SteeringCommittee

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.

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Only 254 People Voted – Thank You To Everyone Who Did Vote!

• Charlestown’s 2025 Budget passed with 183 in favor of the budget and 71 against.
• The number of voters was down by over 1,000 from previous years’ numbers because of limited outreach.
• The tax rate is estimated to be $5.78 per thousand dollars of valuation

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In previous years the Town Council sent a mail ballot via the U.S. Postal Service to each of the town’s registered voters to make voting on the budget better reflect the will of our voters. However, the town council has discontinued this citizen outreach, and significant reduction in participation is expected. Expenditures are budgeted to increase by 6.17%, even though the town will not undertake a large construction project.

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Dambo’s message is that the world is running out of resources. His trolls lure people out into the woods where there is soil, sun, water, and trees, and it is through the “wind and the whispers of nature” that his trolls speak. This message is especially appropriate for Charlestown which has amazing natural resources of national and statewide importance that are being negatively impacted by overdevelopment, but it’s a message that the Charlestown Town Council majority is not likely to hear or understand.

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Claims of “misinformation” are sometimes misinformation in themselves and that is the case with the claim that CCA is spreading misinformation about a “stadium”. A search this week of our entire website revealed that in over 1,000 posts and pages, 1,400 comments, and 1,600 media files there is only one instance of the word “stadium” and that is in a 2012 letter from the National Park Service.

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When: Monday, April 15 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Elementary School, 363 Carolina Back Road.
What: The Town Council will discuss the new Ninigret Park Master Plan
Link to the full plan and more in post.

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This year Charlestown voters will elect the individuals who will lead our town into the future, and it matters who is elected to town government. Much of what has been created and protected is at risk if people who cherish Charlestown’s beautiful, natural character do not stand up and volunteer to guide our town. Needed are individuals who understand that protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources are critical to maintaining our quality of life and our low tax rate.

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Thomas Danbo will soon direct the installation of two trolls in Ninigret Park. Mr. Danbo’s Trolls are intended to have a message of environmental stewardship. The Trolls have the full support of our Town Council, but this is a Town Council that doesn’t always make choices that protect the environment.

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With the passing of Charlestown Town Councilor Grace Klinger in January, there was an open seat on the Town Council. By Charter, because there was less than a year to the next election, it was up to the Town Council to decide how they wanted to fill the seat. The Council chose to fill the position by appointment, accepted applications until March 1, and made their selection on March 11.

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The Town just released the final Ninigret Park Master Plan. Missing from the final version, dated March 4, 2024, is the page detailing the $33 Million cost to execute the plan. These cost estimates are available in the December 22, 2023, draft of the Ninigret Park Master Plan that was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission. We have included the missing cost estimates in this post.

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The Corps advised that the town coordinate with the Army Corps throughout the Ninigret Park planning processes, and should either of the troll statues require any soil disturbance below the ground surface, the Town should perform that work with full-time oversight by a munitions professional and perform soil testing to properly characterize and manage the disturbed soil.

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The Army Corps is investigating areas of Ninigret Park and the National Wildlife Refuge to understand the nature and extent of chemicals of potential concern and munitions and explosives of concern relating to former Department of Defense operations at the Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field. Video of meeting in the post.

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The Charter presents the Town Council with three options: leave the position vacant, hold a special election to let voters decide, or appoint someone to fill the position. The Council has chosen to fill the position as soon as possible and decided against holding a special election. The members of the Town Council will, therefore, vote to appoint Councilor Klinger’s successor. Anyone who wants to submit an application for the empty seat must do so by March 1.

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Charlestown Citizens Alliance is proud to be supported by the residents of Charlestown and those who love our town. When you support CCA, you support an organization that has been, for over 17 years, dedicated to civil and open government and to preserving and protecting those assets that make Charlestown such a unique and treasured place to live.

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UPDATE: Although the Town Council did not make the changes the Planning Commission had strongly advised to limit ADUs to year-round use and to limit lot size, the Zoning Office is interpreting the ordinance in a way that does limit ADUs to year-round use and does limit the lot size to 20,000 square feet for non-family ADUs. There is still no minimum lot size for family ADUs. We have updated this post to reflect the Zoning Office’s January 25 memo.

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As we enjoy the holiday season in our beautiful Charlestown community, please join Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) in supporting our neighbors in need. Food insecurity continues to rise nationally, and our town is no exception. The Rhode Island Center Assisting Those In Need (RI CAN) is a local lifeline to many.

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When: Saturday, December 9, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Where: Cross Mills Library (4417 Old Post Rd, Charlestown)
What: A town hall meeting sponsored by Charlestown’s Senator Victoria Gu to discuss amendments to legislation regulating ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units).
Please attend to explain the importance of local groundwater issues to the sponsors of these bills and that these units need to be placed on lots and in areas that can handle increased septage and to urge that their use as vacation rentals be discouraged.

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Charlestown needs a second volunteer member for the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council. Up to two Stewardship Council members are appointed by each Town Council in the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed, the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Rhode Island and Connecticut environmental agencies, Save the Bay and of course, the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association.

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When: Tuesday, August 29 at 6 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Town Council meeting to discuss changes to the existing subdivision ordinance that will allow developers to encroach on wetland systems and other sensitive areas. Impacted adversely by these changes would be what are called perimeter wetlands, areas that protect wetlands, and forested areas that together cleanse groundwater (the source of our drinking water), control flooding, reduce surface runoff into water bodies, and provide habitat for wildlife. These changes would place the burden of fixing the adverse impacts of irresponsible development on the taxpayers of Charlestown.

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The goal is to change the outcome of 21 elections and remove current elected officials from office, thwarting the will of the voters, so that they can appoint Planning Commission members more to their liking. There is no basis for their removal other than this false claim that they were illegally elected. Who sits on the Planning Commission makes a difference, and that decision ought to belong to the voters.

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As conservation-minded Zoning Board members’ terms expire they are being replaced with new members with ties to the building and development industries. Town Councils have the power to make appointments and move regulations in whatever direction they choose, but residents should be aware of the direction this Town Council is taking which is one that reduces environmental protections and encourages faster growth.

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On May 22 the Town Council held a public hearing on the Planning Commission’s request to not accept new Public Storage Facility applications until the town has new design guidelines. On June 12 the Town Council voted 4 to 1 not to require increased residential buffers, and to allow cannabis retail sales on any lot zoned C3 or C2. The Town Council continues to propose changes to the Zoning Ordinance for the subdivision of residential land that would reduce developers’ costs, increase the number of allowed lots… Details on all of these in the post.

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When: Wednesday, May 17th at 4 p.m.
Where: Room 35 – State House
Why: Send an e-mail to the legislature (directions on how to send the e-mail in the post)
The farmland preservation program will not be funded without a strong outpouring of public support. This spring, Rhode Island’s state funding for farmland conservation is rapidly approaching zero for the first time since 1981. There is a backlog of over 40 farms that have been approved for permanent protection, but not enough funding to protect them. Leaving the farmland protection program unfunded will halt the program altogether and leave at least $5 Million in federal funding on the table.

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Vic was elected to the Planning Commission in 2008 along with others in our first slate of candidates. Over the intervening years he donated his photography skills to make campaign photos of many of our candidates and in 2020 made candidate videos as well. He gave his time to those candidate photo shoots with amazing kindness and patience.

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