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Portsmouth Comprehensive Community Plan clears hurdle

Few comment during hearing on plan that will help guide town’s future over next 20 years

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PORTSMOUTH — The final draft of a plan that will guide the town’s actions on land use, economic development, housing and other matters over the next 20 years is now in the state’s hands.

After a one-hour virtual public hearing on July 8 that drew little comment, the Planning Board voted 7-0 to accept the final draft of the Portsmouth Comprehensive Community Plan and send it to the R.I. Division of Statewide Planning for review. After it’s approved by the state, the document will go back to the Town Council for another public hearing, and then it will be voted on for final adoption.

Because the latest draft of the Portsmouth Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP) was completed last year — updating the previous plan approved in 2002 — its vision extends to the year 2039.

“Thank you everybody. It’s been a long road to get here,” said Planning Board Chairman Guy Bissonnette following the vote.

It was a long road indeed. The Portsmouth Planning Department, in coordination with the Planning Board, began work to update the plan in 2016. 

Town Planner Gary Crosby said the exercise was essentially a complete rewrite of the document, which addresses goals, policies and the implementation of 12 different elements: natural resources, recreation, historic and cultural resources, housing, economic development, agricultural, services and facilities, energy, water supply, transportation, natural hazards and climate change, and land use.

Members of the public were surveyed about the plan and some were also brought in to review it as members of the Citizens Interested in the Comprehensive Community Planning Process Committee. During regular workshops, citizens reviewed the plan and provided feedback to town staff, who then worked with a town-hired consultant to incorporate that information into the draft elements.

The new CCP also incorporates supporting documents that served as technical guidance and historical analysis, including plans on stormwater management, capital improvement, harbor management, emergency operations and more.

COVID planning?

Only a couple of people outside of Mr. Crosby and Planning Board members spoke during last week’s public hearing. One of them was Linda Ujifusa, vice-president of the Town Council, who questioned whether the CCP needed further updating in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which arrived after the draft was completed.

As an example, Ms. Ujifusa pointed to the agricultural element of the plan. “If COVID wipes out our food chain supply and global warming effects our crops, maybe farming should have a bullet that says we need farming because it’s food security,” she said, adding that the pandemic has impacted the town’s emergency response. “It just seems to me it was written before we had to deal with all this.”

Mr. Crosby replied that he would review the 72 policies listed in the plan to see where any COVID-19 concerns may fit in. Statewide Planning may be able to provide further guidance, he said.

Ms. Ujifusa also asked about the housing element. Most of the housing goals set forth in the 2002 plan never materialized, she said.

Mr. Crosby said he agreed, and that it’s up to the town to follow through on executing any element of the plan.

“This plan advocates for an affordable housing commission and actual funding for housing with public money. It’s all here; we just have to have the will to implement this plan,” the planner said.

Fred Marano, vice chairman of the citizens’ group that reviewed and made suggestions on the plan, said he hopes a review process is built into the CCP so it doesn’t become a “dead letter.”

“The various action parties should have to go before the Town Council and say where they stand on accomplishing this,” Mr. Marano said, adding that council members should take action if implementation of the plan is too slow.

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