East Providence Council approves revisions to waterfront district development ordinance

Planning Director Feather sites desire to expedite process, update parameters

By Mike Rego
Posted 5/22/19

EAST PROVIDENCE — The City Council at its Tuesday, May 21, meeting gave final passage to a series of amendments to what was considered a dated ordinance originally conceived to determine the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


East Providence Council approves revisions to waterfront district development ordinance

Planning Director Feather sites desire to expedite process, update parameters

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — The City Council at its Tuesday, May 21, meeting gave final passage to a series of amendments to what was considered a dated ordinance originally conceived to determine the parameters of redevelopment of the waterfront district.

In moving the motion for approval, which received unanimous support of the body, At-Large Council Bob Rodericks said, “I think this is a continuation of the progress that we’re seeing with the waterfront and connected programs.”

The council heard from Acting Planning Director Diane Feather, who told the body the Planning Board had previously supported the recommendations of her department to change the ordinance (City Charter, Chapter 19). She said the amendments were submitted by the Planning Department in March of this year, adding the board meeting took place in April, where it gave an advisory opinion to the council to approve the changes.

Ms. Feather noted the ordinance had been in place since 2004, when the East Providence Waterfront Commission was conceived. She referred to the amendments as “tweaks” when looked at it again 15 years later. Ms. Feather said her department considered many factors, such as changes in technology, in the marketplace and what has actually transpired with development in district over the last decade plus.

“We want to make it easier for people to get through the process,” Ms. Feather said. She continued, the amendments are an attempt to “expedite permitting” and to make sure consideration of so-called “public nuisances,” like noise, smell or traffic, were included. She added the changes reflect many “new uses” of land or structures in the waterfront district and remove “out of date uses” there.

Ward 3 Councilor Nate Cahoon asked a couple of related questions, one about the perceived reduced oversight of the Planning Board in reviewing applications to which, clarifying, Ms. Feather said the amended section “does not remove the Planning Board from the equation.”

Mr. Cahoon's other query pertained to the affordable housing component, seeking to explain dedicated funding for projects. Waterfront Commission Executive Director Pam Sherrill, also in attendance Tuesday, told the council in response, the dedicated funds are “strictly for the creation of new units by new construction or renovation of existing units" while also “deeding them” for 30 years going forward.” In relation, she noted there are six affordable units at the recent Tockwotton and Ross Commons developments.

On another ordinance of note, the body gave the second of two needed approvals to revising an ordinance (City Charter, Chapter 13, “Public Places”) pertaining to the ability of the city’s libraries to set its fee schedule without direct oversight by the council. That authority, which determines fines and usage charges, would be transferred to the library board of trustees. Mr. Britto sponsored the amendments at the request of Library Director Michael Carlozzi.

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.