Town Council Puts Developers In Charge
Developers, land use attorneys who represent developers, a gravel bank owner, and other business owners were among those appointed by the Town Council on March 13 to committees to review and rewrite all of the town’s ordinances, propose revisions to the Town Charter, and recommend a new Town Administrator. This group will be writing changes to regulations that govern their own land development projects. Not everyone appointed on March 13 has these conflicts, but none of the appointees who have conflicts of interest acknowledged them, and the Town Council, except for Susan Cooper, voted for every one of them.
Before the Town Council came to the above appointments on the agenda, they listened to the plea of a resident who lives on the western edge of Charlestown who witnessed years of dust, noise, and earth-shaking blasting and rock crushing from the Copar quarry operation just over the line in Westerly. After having lived through the Copar issues, he is concerned about a rock-crushing operation that appears to be expanding on Ross Hill Road. He spoke of the history of regulation attempts in Charlestown, including the 2014 ordinance written by the Charlestown Planning Commission to update Charlestown’s extractive industry regulations. On March 13 the Town Council listened to the resident, thanked him for his comments, and then moved on to the appointments.
The 2014 regulations for extractive industries were fought and killed by the very people appointed on March 13, 2023, to rewrite town laws, including land use law. All of these developers and attorneys appointed on March 13 have demonstrated that they are willing to protect their own or their client’s financial interest—that is their right. But it is naive to believe they will put aside their business interests when reviewing the Town Charter and other Charlestown codes. After suing unsuccessfully to overturn the town’s entire Zoning Ordinance under previous Town Councils, the new Town Council handed them the same documents to rewrite.
One of the expected proposals from this group will be to change the town charter to have an appointed rather than an elected Planning Commission. An elected Planning Commission has to be responsible to the voters. An appointed Planning Commission is controlled by the same Town Council that puts developers in charge of local land use law.
Banner image is a dust cloud caused by blasting at a quarry.
April 15, 2023 @ 2:58 pm
This is just horrible — fox guarding the henhouse!!!The last many years of governing were perfect before this council got in. Now, at this time it’s reminiscent of the years with J.M, etc. when we had a council similar to today’s council. Counting the days until we can vote them out.
March 25, 2023 @ 2:07 pm
Get this new town council out! How can we do that?
March 21, 2023 @ 8:51 am
I am the resident on the western edge of Charlestown who spoke at the last council meeting. I WILL be at the next one on April 10th. All of of you who are complaining and want to be heard, go and be heard. I only spoke because of an operation that came in like they owned the town and with total disregard for the residents. Apparently my timing was spot on, unknowingly, because it seems to have bought more issues to light. To put it as blunt as I can. Put up or shut up. Whining here does nothing.
March 19, 2023 @ 2:39 pm
Question: Is this the reason the Town Administrator was forced out?
March 19, 2023 @ 8:57 pm
You have asked two good questions in your comments on this topic. It is clear that the majority members of the new Town Council have broken two campaign promises made during the campaign. First, they pledged that they would work with the Town Administrator. When they took office, they quickly forced his resignation. Although they said they were all in for conservation, they have moved to weaken land use regulations for large developers. These changes will be discussed at the Town Council meeting on April 10. Finally, the Council president stated in the February 27 Council meeting that she wants to make changes to the Town’s recently adopted long-range plan, presumably because, as she has said in the past, she does not like its environmental theme. What citizens can do is attend the Council meeting on April 10 and express their love for Charlestown and that protecting natural resources and our way of life is a priority.
March 19, 2023 @ 1:04 pm
It is important to have ALL viewpoints heard. As long as any given committee or commission has a variety of people/interests/backgrounds we should be well served.
Charlestown is the ONLY town in the State of RI who has an elected Planning Commission. There is nothing sinister about reviewing that designation to answer why we have chosen that avenue. There maybe some very good reasons that would be confirmed with a proper review.
