Keep Charlestown Green, Both on the Land and in All Our Wallets

The following letter was submitted to local newspapers and is reprinted here with permission of the author Ruth Platner. Ruth is the current Chair of the Charlestown Planning Commission.

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A widely respected economic study of all Rhode Island towns found that increasing the density of residential development leads to higher tax rates and that, not surprisingly, developing marginal land also leads to higher tax rates. The study was conducted by the Southern New England Forest Consortium and entitled “Land Conservation, Development and Property Taxes in Rhode Island.” Other studies have had similar findings.

These findings do not mean that a town like Charlestown should not grow, but rather, it is important to balance growth with preserving open space.

Charlestown’s largest real estate developers once dominated Charlestown’s political life. If they had retained their influence, much of the open space lands in Charlestown would be developed now. If they regain their influence, no more land will be conserved.

Charlestown voters have a clear choice in the upcoming election. Voters can choose to keep Charlestown green and to keep taxes low by electing Independent Town Council candidates Susan Cooper, Peter Gardner, Ann Owen, Joshua Vallee, and David Wilkinson and Planning Commission candidates Walter Mahony, Carol Mossa, and Lisa St Godard.

Currently, the majority on the Town Council and Planning Commission support the creation of public access recreation and conservation areas. The most recent result has been the acquisition of the Tucker Woods Preserve on Alton Carolina Road (Rt. 91). The Preserve is a new hiking area, with hills that provide long-range views of the countryside. The Preserve also fills a conservation gap between The Nature Conservancy’s Francis Carter Preserve and the state’s Carolina Wildlife Management Area.

However, another project to purchase the 100-acre Saw Mill Pond Watershed is blocked by Councilors Carney and Klinger’s refusal to spend $4,750 on an appraisal, even though the property has been awarded a $400,000 Natural Heritage Grant by the state toward its purchase. Councilors Carney and Klinger are blocking this purchase even though allowing this land to be developed will cost the taxpayers much more in the long run than its conservation would.

It is important to elect independent Town Councilors and Planning Commissioners who will put the interest of the town, its tax rate, and its environment first. These Independent Town Council and Planning Commission candidates are committed to our environment and rural character. They understand the connection between protection of our natural resources and our low tax rate and also the positive relationship between our environment and our economy.

Electing Independent Town Council candidates Susan Cooper, Peter Gardner, Ann Owen, Joshua Vallee, and David Wilkinson and Planning Commission candidates Walter Mahony, Carol Mossa, and Lisa St Godard will help to keep Charlestown green, both on the land and in all our wallets.

 

 

You can learn more about the author, Ruth Platner, at her profile page.