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 […]
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author, Steve Dubois. I read with great interest the various news reports about Representative Blake […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
By ecoRI News staff BRADFORD — Copar Quarries, which operates a local rock quarry, has agreed to settle claims by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it violated federal clean […]
The following resolution was passed by the Charlestown Town Council at their October 14th meeting A RESOLUTION RELATIVE TO THE REGULATION OF EARTH REMOVAL, GRAVEL EXTRACTION AND BLASTING WHEREAS, the […]
The following letter appeared in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Ruth Platner ———————————————- Stone crushing, sand and gravel removal, and other issues related to […]
The following post was submitted by George C. Tremblay. Mr. Tremblay is a member of the Charlestown Town Council and Town Council Liaison to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission […]
The following opinion piece appeared in the Westerly Sun, and the Chariho Times and is reprinted here with permission of the author George C. Tremblay. Mr. Tremblay is a member […]
In January, the Charlestown Town Council passed a resolution in support of residents living near the Copar Quarry. The text of that resolution follows.
Some of you have written with questions about COPAR. There is a Town Council workshop scheduled for 7 p.m. on January 10 at Town Hall to discuss COPAR
COPAR Quarry is a gravel operation on the border of Westerly and Charlestown. Residents in both Charlestown and Westerly have complained that noise from blasts and dust from the processing operation have disrupted their lives and created health issues and environmental problems. DEM has issued a wetlands violation against the quarry. Westerly’s Zoning Official has issued a cease and desist order against the quarry. Despite these actions, the problems are not resolved.