March 18, 2023 @ 6:28 pm
We voted for these people because we thought they shared our idea of what our town should be. Did they misrepresent themselves? Who will benefit from these changes? The town’s people or the developers? Together, I can’t believe we can’t make a change and keep our town the place we all love to live. Surely there must be something we can do.
March 18, 2023 @ 4:35 pm
We need to demand members , including council members, recuse themselves from any activity where there is a conflict of interest. What happened to normal protocols to avoid self dealing?
March 18, 2023 @ 1:31 pm
This is really disturbing if it is all true. Can you give us the names and bios of these appointees?
March 18, 2023 @ 12:57 pm
I cannot understand why these narcissistic Town Council members were voted into office. One of the reasons we moved to Charlestown was for its bucolic setting. Apparently the majority of residents want this town to become another Warwick. I am now hoping the train does come through my yard and my house is taken by eminent domain.
March 18, 2023 @ 12:44 pm
I literally feel sick.
Please, what can I do to make a difference?
March 18, 2023 @ 12:43 pm
Would there be a way to force the TC to put the proposed Charter and Ordinance changes on a referendum? It seems to me that the voters should have a say in what changes are made.
March 18, 2023 @ 1:11 pm
Charter changes do have to go to the voters, but only a portion of the question has to go on the ballot. Ordinance changes will have a public hearing and a vote of the Town Council.
March 21, 2023 @ 10:10 pm
All I can say is, WOW!!!!
March 18, 2023 @ 12:38 pm
Sadly Michael this new town council was elected by a majority of Charlestown voters either because they are in agreement with their values or were ignorant of them. The recent town wide survey would indicate the latter, either that or the survey responders were not the folks who voted ! ! Sadly Charlestown is certainly going to change substantially with this council in power, we had all better get used to it.
March 18, 2023 @ 10:15 am
Perhaps if Non-Resident property owners, who pay enormous amounts of Property Taxes to the Town of Charlestown, such as Summer-Home owners, were allowed to VOTE, there would be no rapacious Town Council members or Administrators!
March 19, 2023 @ 8:48 pm
Audrey, we are all taxed at the same rate perhaps you need to downsize if the taxes are too much for your wallet.
Also, folks can only vote in one state (their state of residency) this is taught in your basic history high school class. Chariho may be offering discounted rates.
Perhaps we could vote to increase taxes on part time residents due the enormous amounts of traffic and congestion in our local stores on roadways, our beaches, the strain on our water supply, etc.. would help to support the added infrastructue our town cannot sustain with the added burden of the part time residents.
This new town council is horrible! I feel sad that this is happening here after my 40 + years in residence.
It almost makes Florida appealing….
March 21, 2023 @ 6:25 pm
LisAnn,
If you own Residential property in a Locale, and spend 3,6, or 9 months out of the year living there all the while Paying Property Taxes, you deserve a VOTE, otherwise it’s called Disenfranchisement…Taxation Without Representation!
The Tax dollars we send to the Town of Charlestown, are not “part time” dollars!
You could have a several residences in different States…you should be able to VOTE if you pay PT…Not if you’re a “beach bum”, with a “season pass”, a cooler of beer and some salami sandwiches!
March 21, 2023 @ 6:32 pm
The Rhode Island legislature controls laws on taxation. They have denied other attempts by towns to allow non-resident taxpayers to vote. It makes for a lively discussion perhaps, but the state legislature will not allow it.
March 18, 2023 @ 8:07 am
In the end, this Council will probably take away the rights of the voter to elect their own Planning Commission, decide on large town expenditures, and to issue grievances publicly. In the short time they have been sitting, the Council has allowed mocking from their own against residents who openly complained about patrons of a local food establishment, the adverse effect of lighting in Ninigret Park, and now patted a resident on the behind and sent him off with no promise of follow-up. This Council has already shown that it does not value the feelings of the electorate unless those feelings support the Council’s agenda you have already described.