83 Dwelling Units Proposed For Historic Carolina Village, Next To Sprague Preserve

When: Wednesday, November 20 at 7 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: A Pre-Application meeting will be held with the Charlestown Planning Commission

This development is being proposed under new state legislation which requires that the “density bonus for a project which provides at least twenty-five percent (25%) low- and moderate-income housing shall be at least three (3) units per acre.”

This legislation, H6081, was supported by Charlestown’s State Representative Tina Spears, and State Senator Victoria Gu. South Kingstown’s State Representative Teresa Tanzi was the sponsor. It’s possible our legislators didn’t understand the impact this legislation would have on Charlestown, but it’s not too late for them to seek a solution.

The legislation ignores the State Guide Plans, Charlestown’s Comprehensive Plan, protection of Charlestown’s drinking water aquifers, and nearly every other guide for protecting Rhode Island’s natural and historic resources.

The Carolina Village Proposal

The proposal had a pre-application meeting with the Charlestown Technical Review Committee on November 13. The following is a summary of the proposal that was discussed at the meeting. A video of that meeting is available at the town’s website.

• Plat 28, Lot 82-1, 28.7 acres; property is zoned R40, which allows about 24 houses.
• Property is owned by Evelyn Smith, a member of Charlestown’s Affordable Housing Commission, and until recently Chair of that commission.
• A developer has contracted with Ms. Smith’s company and submitted the comprehensive permit proposal shown above.
• Project comprises 25% low/moderate-income housing, 75% market-rate housing.
• Proposal will have 83 houses – 21 affordable, 62 market rate – all for single family ownership.
  • 41 single level, two bedroom units (10 affordable)
  • 42 two level, three bedroom units (11 affordable)
• Proposed period of affordability is 30 years, the minimum allowed.
• Land will be owned by a condominium association.
• Wells will be shared.
• Onsite wastewater treatment systems will be shared.
• Streets will be privately owned.
• Access to development will be from Carolina Back Road (Rt. 112).
• The project abuts Carolina Village and the Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve.
• Carolina Village, in its entirety, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• For comparison, there are about 40 houses along Rt. 112 on the Charlestown side of Carolina.
• No plans or images for the houses have been provided.

What qualifies as an affordable home under the state law? To quality, the housing must be deed restricted for a minimum of 30 years up to 99 years, during which time it can only be sold to a buyer who meets the income requirements of the RI Housing Authority; it also must be built with a government subsidy.

What will be the effect on Charlestown’s requirement for 10% low- and moderate-income housing under state law? Because there is low/moderate income housing in the development, the project will contribute to the town’s 10% affordable requirement under state law. At the same time, the proposed project will also add 83 houses to the town’s housing stock. Therefore, although the proposal has 21 low/moderate-income units, effectively the town will gain just 12.7 units towards the 10% affordable requirement because the additional 83 units proposed will increase by 8.3 units the number of low/moderate-income units the town will be required to have once the project is developed.

What effect will the proposal have on groundwater? RI Department of Environmental Management (DEM) rules allow up to 3 bedrooms per 20,000 square feet of land area (approximately 0.5 acre). The development as proposed will have 3.3 bedrooms per 20,000 square feet, which exceeds what DEM allows by a small amount. At the November 13 meeting, Matt Dowling, Charlestown’s On-Site Wastewater Program Manager / Environmental Scientist, explained that 3 dwelling units per 43,560 square feet (1 acre) is considered a high risk for potable water and, without adequate land set aside for groundwater recharge, can lead to high levels of nitrogen in the groundwater. Therefore, it appears that the new state legislation, on which the density of the proposed development is allowed, and which also provides density bonuses of 5 dwelling units per acre for developments that are 50% affordable and 8 dwelling units per acre for developments that are 100% affordable, is not based in science.

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Bonnie Van Slyke, the author of this post, was a member of the Charlestown Town Council from 2014 to 2022. She was the Town Council Liaison to the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Senior Citizens Commission. She is a former officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center, a former Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals in Harvard, MA and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Harvard Conservation Trust. Bonnie is a freelance copy editor, technical writer, and publications specialist. You can learn more about Bonnie on her profile page.