Would you like to host a lawn sign for our candidates? We will bring it to your house and place it for you. Just send us an email to mail@charlestowncitizens.org. We have signs for Town Council, Planning Commission and will have signs for Town Moderator soon too.
Carol is a photographer, writer, publisher, and small business owner. She has lived here for 13 years, served on the Planning Commission for two, and loves our unique, small town character. Her education, with both an MFA and MBA, and her experience help her to understand the need to achieve a balance between commercial development and the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental impacts on our community.
Sarah is a nationally recognized marketing expert with over 30 years of experience as a creative director, art director, designer, and photographer. As a small business owner, she wants to ensure that our economy can flourish without damaging the character of one of the most beautiful communities on the East Coast. Sarah is the third generation in her family to be raised in Charlestown and believes “we should continue to conserve land to protect the natural resources that support our economy and low tax rate in the long term.”
A vote for these candidates is a VOTE FOR experienced voices who will listen to diverse views and act in the best interests of all our residents. These candidates support sound, civil, and open government, and they bring expertise in areas ranging from the environment, to education, to the economy, and most importantly, their experience as your neighbors. These leaders value and are committed to protecting the inherent quality of life that makes Charlestown so unique.
The proposed development consists of changes to the existing commercial building that has a floor area of 9,444 square feet, and construction of six new one-story commercial buildings, with a total of 23,892 square feet of building floor area, new parking areas, a new septic system (OWTS) and a new public well.
Protecting our groundwater will involve preserving enough land for our septic systems to treat wastewater and for the rainwater to re-charge aquifers and thus will involve protecting more open space, careful use of impervious surfaces, and reasonable control over the density of our growth. The failure to learn these lessons could be very challenging and expensive for Charlestown.
In the 1960s and 70s, on about 5 aces of what is now the 1,100 acre Francis Carter Preserve, the United Nuclear Corporation recovered uranium from contaminated wastewater at its plant. On July 24, 1964 an accident resulted in the tragic death of Robert Peabody, a worker at the plant. You can read or watch accounts of the accident that happened just off Narraganset Trail in Charlestown at the links in this post.
UPDATE:Meeting cancelled late on July 29 just before meeting was scheduled to begin. We don’t know yet when it was rescheduled to.
When: Monday, July 29 at 7 pm
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Town Council special meeting to discuss and possibly adopt the new 2024 Master Plan for Ninigret Park
The Town Council will discuss the 2024 Ninigret Park Master Plan that its consultant, VHB, developed in accordance with the directions given to the company by the Town Council. The $39.5 million cost estimates that were handed out at the April 15 meeting are included in this post.
Proposed Charter change question number 9 was written and sent to public hearing without any plan for ratification by the General Assembly. As explained by the Town’s solicitor at the Charter Public Hearing, “if it is not ratified you will put the Planning Commission’s legal authority in limbo … and undermine their position.”
In early June, Charlestown’s land-use community lost its most qualified member with the passing of Walter “Peter” Mahony. Peter was undoubtedly the most qualified person to ever serve on the Charlestown Planning Commission. He was an Architect, a Landscape Architect, and a professional Planner with architectural and planning degrees from Princeton and Cambridge Universities. He had a successful career working on important projects that focused on the sustainable balance between development and land preservation.
Thank you to everyone who gave up a part of a summer day to visit us at the Charlestown Mini Super and sign 10 different nomination papers for the candidates the Charlestown Citizens Alliance is supporting in the November election. Thank you especially to the Mini Super for generously allowing us to set up our nomination papers in front of the store!
When: July 20 from 11 am to 5 pm (rain date July 21)
Where: Ninigret Park, Charlestown
Frances Topping will be one of the many artists participating in the Ninigret Arts and Crafts show. Frances is a member of the Charlestown Planning Commission who has been endorsed by CCA in all her elections. Besides her tireless work on the Planning Commission to protect Charlestown’s natural and cultural resources, she’s also also a talented naturalist, artist, and educator.
Proposed Charter changes would concentrate power in the Town Council while taking it away from the voters.
When: Tuesday, July 9 at 7 pm
Where: Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown
Some are merely administrative changes, but others reduce the Town Council’s accountability to voters and reduce the effectiveness and perhaps even legitimacy of the Planning Commission. Another creates a new Town Department without any analysis of long-term cost.
Where: Charlestown Mini Super, 4071 Old Post Rd. (map in post)
When: Monday, July 8 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m
What: If you are registered to vote in Charlestown, all we need is your signature on the candidates’ nomination papers. These candidates will be volunteering their time for the next two years or longer, please take a few minutes of your own time to help them get started.
Town Charter Amendments—Which Should You Approve Or Reject? Please Reject Charter Questions 7, 10, 14, 15, and 17 7) CHARTER AMENDMENT RE: TOWN COUNCIL ELECTIONS (Part 2 – Town Council […]
CCA 2024 Platform for Charlestown Our Economy – Our Environment – Our Future The Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA)* is committed to enhancing the overall quality of life for all Charlestown […]
Sarah is the third generation in her family to be raised in Charlestown. She is a nationally recognized marketing expert with over 30 years’ experience as a creative director, art director, designer, and photographer. As a small business owner, Sarah wants to help ensure that Charlestown’s economy can grow and flourish without destroying the character of one of the most beautiful communities on the East Coast.
