Developer Reduces 78 Unit Carolina Development To 24 Lot Subdivision In New Proposal

UPDATE: This application was continued to September 24 at 7 pm

When: Wednesday, August 27 at 7 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: A public Master Plan hearing on a major residential development (Plat 28, Lot 82-1; 28.7 acres; Carolina Village) before the Charlestown Planning Commission

A new application to develop approximately 29 acres located in the village of Carolina owned by Beechwood Enterprises has been submitted by the developer, KREG LLC, for a major residential subdivision. The subdivision is named Carolina Farms.

Many will recall the proposal for the 83-unit development (subsequently reduced to 72 units) initially proposed for this property in late 2024. That development was proposed under the RI Low and Moderate Income Housing Act as a Comprehensive Permit, and the density would have been allowed because the Act requires the town to give a density bonus for a project which provides at least twenty-five percent (25%) low- and moderate-income housing of at least three (3) units per acre. 

Because the 2024 proposal met with considerable opposition from the community and criticism from the Planning Commission, the owner/applicant has listened, has withdrawn that proposal, and has submitted the present application for a 24-unit cluster development.

Community members are encouraged to review the new plans, attend the August 27 meeting, and provide comments or raise concerns about the proposed development. So far, the developer has been willing to listen and respond to most concerns. The meeting packet (84 pages) is available from the Town’s website.

Below are highlights of the new proposed 24-lot development:

• Property is owned by Evelyn Smith.
• KREG,which has contracted with Ms. Smith’s company to develop the parcel, is the applicant.
• The currently undeveloped property is zoned R40.
• The project abuts Carolina Village, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve, St. Mary’s Church, and residential properties, and is documented by the Rhode Island Natural Heritage Survey and mapped by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s Geographic Information System (GIS) as being within a natural heritage and wildlife corridor area.
• The parcel is located above a sole source aquifer.
• The property is located within Zone Z (an area of minimal flooding) on FEMA’s 2020 insurance maps, and grades fall generally from southwest to northeast toward the Pawcatuck River.
• More than 40% of the parcel would be dedicated to open space, which would, except for a small park, be left essentially unaltered.
• The property fronts on Carolina Back Road (Rt. 112), and access would be a single entrance/exit on Carolina Back Road.
• Access to the individual homes would be from the newly created internal road network.
• Each of the units would be served by an individual onsite water treatment system (OWTS) and an individual well.

The new application is submitted under the town’s Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations, instead of a Comprehensive Permit. The development as proposed would consist of 24 lots, which is the maximum allowed under town rules and regulations for this kind of application.

The first stage of review will be Master Plan review and will be the subject of the public hearing on August 27. The purpose of a Master Plan is so that potential concerns can be addressed early in the process. Reviewed will be the yield plan, plans showing existing conditions, including environmental features, the applicant’s proposed development plan, and the supporting materials supplied. For large residential subdivisions, detailed engineering does not need to be presented until what is called Preliminary review, and applicants need to have obtained required state permits at that stage of review.

For every major development, the number of lots allowed is determined by a plan (called a yield plan) that demonstrates the maximum number of lots that could be developed based on its zoning designation and that meet all state and town environmental and dimensional regulations. For this development, the proposed Yield Plan indicates that 24 lots are allowed.

Proposed is a “cluster development,” which is mandated in Charlestown’s zoning. The number of lots will be determined by an approved Yield Plan, but because at least 40% is dedicated to open space, the lots may be smaller than allowed in the district and may be rearranged. Although the Planning Commission may allow what is known as a conventional subdivision, at the recent pre-application conference with the applicant on June 25, members of the Planning Commission expressed a preference for the required cluster development, which shows more than 40% dedicated to open space, to minimize the development’s impacts on groundwater and neighboring properties.

Charlestown’s Technical Review Committee (TRC) reviewed the proposed development on August 7, 2025. The TRC is comprised mostly of town staff, and the purpose of its review is to gather information based on their expertise and to discuss their concerns and suggestions. A video of that meeting is available at the town’s website.

