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Before sending the ordinance to a public hearing, the Town Council stripped the regulations of the Special Use Permit requirement. This makes it a “by right” use on any commercial lot along the Scenic Highway. They also removed several other recommendations from the Planning Commission’s version of the ordinance that protect the rights of abuters, neighborhoods, and natural resources.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Rhode Island Headquarters is at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center on Bend Road in Charlestown. This is the headquarters for all of the National Wildlife Refuges in Rhode Island. What is needed? The greatest need is on weekends and Wednesday afternoons. Even volunteering once or twice a month is a huge help and shifts are only three hours long. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. This is also a great way for students to get volunteer hours!
A full list of recreation offerings in Charlestown with event dates, including recreation programs for children and adults. The change of season doesn’t slow down recreation in Charlestown.
Lisa works as a Planner at the Naval Submarine Base New London, has lived here for eight years, and has served on the Planning Commission for four years where she advocates for our environment and small-town character. Living on the western edge of town, Lisa has a front-row view of a large quarry in Westerly and the effect that bad land use planning can have on neighbors and natural resources.
Peter is a life-long volunteer. Besides working on countless charitable efforts, he’s served as a director on many boards – as varied as a local library and an orphanage in Africa. He even gave his left kidney to a stranger. For decades, Peter owned and operated a successful Connecticut supermarket with a diverse staff of 100 people. He’ll bring his talents for listening, analyzing, and responding to concerns to town governance.
As a past member of Charlestown’s Planning Commission and Town Council, I have witnessed at close proximity the competing interests of proponents for expanded economic development and the public will for preservation and conservation of natural resources. Well guided economic growth can be used to foster preservation and conservation, and CCA is committed to that dual outcome.
When: Thursday, September 19 at 4:00 pm
Where: Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown
What: Release of two Sea Turtles
Phineas, a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and Tullibee, a green sea turtle will be released.
Despite the opposition to land conservation in Charlestown from the current Town Council majority, passage of “State Question 4” would allow Charlestown to continue to apply for state funds to purchase land that protects critical and uncommon habitats, supports rare or endangered species, expands other protected land, protects surface water bodies and groundwater for drinking water, and provides public access for passive recreation.
David is Senior Vice President of an international company he helped to found. He served two years on the Charlestown Town Council where he was fair, clear, organized, informed, and inclusive. His leadership skills and his knowledge of the major underlying issues will make him an excellent and effective presiding officer at all regular and special budget public hearings.
Angie is a life-long educator with expertise in planning, technology, grant management, and personnel development. She will bring experience collaborating with state and community organizations to her role in town government. With an over 40-year history in Charlestown, she is passionate about preserving our town’s unique character and community connections.
When: Thursday, September 26 from 6 to 8pm
Where: Cross Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Rd., Charlestown
What: Coastal Ponds Management Commission member Art Ganz will give a presentation about the erosion of the barrier beaches and damage to the west jetty of the Charlestown Breachway
Cost: Free
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.
What: Be Safe! Be sure to wear at least 200 square inches of florescent orange (usually a hat and or a vest) when hiking on state, federal, or other public and private open space.
When: *September 7, 2024 – February 14, 2025 for deer, and until May 18 for other game.
The Charlestown Land Trust has announced the expansion of protected land at the historic Amos Greene Farm in Charlestown. Thanks to the incredible generosity of landowners Carla and Russ Ricci, an additional 47 acres have been placed under conservation easement, bringing the total protected area on the Amos Greene Farm to 87 acres and increasing the Charlestown Land Trust’s total protected acreage to almost 700 acres.
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.”
Where: Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center in Ninigret Park
When: Saturday, September 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
What: Fourth Annual Inspire, Discover, Enlighten, and Awe (IDEA) Fundraising Exposition
Cost: Admission is free with the expectation that visitors will donate to help Frosty Drew achieve their yearly goals.
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.
Weidman said the new law enables development by right of ADUs in homes near Charlestown’s environmentally sensitive salt ponds, which the state Coastal Resources Management Council, she said, rates as already beyond their capacity to safely tolerate more wells and septic systems. She remains unhappy that an effort to carve out these areas in the legislation was rejected.
Early last month the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) released “Into the Woods: Solar in the Forest” to examine the number and location of ground-mounted solar projects in the region and to assess how much green space has been lost to solar development. The NBEP mapped solar arrays in the forests of the 113 municipalities in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut that make up the Narragansett Bay region. Nearly 4,000 acres in the region, most of which was undeveloped, have been cleared for solar projects. “By far, most solar projects were installed in forested areas or cropland,” according to the recently published study.
I’ve been elected to the Planning Commission since 1998, and I watched the Commission for ten years before that. In all that time, not a single person who was a neighbor of a large residential subdivision spoke in favor of the proposed development, and most asked that it not be approved. If residents were getting what they wanted, land would not be developed, but approvals of residential development have far more to do with state law and property rights than residents’ desires. My story can illustrate what can be done, however to preserve the land next door that you might love.
In Charlestown, the fall bird migration begins in August and continues into November. Birds are tracked on radar and thousands of birds are passing through Washington County each night. In this post are links to tools that predict and monitor bird migration in real time through our area, and tips on how you can help the birds in their long migrations.
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.
Rhode Island PBS has created some short segments called Trail Stories that they show between longer programs. This one features the fabulous Carter Preserve, the 1,100 acre preserve located in Charlestown and owned by the Nature Conservancy (TNC). The film opens with the Tarzan Brown Trail and is narrated by TNC’s Tim Mooney.
As it has for a quarter of a century, Rhythm & Roots will return to Charlestown, this Labor Day Weekend, August 30, August 31, and September 1. This year, the festival showcases music on three stages (the Roots, Rhythm, and Dance Stages) and will feature a variety of music styles, including Cajun, Zydeco, blues, country, bluegrass, Americana, and many other genres.
There is a plan to increase the resiliency of the breachway so it can support critical habitat for flora and fauna and help to ensure the continued viability of Ninigret Pond for the future. The plan would involve repairing the west seawall to help prevent future filling of excess sand in the pond and to enhance the barrier dune habitat. Dredging will also be needed to clear out the current sand blockage in the breachway.
Currently, the Planning Commission does not have enforceable standards for commercial development. It still won’t have. The Town Council insisted that the required zoning ordinance language would not be included in the consultants’ work; it was just to be a design document. This leaves us at the mercy of a developer to follow or not follow these guidelines.
The excellent candidates for Town Council and Planning Commission who are endorsed by CCA in the upcoming election will listen. They have heard your concerns, and they will work to return Charlestown to the path to long-term sustainability by protecting our natural resources on which our economy and our future depend.
My election campaigns always seem to present unexpected challenges. I declared my candidacy for Charlestown Town Council in June, and a biopsy on July 15 found a small tumor in my throat. I had, and have, no symptoms except for a swollen lymph node. I will get through this and be okay. My voice may be quieter for a short time, but it won’t be silent and I will continue doing my best to protect the beautiful, natural character of our community.
When: Saturday, August 24 at 9:00 am
Where: Meet at Quonochontaug Yacht Club, 155 West Beach Road
Preregister: The tour will be limited to 20 kayaks. Preregister on a first-come-first-served basis by emailing: alicia@joinsaltponds.com or angela@joinsaltponds.com
Rain Date: Sunday, August 25th at 9:00 am