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RI Coastal Resources Management Council

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

Metro Bay SAMP
The Special Area Management Plan

Metro Bay SAMP

Narragansett Bay's largest urban waterfront, roughly 24 miles of shoreline bordering the cities of Cranston, East Providence, Providence and Pawtucket, is a largely untapped natural resource and economic engine. It was the site of industrialization and progress and over the years has become outdated and underutilized. The cities are now acting to make this region of Narragansett Bay a more appealing place to live and work by improving the economic, social and environmental resources of the working waterfront; attracting major developers with more predictable and efficient permitting; and providing recreation and access to the water.

The Metro Bay Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) aims to accomplish these goals and provide a functional framework for future environmentally and economically sensitive redevelopment of the SAMP boundary encompassing most of the waterfront in the four cities. The Coastal Resources Management Council coordinated with the cities of Cranston, East Providence, Providence and Pawtucket, as well as government agencies and community organizations to prepare the SAMP.

This plan also represents a milestone for the CRMC, as it will update and revitalize the Providence Harbor SAMP that the CRMC developed more than 20 years ago. Since that time, the cities of the upper Narragansett Bay have prospered from economic growth and cultural renewal, as well as a renewed appreciation for the waterfront and its natural values. These changes have, of course, brought challenge, as cities struggle to balance redevelopment goals and efforts to provide public access to the water.

The Metro Bay region is an important natural resource for Rhode Islanders. The CRMC is committed to a SAMP that protects this important natural and economic resource and honors the upper bay's special history and heritage.

Low Impact Development

Stedman Government Center
Suite 116, 4808 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 02879-1900
Voice 401-783-3370 • Fax 401-783-2069 • E-Mail cstaff1@crmc.ri.gov

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