Members of the Technical Review Committee addressed the following:

• Road Width—The Planning Commission had recommended a waiver from this regulation at its pre-application review of this property on June 25 because a slightly narrower road would reduce stormwater runoff, protecting the groundwater, and because long-term road maintenance costs would be reduced for the town. The Chief of the Charlestown Fire Department, Don Rathbone, said that, based on what had been presented in his discussions with the applicant, he saw no issues with the granting of a waiver to allow pavement width of 22 feet because the width would be adequate for two fire trucks to pass. He noted that the cul-de-sacs would accommodate the turning radius needed by a fire truck. Because the cul-de-sacs are planned to be grassed, maintenance of plantings and the advantages of trees for aesthetics and stormwater management was briefly discussed. Planning Commissioner Ruth Platner recommended that the applicant look at Cedar Meadows Road (a cluster development off Shannock Road). Mr. Rathbone stated, in response to a question, that the CFD has no requirement for cisterns.
• Wastewater Management—Charlestown’s On-Site Wastewater Manager/Environmental Scientist, Matt Dowling, expressed his concern that the conventional onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) proposed for each of the 24 lots might not be protective of the groundwater, and he recommended that modern denitrification technology be used. Mr. Dowling based his recommendation on the fact that three bedrooms per half acre are allowed under state regulations; that soils on the site are porous; and the development is very near the Pawcatuck River. The applicant stated that it would do what RI Department of Environmental Management requires. Mr. Dowling agreed with the applicant that the town does not have regulatory authority but that he would be remiss if he did not state his recommendation for the record.
• Lighting—The lighting proposed was discussed. There is no street lighting proposed. Although Charlestown’s Lighting Ordinance applies only to commercial properties, it was suggested that lighting on the houses be dark sky compliant. The applicant agreed.
• Building Height/Sign Regulations—Grace Murray, Zoning/Code Enforcement Officer, reviewed town regulations related to building height and signs.
• Fill and Foundation Integrity—Ms. Murray relayed a concern that Joseph Warner, Head of the Zoning/Building Department, regarding fill and providing for the integrity of building foundations.
• Open Space—The applicant said that there would be a homeowners’ association (HOA) that would control use of the open space, such as prohibiting motorized vehicles.

Before calling for public comments, Mr. Henry informed those who might not be aware that the previous Comprehensive Permit application had many more houses because a percentage was allocated to affordable housing, that the previous application was withdrawn, and this proposal is a town-regulated application.

Many of the attendees were concerned about the effect the development would have on the quantity of water available for their wells and the quality of their well water, stating that their wells go dry at times during the year and also that the level of the Pawcatuck River has dropped significantly in recent years.

In response to a question about the distance required between their wells and septic systems in the development, Mr. Dowling said that RIDEM’s regulations require the distance between a well and a septic system to be 100 feet. He again noted that RIDEM regulates septic systems, and the RI Department of Health regulates wells.

In response to questions about the number of houses, the number of people, and the size of the lots. Mr. Henry explained that the number is determined by zoning and state law and that the lots can be smaller and rearranged because the developer is donating open space. Ms. Platner stated that, in a cluster development, there can be no more houses than would be allowed in a conventional subdivision.

Ms. Platner observed that the cluster configuration would be less impactful to neighboring properties because of the open space that would exist between the houses and property boundary lines.

There was a question about whether ADUs, which are currently allowed by right under state law, would be allowed. The applicant responded that it could, and would, prohibit them in the HOA document.

There was concern that road construction materials would wash onto Carolina Back Road. The applicant assured the resident that this would not happen.

At the end of the meeting, Ms. Platner stated that members of the Planning Commission must review the application under state law and town regulations, regardless of how they may feel about the development proposed. She also noted that the Planning Commission will need to consider the many actions taken by the state legislature to incentivize more residential growth throughout the state and in Charlestown. She stated that the legislature has taken away much of the Planning Commission’s power and discretion through changes it has made to state law, including changes to the RI Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. She continued that, were the Planning Commission to turn down the 24-lot subdivision, the developer could come back with the 72-unit Comprehensive Permit over which the town has even less control.

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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.