Years on, a Bible camp and Barrington remain at odds over boat launch

Ayers Lake in Barrington remains at the center of a long-running dispute over a boat launch access point, with Camp Fireside and town officials still in conflict. The controversy involves a narrow shoreline area at the lake’s northern end, where a gravel road runs very close to the water, and where for decades visitors reportedly used the spot without Camp Fireside’s permission. Camp Fireside, a Christian camp founded in 1952 that serves about 100 kids, says it has ownership rights, while Barrington argues road proximity gives the town rights. Last fall, despite objections from the camp and a local lake association, the town obtained a permit to widen and grade the slope to the shoreline. That decision is now under appeal before the state regulatory agency that approved it, with camp officials citing child safety and environmental protection concerns.