Planning Commission To Hold Special Meeting For Summer Winds 1 and 2
On the Charlestown Planning Commission’s July 7th meeting agenda are two major subdivisions – “Summer Winds” and “Summer Winds”.
That isn’t a typo! The developers of the Summer Winds subdivision are now proposing a Major Subdivision Comprehensive Permit on the same land as the Summer Winds subdivision and also calling it Summer Winds. They haven’t withdrawn the original Summer Winds, so for now there are two different proposals, with the same name, by the same developer, for the same parcel of land.
You can review materials submitted by the applicants and the agenda for the entire July 7th meeting at the Charlestown website. The meeting packet is 256 pages long. You can join the live Webex meeting on July 7 at 7 p.m. where these two applications will be reviewed.
“Summer Winds Comprehensive Permit”: Old Post Road next to Ninigret Park and near Ninigret Pond (47 lots)
This application is proposed under the provisions of the Rhode Island Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. Proposed are 37 market rate lots and 10 lots reserved for housing that meets the requirements of the Rhode Island Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. The Act allows developers to seek waivers from local regulations if it results in affordable housing that meets the requirements of the Act.
The applicant is seeking waivers to increase the maximum allowed density, to reduce the minimum required open space, to reduce the road construction standards, and to waive all fees.
“Summer Winds”: Old Post Road next to Ninigret Park and near Ninigret Pond (37 lots)
After the discussion of the Summer Winds Comprehensive Permit the agenda has a discussion of the other Summer Winds subdivision. There are site plans for Summer Winds 1 from my post for the Planning Commissions April meeting.
Proposed are 37 market rate lots and no affordable units. This application was discussed at the March 24th Planning Commission meeting, but the applicant has requested continuances at the April, May, and June Planning Commission meetings. The discussion at the March meeting focused on issues with the yield plan, which determines density. There has so far been no presentation by the applicant and no testimony from any experts on this subdivision. It is unclear if the applicant intends to withdraw this application and replace with the Summer Winds Comprehensive Permit.
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.
July 6, 2021 @ 10:45 am
Does the waiver include environmental impact studies? We need more trees, not less. Clearcutting more land will worsen our climate crisis in the long run. It will also remove natural barriers to the rest of the town from the next hurricane…. Speaking of which, will these units be in the flood zone…. Speaking of which, how will these units impact Ninigret pond with more sewage output and more water intake, speaking of which – same problem as faced with the great failed proposed water usage of 2018 from the Narragansett tribal lands for that proposed energy plant in Burrilville.
Sorry for the run on sentence, but if anyone thinks this is a good idea, “ you’ve got another Think coming”
July 6, 2021 @ 7:51 am
What are the projected selling prices for the market rate houses and the “affordable” ones? My understanding is that the “affordable” houses have to be “indistinguishable” from the market rate ones, is that true? Will this be done?