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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 Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. at Piccerelli Gilstein & Co., 144 Westminster Street, Providence, RI.

MEMBERS PRESENT
Michael M. Tikoian, Chair
Paul E. Lemont, Vice Chair
Dave Abedon
Donald Gomez
Bruce Dawson
Michael Sullivan, DEM Director

STAFF PRESENT
Grover Fugate, CRMC Executive Director
James Boyd, Coastal Policy Analyst
Brian Goldman, Legal Counsel

OTHER ATTENDEES
Wendy Waller, Save The Bay
Doug Groff

Call to Order. Mr. Tikoian called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m.

The Chair opened the meeting by asking the members if there were any questions concerning the draft April 25 meeting summary that was included in their agenda packets. There were no questions and Mr. Tikoian requested a motion to approve the subcommittee’s April 25 meeting summary.

Mr. Lemont, seconded by Mr. Gomez, moved to approve the April 25 meeting summary. All voted in favor of the motion to approve.

Item 4A – Salt Pond region SAMP – Residential Subdivisions/Projects and Density Requirements.
J. Boyd and G. Fugate introduced the issues concerning five (5) and six (6) lot subdivisions and the application of CRMC jurisdiction and density requirements within the Salt Pond Region SAMP watershed area. G. Fugate indicated that under current rules five lot subdivisions are subject to jurisdiction if they trigger any watershed thresholds, as described in Section 900.B. The intention of the existing rules is to apply density standards (either 80,000 square feet for Self-sustaining Lands or 120,000 square feet for Critical Concern areas for each house) only when there are six or more residential units. G. Fugate noted, however, that the language only states units and does not differentiate between an open space lot and a house lot. Accordingly, a problem may arise when a subdivision is proposed that contains six or more lots, but only 5 residential units, and the density standard is applied because there are six or more lots. In this scenario a developer may remove the open space lots to create a subdivision that contains only five lots and the density standard will not apply. The result, however, is a loss of open space within the proposed subdivision. The current SAMP language needs clarification to more clearly articulate the density requirements, hence the proposed SAMP amendments.

The subcommittee debated the proposed Salt Pond region SAMP rule changes and requested staff to modify the language consistent with the subcommittee’s discussion.

Mr. Lemont, seconded by Mr. Dawson, moved to approve the proposed changes as modified by the subcommittee. All voted in favor of the motion to approve.

Item 4.B – Water Type Revisions – Providence Quadrangle.  G. Fugate explained that the Council’s Type 6 designation prohibits uses other than for industrial purposes. Most of the Providence waterfront was in industrial use at the time when the Council developed and adopted water type classification for RI waters back in the 1980s. Since that time many industrial sites, particularly fuel off loading facilities, have been lying unused and there is interested in creating mixed use redevelopment along the waterfront. Cities in the upper Providence River waterfront area, namely East Providence, Pawtucket, and Providence, have been planning for mixed-use redevelopment to revitalize the waterfront and provide more tax revenues for the municipalities. Mr. Fugate explained that while it is important to support such redevelopment, it is also important for the Council to maintain and provide for industrial uses (both existing and planned) that are of state and regional interest.

Mr. Fugate went on to explain that the proposed water type change along the shoreline starting from Port Edgewood marina in Cranston to the southeast corner of Field’s Point in Providence from Type 6 to 4 is consistent with the existing and proposed uses on that shoreline. He noted that the Council had previously approved the new Save The Bay facility at Field’s Point, and the existing marina along with the proposed passive recreational use of the Johnson & Wales property supported the change in water type.

Mr. Lemont, seconded by Mr. Dawson, moved to approve the proposed water type change as presented by staff. All voted in favor of the motion to approve.

Item 5A – Staff Report Recommendations.  Mr. Fugate explained the proposed staff report recommendations for: Approve/Approval, No Objection, Defer, and Deny/Denial. The subcommittee discussed the merits of each recommendation and amended the language for consistency and clarification.

Mr. Sullivan, seconded by Mr. Lemont, moved to approve the staff report recommendations as amended by the subcommittee.  All voted in favor of the motion to approve.

ADJOURNMENT. Mr. Sullivan, seconded by Mr. Lemont, moved to adjourn the subcommittee meeting. All voted in favor of the motion and the meeting was promptly adjourned at 6:37 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by

James Boyd, Coastal Policy Analyst

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