NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — A judge in Rhode Island has dismissed an appeal filed by a neighborhood association seeking to reverse the Newport Zoning Board’s approval of a proposed welcome center at The Breakers.
The Providence Journal reports Superior Court Judge Walter Stone ruled Monday that the Bellevue-Ochre Point Neighborhood Association didn’t have the legal authority to challenge the board’s January approval of the multimillion-dollar welcome center at the famous Gilded Age mansion built by the Vanderbilt family.
The $4.2 million welcome center will feature ticketing to the mansion and other buildings on the grounds, restrooms and food for visitors.
The Preservation Society of Newport County says the judge’s decision should be the final go-ahead to begin construction on the 3,700-square-foot structure.
