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CRMC to hold special AI SAMP meeting
December 12, 2008, WAKEFIELD – The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) will be holding a public meeting on the Aquidneck Island Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) on December 16 in Middletown, which will include a public workshop.
The meeting, a special session of the CRMC’s Planning & Procedures Subcommittee, begins with the workshop, followed by the regular subcommittee meeting, and will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road. This is the fifth meeting the CRMC has held to gather public input on the SAMP, which is currently being developed.
The SAMP process, reflective of the West Side Master Plan, has embraced a growth center approach in proposing tailored state regulations that speak to ensuring balanced shoreline development, public access, coastal habitat preservation, and open space for recreational opportunities. Also, CRMC’s federal consistency review process will ensure that projects on federal land will meet applicable performance standards required of other shoreline projects within the SAMP area.
The CRMC is working to develop this SAMP in collaboration with the three island communities of Portsmouth, Middletown, and Newport, the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission (AIPC), Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island Sea Grant/University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center, and other partners. The SAMP will help implement critical portions of the West Side Master Plan, developed by the AIPC as the three communities’ vision for future development along Aquidneck Island’s western shore. The SAMP will address specific policy and development standards for this region and include public access requirements, open space and habitat preservation, potential CRMC water type designation changes, and natural hazard resilience, among other issues. Working with the SAMP partners, the CRMC will develop draft chapters for public review and comment.
The Planning & Procedures Subcommittee will discuss the proposed CRMC Aquidneck Island Coastal Development (ACD) Regulations, which provide a permitting option for new coastal development within identified growth centers along the west side of the island. The policy also aims to preserve the valuable natural and recreational corridors and aspects within this region. The SAMP boundary is based on the Aquidneck Island West Side Master Plan boundary area, and the ACD regulations support the Aquidneck Island West Side Master Plan, other local plans, and all state and federal CRMC requirements. The subcommittee is seeking public input on the SAMP, and encourages the public to attend and provide comment.
The Aquidneck Island SAMP will be the sixth plan adopted by the Council. For more information on the Aquidneck Island SAMP, go to www.crmc.ri.gov and click on Special Area Management Plans.