A plan to build a gangway, pier, and dock over protected wetlands on Long Island Sound has stalled after more than two and a half years of review, with Rye's Conservation Commission twice declaring the proposal "unacceptable" and the Planning Commission demanding more answers from the property owner.
John Werwaiss, whose family lives in the $15 million, five-bedroom home at 1001 Forest Ave., wants to cross the wetlands separating his 2.58-acre property from the water. The current proposal, submitted in late 2025, calls for a permanent pier, an aluminum gangway, and a seasonal dock extending 85 feet from shore, according to the Rye Record's reporting on the application.
Werwaiss first filed with regulators in late 2023 through his LLC, 1001 Forest Avenue Rye LLC, which purchased the property in May 2022. He has revised the plan multiple times, scaling back how far the structure would extend into the sound. The applicant says the project has received state and federal approvals, but the Rye City Planning Commission has not signed off.
Conservation Commission says code bars the project
The Rye Conservation Commission/Advisory Council, which advises the Planning Commission on wetlands permits under City Code Chapter 195, issued advisories in January 2026 and June 2026 calling the application "unacceptable."
In January, the advisory council argued that the proposed pier, gangway, and dock are not allowed under Rye Wetland Permit No. 001, issued by the Planning Commission in 1993. That permit was the first wetlands permit issued in Rye, according to the Rye Record. The council also contended that walkway and patio improvements on the property were made without proper permits.
In its June 2026 advisory, the Conservation Commission stated that the applicant's desire for more convenient water access does not change the city code's obligation to minimize disturbance within the wetland and its 100-foot buffer zone to the maximum extent practicable.
Applicant's attorney disputes findings
In a June 2026 memo to the Planning Commission, attorney Leo Napior, who represents Werwaiss, disagreed with the Conservation Commission's position. Napior argued that existing permits and wetlands regulations do not bar the proposed accessway and dock. He wrote that the bluestone walkway and patio improvements found objectionable had been made before his client bought the property, and that Werwaiss would consider changing the pathway if the Planning Commission asked.
The Planning Commission rejected those arguments and instructed Napior to provide a more detailed response to the Conservation Commission's concerns, particularly regarding restoration of the wetlands area.
Planning Commission Chairman Nick Everett called the issues "extremely complicated," citing the long history of wetlands control questions about the property.
Werwaiss and Napior did not respond to requests for comment from the Rye Record.
Neighbors oppose the structure
Several Forest Avenue residents have fought the proposal in writing. Neighbors Young Kim and Timothy Mueller, of 979 Forest Ave., sent a January 2026 letter to the Planning Commission contending that the current owners had substantial unpermitted work done on the property in March 2024. They included photos of workers on the site.
"I suppose it would be great to have access to the water 24/7, but we live on a tidal cove and need to respect Mother Nature," Kim wrote in that January 2026 letter. "Frankly, low tide is my favorite time because the view with the rock formations that materialize are otherworldly. I'd hate for that view to be forever marred by a permanent pier, an aluminum gangway, and a seasonal dock extending 85 feet from shore."
Next-door neighbors Lena and Dan Matthison, of 999 Forest Ave., submitted a four-and-a-half-page letter in February 2024 opposing an earlier, larger version of the proposal.
What's next
No date has been set for the Planning Commission's next meeting on the 1001 Forest Ave. matter. Residents can check the City of Rye Planning Commission page for schedule updates.
