rhode Island’s coastline and public access to it must be protected from unlawful development.

The case is being handled by attorneys in the Attorney General’s Energy and Environmental Unit.

The Attorney General’s Office also referenced prior enforcement actions, saying the case reflects continued efforts to prevent unauthorized coastal construction and protect public trust resources.

CRMC previously denied a request by the club to reclassify the adjacent waters, according to the complaint, and later issued a formal enforcement order in June 2025 requiring removal of the structure and restoration of the site.

That order is being challenged in separate Superior Court proceedings, and the seawall remains in place while litigation continues.

Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.