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RI Coastal Resources Management Council

...to preserve, protect, develop, and restore coastal resources for all Rhode Islanders

In accordance with notice to members of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council’s Planning and Procedures subcommittee, a meeting of the subcommittee was held on Monday, May 22, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. at the East Providence City Council Chambers, 145 Taunton Avenue, East Providence, RI.

Members Present
Michael M. Tikoian, Chairman
Paul E. Lemont
Dave Abedon
Bruce Dawson
Russ Chateauneuf, DEM

Staff Present
Grover Fugate, CRMC Executive Director
Jeff Willis, Deputy Director
James Boyd, Coastal Policy Analyst
Laura Ricketson, Public Education & Outreach Coordinator
Brian Goldman, Legal Counsel

 

Call to Order.  Mr. Tikoian called the meeting to order at 4:06 p.m.

Mr. Tikoian opened the meeting with a brief statement of the subcommittee’s function and purpose.  The Planning and Procedures subcommittee meeting is an open public meeting; it is not a public hearing.  Therefore, discussion is available to the Council members themselves, and to all else at the allowance of the Chairman.  Mr. Tikoian further explained that the subcommittee is the program and policy development arm of the Council, and that any programmatic decisions made by this group must ultimately be approved by the full Council in accordance with all proper procedures.

Mr. Tikoian introduced each member of the subcommittee, as well as staff present, and thanked everyone for their involvement in this the subcommittee’s efforts.

Mr. Tikoian asked for a motion to approve the subcommittee’s meeting minutes of March 21, 2006.

Mr. Lemont, seconded by Mr. Abedon, moved to approved the March 21, 2006  meeting minutes.   All voted in favor of the motion.

Mr. Tikoian stated that this subcommittee meeting is also being held in conjunction with a workshop on the Council’s development of regulations for its Metro Bay SAMP effort, namely the policy development of the Urban Coastal Greenway.  Anyone in attendance at this workshop may make comments on the UCG development to-date, and staff will process and address those comments, and bring the continued development of the UCG to this subcommittee for further consideration.  Staff was instructed to post on the agency’s website the comments received, and subsequently do the same with any response(s).

Mr. Lemont thanked Chairman Tikoian for his leadership throughout the development of the recently-adopted Greenwich Bay SAMP and how Chairman Tikoian is using that leadership for the processes involved in the development of the Metro Bay (Providence Harbor) SAMP, and that recent negative comments regarding the leadership of the Council are totally unfounded.

Item 5.A.  Urban Coastal Greenways Program.  Mr. Tikoian opened the workshop to hear comments of the development of the UCG.

A representative of Johnson & Wales presented their comments wherein it is their intent to develop a master plan for the Field’s point campus, and that the master plan contains a significant public access and shoreline re-vegetation component beginning from the eastern portion of the property at Save the Bay and running west for about 2,000 feet to the yacht club.  Part of that master plan includes the Save the Bay leased property as an element of their vision for access.  Included within this area would be lateral public access and vegetation in support of the UCG requirements. 

Other goals that the J&W master plan has that are consistent with the proposed UCG are access; salt marsh restoration; re-vegetation; visual enhancements; parking; and signage.

J&W announced that it will submit this master plan to the Council for approval as early as next week.

Mr. Lemont asked the J&W representative how this plan would meet the proposed UCG requirement to provide perpendicular access to the shore every 500 feet?  The J&W representative responded that since the master plan envisions a campus environment with new buildings yet to be built, the perpendicular requirement may interfere with the actual placement of these buildings, and that since the lateral access path along the shore is in many places proposed top be as deep as 150-200 feet, these additional widths compensate for the 50 foot requirement of the UCG.

Mr. Dawson asked if dredged material would be helpful to redeveloping the site.  The J&W representative responded that they had already received dredged material from the Council’s Providence River Shipping Channel project with the ACOE, and that that material has been used to help improve the site.

Mr. Lemont then presided over the remainder of the workshop/subcommittee meeting, as Chairman Tikoian left to attend professional development classes.  Mr. Lemont asked if there were others who wished to comment on the development of the UCG.

Don Pryor spoke and summarized his written comments, with additional description as follows:

  • Stormwater: do not add another layer of regulations, as municipalities already require stormwater to be addressed in development projects;
  • Design Manual: is referenced in UCG, but not yet available.  It needs to be made available as soon as possible;
  • Flood plain management: needs to be explicitly addressed;
  • Maps: while habitat protection and restoration are good, the UCG should consider human habitat potential, such as recreation, especially given that the are covered by the UCG is urban;
  • Public access requirements: need to be stated more prominently given its importance to the urban environment;
  • 15 day notice requirement: needs to be longer.

Jane Austin, Save the Bay, provided a summary of their written comments, with addition description:

  • Restoration is a good return for development;
  • Brownfield cleanup potential is great in this area; UCG needs to recognize this and make prominent;
  • Public access benefits of the UCG are self-evident;
  • Compensation option is too low and should be raised significantly;
  • There needs to be a greater understanding of the management of the habitat fund.

Jenny Pereira, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, provided a summary of their written comments, with additional description:

  • Appreciate the effort to balance the needs of a complex area;
  • As the WRWC strives for the river to be swimmable/fishable by 2025, the UCG should also strive for better coordination of all planning and management initiatives for the river to assist in restoring water quality;
  • Therefore, the current draft regulatory requirements of the UCG should attempt to “go farther” to get better water quality improvements.

Jeanne Boyle, East Providence Director of Planning, provided a summary of the EP Waterfront Commission’s written comments, and offered additional oral comments:

  • the Council and its staff should be applauded for their recognition of this urban area as an important state economic engine that needs to be afforded specialized management;
  • Ms. Boyle has some issues with a few of the mapped areas and their corresponding classification and will be discussing those with staff shortly;
  • Building massing: leave that issue to the municipalities;
  • 15% re-vegetation v. brownfields may be too cumbersome and should be rethought;
  • Ensure consistency with locally-adopted plans.

Dave Riley, Friends of India Point Park, provided a summary of their written comments.

ADJOURN.  Mr. Lemont, seconded by Mr. Abedon, moved to adjourn.  All voted in favor of the motion, and the subcommittee adjourned at 5:32 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted May 31, 2006 by

Jeffrey M. Willis
Deputy Director

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