Charlestown Effort to Reduce Plastic Waste
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author George C. Tremblay. Mr. Tremblay is Vice President of the Charlestown Town Council. Environmental […]
Charlestown Rhode Island
Chipping Away at Local Control
On June 18 the Rhode Island Legislature passed another version of the so called “Dry Lands Bill” that “provides that wetland buffers not be excluded from the calculation of buildable […]
Boston.com names Frosty Drew one of 3 places to see the Milky Way in New England
Boston.com found three easy-to-get-to places in New England with a great view of the Milky Way and listed Frosty Drew as number one! The other two were the much more […]
Starting a Dialog about Getting Plastic Out of Charlestown’s Environment
- An effort to reduce solid waste by limiting transport of goods from retail outlets in single-use plastic bags and polystyrene (Styrofoam) containers.
- Resolutions to the General Assembly for statewide action die in committee.
- We are a resort community, where pollution of the landscape and waterways detracts from the appeal of our tourist economy.
- Includes video on this topic
Town Council Approves Pawcatuck River Preserve
At Monday night’s Council meeting the Town Council Chamber was filled with supporters of the acquisition of land that will provide residents access to 1,600 feet of frontage on the […]
Town Council to Consider Land Acquisition on Pawcatuck River
On Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m. the Charlestown Town Council will consider the acquisition of 27 acres of land in the village of Carolina that will provide public access to 1,600 feet of frontage on the Pawcatuck River.
Take a video tour of the land and learn about the:
- Environmental Impact
- Recreation Impact
- Fiscal Impact
Charlestown Delegation Lobbies Legislature
Delegation Asks Legislature to Give Charlestown Ability to Regulate Quarries
Filippi’s Bill Authorizes Charlestown to Regulate Excavation and Extraction Activity
Town Councilors Tom Gentz and George Tremblay and a group of local citizens testified on Thursday, January 28th, before the House Committee on Municipal Government.
Corrective Resolution Relative to the Regulation of Earth Removal, Gravel Extraction and Blasting
At their December 14 meeting, the Charlestown Town Council unanimously passed a resolution requesting the General Assembly to create enabling legislation that would allow the town to enact ordinances to […]
Town Council Passes Resolution Requesting Legislation to Control Blasting
Under current state law, blasting at quarries and construction sites can take place without advance notice to those who live nearby and who may be adversely affected by noise or […]
Salt Ponds Coalition 30th Anniversary Celebration Video
The Salt Ponds Coalition is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Southern Rhode Islands Salt Ponds. This short film was produced by Vic Dvorak, a former executive director of the […]
Giving credit where credit is due
The following letter is shared with us by the author George Tremblay. This was written in response to a letter that appeared in the Westerly Sun that falsely asserted that construction of senior housing was a misuse of disaster relief funding, that senior citizen housing does not belong in a village district, and that the town should have spent the housing money on the Breachway. As the letter below explains, the disaster relief funding exists only because of the housing. One might ask why the Westerly Sun prints such nonsense, but George set the record straight.
I was dumbstruck by the arrogant disregard for reality in the letter from Brandon Cleary on the use of Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Funds (Westerly Sun, July 15).
This American, Absolutely Democratic, Idea of Public Land
Pulitzer prize-winning author and historian Wallace Stegner described National Parks as “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”
Charlestown’s public lands may not be National Parks, but they include a National Wildlife Refuge and some of Rhode Island’s most important recreation and conservation areas. From our miles of ocean beaches to the Wild and Scenic Pawcatuck River we are a town rich in outdoor, public recreation opportunities. These public lands belong to all of us.
This Independence Day weekend, consider celebrating and enjoying this democratic idea of public land at one of the properties below.
We hope you have a great Fourth of July!
Town Closes on ChurchWoods Property
Said Charlestown Town Council President Tom Gentz, “Geoff Marchant, President of the Washington County Community Development Corporations, The Rev. Dr. Michael Tessman, the 2011 pastor of the Church of the Holy Spirit, and I have waited years for this moment and are thrilled that the project has the funding needed to build well-constructed affordable units that meet the needs of our residents.”
Enabling Legislation on Quarry Fugitive Silica Dust Passes
In summary, the legislation requires that “Manufactured unwashed sand”, or quarry dust located within 1,500 feet of any occupied dwelling shall not be stockpiled without measures to control fugitive dust from trespassing beyond the quarry’s property line, and RI DEM is authorized to enforce compliance.
Bill that would allow more regulation of mining and gravel operations passes House and Senate
We have just learned that Rhode Island House Bill 5680 Substitute A passed the House and a companion Senate Bill passed in the Senate. The text of that bill is […]
ChurchWoods Senior Housing Will Be Ready for Occupancy Summer, 2017
The last piece of funding for ChurchWoods, an affordable housing project for senior citizens, has been acquired. ChurchWoods will provide 24 1 bedroom rental units for seniors next to the […]
Failure of the Conservation Easement
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Michael Chambers The June 1 Charlestown Financial Referendum resulted in the passing of the […]
Charlestown Open Space Provides Economic Payback
In 2010, the Trust for Public Land released their report, “The Economic Benefits and Fiscal Impacts of Parks and Open Space in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York.” The study found that parks and open space provide a $2.74 billion annual economic boon to local governments and taxpayers on Long Island. The report details how conservation of parks and open space generates income and increases property values, even as it reduces the costs associated with new government services, if the land were developed.
Why Choose to Divide Our Town and Inspire Hatred?
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author John Goodman. It seems that every time there is an election, the Charlestown Democratic […]
South Farm Pays Its Way and Will Provide Fiscal Benefits for Generations to Come
By offsetting the tax loss from new residential development, South Farm Preserve has already more than paid back the Town’s initial investment and will now continue to provide a fiscal benefit for generations to come.
Provide Permanent Protection to the Charlestown Moraine Preserve
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Ruth Platner Granting a conservation easement over undeveloped land is very much like hiring […]
Why Gamble With A Sure Thing
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Michael Chambers On June 1, the voters of Charlestown will have the opportunity to […]
Misrepresenting a Good Land Deal for Charlestown
The following letter appeared in the Westerly Sun and is shared with us here by the author George C. Tremblay. Mr. Tremblay is a member of the Charlestown Town Council. […]
Charlestown Open Space Land Provides Plenty of Value
The following letter appeared in local newspapers, and is shared with us here by the author Ruth Platner On April 23, the Westerly Sun published a story, “Group seeks $1 […]
Guide to Charlestown Recreation/Conservation Properties
We recently released the first phase of our guide to Charlestown’s Open Space properties. You can click on any image below to learn more about a particular property. Property descriptions […]
Conservation Easement on Charlestown Moraine Preserve to go to Voters
At the February 9 meeting, the Town Council voted to put a conservation easement on the Charlestown Moraine Preserve before the voters at the June financial town referendum. The property […]
Open Space and Hard Work Win a 15% Savings on Flood Insurance
Thanks to Charlestown’s past efforts to preserve land as open space and Building Official Joe Warner’s recent hard work to make a winning application to FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program’s […]
Proposal for a New Extraction Ordinance
At the December 8 Town Council meeting, George Tremblay made a proposal (text of that is below) to be submitted to the Town Solicitor and other Town staff for revision […]
Town Council Passes Resolution Asking State Legislature for Mining Regulation
At their December 8 meeting the Town Council unanimously passed the resolution below asking that the RI General Assembly enact legislation that directs the Department of Environmental Management to establish […]
How Charlestown works together to preserve Open Space
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is reprinted here with permission of the author Tom Gentz. Mr. Gentz is President of the Charlestown Town Council and is running […]