Drawn to the rural, tranquil, close-knit nature of Charlestown, Angie is passionate about preserving the community’s unique character and community connections. Angie will bring to the Town Council extensive experience in collaboration with state and community organizations and in strategic planning, technology integration, policy, grant management and reporting, and personnel development to her role in Charlestown’s government.
Charlestown Citizens Alliance is pleased to announce the names of their outstanding candidates for the 2024 election. The steering committee worked to recruit talented individuals who embody CCA’s guiding principles of fiscal responsibility, protection of our natural environment, civility, inclusiveness, and consensus. They are individuals with the skills and dedication to do what’s right for the Town and Charlestown’s taxpayers.
Peter owned and managed an independent supermarket in Connecticut with over 100 employees. The store was so popular it was described as serving as the town center. Peter will bring his experience in understanding and responding to the diverse needs and wants of his workers, customers, and suppliers and in interfacing with all manner of local, state, and federal agencies and inspectors to government in Charlestown.
Ruth currently serves on the Planning Commission, has a BS degree in Biology and has had a long career in scientific research and technology. The beauty of Charlestown’s natural environment brought Ruth here over 40 years ago. She was invaluable in the defeat of the Federal Railroad Administration proposal to bisect Charlestown with new rail lines; she was a leader in stopping Invenergy from trucking our ground water out of town; and Ruth has always reminded us of the connection between natural resource protection and our relatively low tax rate.
Having served 8 years on the Town Council, Bonnie views the protection of our natural resources as critical for our economy. As a Town Councilor she has championed protecting the local environment, including our dark skies, and safeguarding our rural community with its low taxes. She advocates for inclusive recreational opportunities throughout our town. A former director of the Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory, Bonnie works in publishing and has a BA in Economics.
Coleen is a small business owner, professional Comedian, Motivational Speaker and former Special Education teacher who is committed to preserving Charlestown’s natural resources, history and character. She believes that it is possible to focus on preservation and work with all parties to find solutions that will best serve our community as a whole as we grow. Coleen contends that even though she has traveled all over the world, Charlestown is truly the most wonderful place she has ever been.
Carol is a current member of the Planning Commission and an award winning photographer, writer and publisher as well as a local small business owner who has lived in Charlestown for 11 years and loves our unique, small town character. Her education, with both an MFA and MBA combines art and business. Carol’s combined life experience of exploring, creating, editing, teaching, and managing businesses has made her a valued member of the Planning Commission where she understands the needs of business and balances that against the cultural, aesthetic and environmental impacts on our community.
Lisa has spent 4 years as a member of the Planning Commission where she has worked on Charlestown’s Comprehensive Plan and advocated for Charlestown’s environment and beautiful small town character. As a resident of the western edge of Charlestown, Lisa has a front row seat on the large granite quarry just over the border in Westerly and the effect that bad land use planning can have on neighbors and natural resources. Lisa works as a Planner at the Naval Submarine Base and has lived in Charlestown for over 8 years.
Sarah has lived in Charlestown for 15 years and has been a member of the Planning Commission for 6 years. Sarah has felt a deep connection to our community from the beginning of her time here, but the threat to neighborhoods, wildlife, and protected open space by the Federal Railroad Administration plan for new train tracks through northern Charlestown inspired her to become actively involved. She would like to continue to work to protect our beautiful town as a member of the Planning Commission.
David served two years on the Charlestown Town Council from 2018 to 2020. He has a BS in Business Administration and has served as Senior Vice President for Operations of an international company he and a team of logistics experts founded in the late 1990s. His love of Charlestown’s quiet natural beauty, his determination to protect our town, his substantial experience of other communities, his leadership skills, and his expertise in project management, budgeting, financial planning, and operations will make him an excellent and effective Town Moderator
On May 28, the Charlestown Town Council voted 4 to 1, with Councilor Susan Cooper objecting, to acquire four more portable light towers. The configuration and type of these lights violate Charlestown’s lighting ordinance. The ordinance that applies to any non-residential exterior lighting requires that lighting be fully shielded, focused downward, and not result in light trespass or light pollution. The Town Council’s decision to violate the ordinance will make it more likely that commercial businesses throughout town will ignore the town’s 12-year effort to protect Charlestown’s beautiful dark skies.
Charlestown’s State Senator Victoria Gu along with Town Planners and Planning Commissions statewide worked to craft an Accessory Dwelling Unit Law that allowed ADUs while at the same time worked to protect the Coastal Ponds and other sensitive environmental areas from excessive nitrogen pollution. Senator Gu needs to hear from constituents to urge her to push for her bill (S-2630) that allows ADUs while still protecting groundwater and drinking water, rather than the House bill which represents a very real threat to the Coastal Ponds and groundwater throughout the town.
Only 254 People Voted – Thank You To Everyone Who Did Vote!
