Extraction Industries In Charlestown

Property at 565 Alton Carolina Road (Rt. 91) in Charlestown is the site of a sand and gravel quarry. The property contains three lots which abut the National Wild and Scenic Pawcatuck River, the Nature Conservancy’s 1,100-acre Francis Carter Preserve, the Town of Charlestown’s Tucker Woods Preserve, and private residences.

Developers, land use attorneys who represent developers, a gravel bank owner, and other business owners were among those appointed by the Town Council on March 13 to committees to review and rewrite all of the town’s ordinances, propose revisions to the Town Charter, and recommend a new Town Administrator.

The map in this post shows the locations of extractive industries in Charlestown. These are operations removing sand, gravel or rock. Click on the red tool tip to read the name of the owner and the Map/Lot location of the parcel being extracted. The operations on the different parcels are quite varied. You can switch the map to satellite view to see forest and wetland features.

Enforcement of Charlestown’s Zoning Ordinance and enforcement of state wetlands or air quality laws are driven by complaints. The town and state do not have staff that randomly check properties for violations. If you believe there is a violation of zoning, wetlands, or air quality laws, you will need to make a complaint. The town or state then makes an investigation. If you have a question, concern, or complaint, please call the offices listed in this post.

Council members passed two resolutions this week calling on action from the state as Charlestown joins a growing list of communities that are seeking to resurrect legislation first presented in 2016 that would let towns better regulate and monitor quarry activity. The resolutions, which were presented by councilor Bonnie Van Slyke and passed unanimously, take aim at addressing combinations of noise pollution, air pollution and nuisance abatement.

There have been innumerable complaints from residents living in wide-spread locations throughout Charlestown concerning commercial quarrying, extraction and earth and gravel removal operations at pre-existing nonconforming extraction operations currently operating in Town. This resolution seeks an amendment to the RI General Laws to allow the Town of Charlestown to regulate the extraction operations.

Charlestown Town Councilor Bonnie Van Slyke introduced the blasting resolution at the February 28 Town Council meeting. The resolution received the full support of the other Council members and was sent to Charlestown’s State Senators Dennis Algiere and Elaine Morgan and House Representative Blake Filippi, and to all Rhode Island Cities and Towns, all Rhode Island Legislators, Speakers of the House and Senate, the State Fire Marshall and the Governor seeking their consideration of and support for this Resolution.

When: Monday, February 28, at 7:00 pm
Where: Webex virtual meeting, a telephonic and video remote special meeting
What: Charlestown Town Council member Bonnie Van Slyke has added a discussion and potential action regarding regulating the nuisance aspects of quarries that existed prior to zoning to include requesting the state legislature enact enabling legislation regarding quarrying and blasting to the February 28 Charlestown Town Council agenda.

During its September 7 special meeting, the Zoning Board of Review took public comment that included testimony about the Route 91 operation and included numerous complaints. The board voted unanimously, 5-0, to reject the appeal and found Charlestown Farms provided insufficient evidence for the applicant’s appeal and affirmed the decision of the town’s building and zoning official, Joseph Warner.

Charlestown’s Zoning Official has determined that the nonconforming legal use does not apply to lots 3 and 4-1 because the company has not done enough to prove the burden of a nonconforming legal use. Next meeting regarding the appeal of the ruling of the Zoning Official before the Zoning Board will be held on September 7 at 7 p.m. at the Charlestown Town Hall.

On August 10, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management issued a notice that approximately 30,845 square feet of wetlands at the quarry on Rt. 91 in Charlestown had been altered. The notice requires the land owner to restore the wetland and provides the methods and plant species necessary to achieve that.

Three lots of land owned by a gravel company on Rt. 91 abut the National Wild and Scenic Pawcatuck River, the Nature Conservancy’s 1,100 acre Francis Carter Preserve, and the Tucker Woods Preserve. On July 14, 2021, Joe Warner, Charlestown’s Zoning Official, issued a notice of violation and a cease and desist order to the owners of the quarry at 565 Alton Carolina Road.

On Friday, May 21, at approximately 10:30 a.m. an explosion was heard across Charlestown from the border with Richmond, to South Kingstown, to Westerly. Because of the way sound travels and where people were, whether in their homes or outdoors, not everyone heard the noise or felt the shock wave. What is remarkable is how far people who did feel and/or hear the explosion were from the source.

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]