37 Lot Coastal Subdivision And 20 Unit Village Condominium Project On Planning Agenda
On the Charlestown Planning Commission’s April 28th meeting agenda are two major land developments – “Summer Winds” and “Village Walk” and other proposals.
You can review all the materials submitted by the applicants and the agenda for the entire April 28 meeting at the Charlestown website. The meeting packet is 240 pages long and will take a little while to load. You can also join the live Webex meeting on April 28 at 7 p.m. where these applications will be reviewed.
“Summer Winds”: Old Post Road next to Ninigret Park and near Ninigret Pond (37 lots)
The first image below is the “Yield Plan” that is used to calculate the number of buildable lots on the parcel. The coastal buffer and other wetland buffers along with steep slopes are used to make up the minimum 2 acre area for many of the lots.
Using the number of lots from the Yield Plan, the applicant has placed the same number of lots, but at a smaller size closer to Old Post Road in the next plan below. Charlestown’s zoning ordinance requires that major subdivisions be clustered into smaller lots to leave some of the land permanently undeveloped and to move development away from wetlands. But even after clustering the lots, some lots still contain wetlands and wetland buffers.
“Village Walk”: 20 condominium units on 2 acres – corner of Old Post Road and Narrow Lane
This application is proposed under the provisions of the Rhode Island Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. Proposed are 8 market rate units and 12 units reserved for those making up to 120% of the area median income (AMI). As of June, 2020, Rhode Island Housing would allow a maximum price of $325,000.00 for a two person household for the affordable units, although the applicant can charge less.
Links to learn more or to attend the meeting are at the top of this post.
Virginia Lee, the author of this post, was President of the Charlestown Town Council for the recent two terms that she served on the Council (2014 to 2020). She was the Town Council liaison to the Agricultural Commission, the Waste Water Management Commission, Coastal Pond Management Commission, Zoning Board of Review, Charlestown Potable Water Working Group, the Historical Society and the committee updating the Harbor Management Plan. She is a former member of South Kingstown’s Town Council, Zoning Board, and Conservation Commission. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the South Kingstown Land Trust and a former member of the Board of Directors of Save the Bay. She retired from the URI Coastal Resources Center in 2012. Virginia plans to write occasionally about the work of the Charlestown Planning Commission over the next year or so.
April 28, 2021 @ 7:29 am
There are two major projects and another subdivision on the agenda with a 240 page packet. Most of the last meetings have ended after 11pm. It would be extremely helpful to townspeople if there is a way to address each one of these major developments at one meeting for each. It is near impossible for public engagement at the meetings when they go on for hours and hours. The members of the Planning Commission’s dedication is much appreciated. Thank you!
April 28, 2021 @ 6:48 am
What is the AMI for this area?
April 27, 2021 @ 4:28 pm
Has there been or will there be an environmental impact study done, especially as it relates to drinking water, sewage, and the affect it will have on the water quality and pressure of surrounding properties as well as what impact ( pollution, nitrates etc) it will have on Ninigret pond?
April 28, 2021 @ 12:01 pm
The water is already bad. Often smells of sulfur and leaves white spots. I don’t drink the water or even brush my teeth in it.
May 1, 2021 @ 6:59 pm
Sounds like you have a lot of iron and minerals in your well.