Proposed fishing pier on Deer Island sparks protests

WINTHROP, Mass. — A proposed fishing pier on Deer Island has prompted concerned residents to protests against the initiative.

Residents showed up to a town council meeting on Tuesday night armed with pickets, ready to voice their opposition to the proposed project.

People who live in the Point Shirley area of Winthrop say that the pier will attract more traffic and crime to the area, and without a security plan, they don't think the development is necessary.

"When something is open without adequate security, that is a problem," said John Stasio, a Winthrop resident. "If someone falls over the side and you don't have an emergency responder on the island, someone will die."

The group's main concern about the safety implications of a proposed 250-foot tall saltwater fishing pier off Deer Island that's been in the works since 2015.

"It's not that we're saying no pier, no parking, we're saying 'no security?' no pier," said Stasio.

Fred Laskey, the executive director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which owns the land for the proposed pier, says it's one of the safest outdoor recreational hotspots in the area.

"From the coldest day of winter to the hottest day of summer, people [are] walking around, people [are] kayaking, people [are] fishing," said Laskey.

State officials say they're making concessions to ease concerns, such as adding security patrols, 911 call boxes, video surveillance and enhanced lighting.

"The MWRA has agreed to put in added security cameras, to put in those blue call boxes, like [the ones on] college campuses," said Laskey. "We've really beefed up security just to deal with the perception that it's unsafe."

Construction on the $1.5 million dollar project also calls for an additional 20 parking spaces.

Now that the money has been appropriated and the design phase is wrapping up, the MWRA expects the construction to begin later this summer.

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