CCA Blog and Mail Box

Below you will find an archive of CCA blog posts. The comments from readers and some blog posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the CCA Steering Committee. Sign up to receive these blog posts by e-mail.

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No ‘Sensitive’ Way To Inflict This Level Of Environmental And Cultural Destruction.

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On July 16th the Connecticut Examiner reported that both of Connecticut’s senators support the just-announced Connect NEC 2035 that implements the first phase of the Federal Railroad Administration’s NEC Future plan. No mention was made of continued opposition to the Bypass. What was offered instead was a promise from Connecticut’s US Senator Chris Murphy to be “sensitive to existing communities that live by the rail.” This letter, written by Ruth Platner, was published in the CT Examiner as a response.

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Friends Of The Charlestown Animal Shelter To Host Giant Yard Sale Fundraiser

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When: Saturday, July 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: At the Charlestown Animal Shelter on Sand Hill Road in Charlestown
Tents are going up to house all the items that will be for sale. You can visit the yard sale to shop for bargains, and you can donate your no longer wanted items for sale. If you want to make a donation for the yard sale, call 401-364-1211.

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They’re Back: Northeast Corridor Commission Sets Out Plan To Implement NEC Future

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In 2016, the Federal Railway Administration released a plan to bisect Charlestown with a new high-speed track known as the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass”. The Northeast Corridor Commission has now released Connect NEC 2035. This plan does not include the Bypass, but what the maps in the release do have is a giant circle covering our region, indicating that high-speed rail in our area will be studied. The “New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study” is on the table, and that is extremely important and potentially dangerous for our town.

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Conserving The Jewels Of The Night: Firefly-Friendly Lighting Practices

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Artificial light at night may be one of the main drivers of firefly declines. These species are active at dusk or after dark, and artificial lights that are on at this time can make it harder for them to see each other. It may also make fireflies more vulnerable to predators that would otherwise be repelled by their light. The resulting decreases in reproduction and survival could have severe consequences for firefly populations.

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Planning Commission To Hold Special Meeting For Summer Winds 1 and 2

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On the Charlestown Planning Commission’s July 7th meeting agenda are two major subdivisions – “Summer Winds”, and “Summer Winds”. That isn’t a typo! The developers of the Summer Winds subdivision, are now proposing a Major Subdivision Comprehensive Permit on the same land as the Summer Winds subdivision and also calling it Summer Winds. They haven’t withdrawn the original Summer Winds, so for now there are two different proposals, with the same name, by the same developer, for the same parcel of land.

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Changes To CCA’s Daily Blog Email

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Most of our readers are signed up to receive the CCA newsletter which is handcrafted and sent about once a week from our website. A smaller group of subscribers receive an automated email with all of the previous day’s blog posts whenever there is new content. All of our readers who were receiving the “daily” automated email will be transferred to a new email list.

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Elevated Levels Of PFAS Found In Some Wells At Ninigret Park

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries since the 1940s. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects. High PFAS levels are often found at former military sites like Ninigret Park. The wells with elevated PFAS are not used for drinking water.

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The Blast Heard Round The Town

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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.

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With A New Comprehensive Plan, Charlestown Can Now Move Forward

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Now that the plan has been approved, the Planning Commission can begin the process of addressing issues that the town faces along with residents’ concerns. The staff, boards, commissions and committees now have a solid footing for making their decisions. State agencies still have to make final approval of the plan, but their reviews so far have been extremely good.

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37 Lot Coastal Subdivision And 20 Unit Village Condominium Project On Planning Agenda

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On the Charlestown Planning Commission’s April 28th meeting agenda are two major land developments – “Summer Winds” and “Village Walk” and other proposals. Links to review all the materials submitted by the applicants, the agenda for the entire April 28 meeting, and a link to join the live Webex meeting on April 28 at 7 p.m. where these applications will be reviewed are in this post.

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Read A Summary Of Charlestown Comprehensive Plan

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The Charlestown Planning Commission and Planning Department have created a slideshow to summarize the 2020 draft of Charlestown’s Comprehensive Plan. Please click on the blue button in the post to page through the summary. A continued joint public hearing on the proposed new Comprehensive Plan is scheduled by the Town Council and Planning Commission for May 4th at 7 PM.

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Spring Equinox Drone Flight From Blue Shutters To Quonochontaug Pond

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On March 21, the first full day of Spring, Bob Petrone flew his drone to take advantage of that perfect spring day. There were few people walking the beach and the sky was a deep blue with no wind. The YouTube video in this post will bring the viewer on a 7 minute ride along the Quonnie coast from Blue Shutters to the Quonochontaug Breachway and pond.

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Thanks To Warren Schwartz For His Dedication To Cleaning Up Charlestown Litter

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If you have ever asked yourself what one person can do to benefit their community, there are many examples of people who stand out. People who see a need and pursue a workable solution are all around us. In Charlestown, I can offer one example of an ordinary citizen who saw a problem, persevered, and is currently working to solve a town wide problem.

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CCA And RICAN Combine To Fight Food Insecurity

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Charlestown Citizens Alliance kicked off a campaign seeking donations to ease the burden on neighbors experiencing food insecurity. As of mid-January, donations have reached almost $10,000 from nearly 50 individual donors. An anonymous donor working directly with RICAN pledged to match the donations. We thank all the donors who participated in our campaign.

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Charlestown Open Space Project On Council Agenda

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On the Town Council agenda for Feburary 8 is a vote to allow the Town Administrator and Town’s attorney to negotiate a price for the property. DEM also has to approve the price and will not be involved in the sale if they believe the price is greater than the market value. If a sales price can be negotiated that the seller, town and DEM all agree on, the Town Council will hold a public hearing at a future meeting and then vote on the purchase.

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Planning For High Speed Rail That Avoids Charlestown

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For the last three years, another high-speed rail planning process, independent of the Federal Railroad Administration, proposes a new route that would go inland through Connecticut instead of along the shoreline. The proposed new route would cross Long Island Sound with a 16-mile tunnel to New Haven, and then north to Hartford. From Hartford it would travel east to UConn at Tolland Connecticut, and then on to Providence and Boston.

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Two More Bottle Bills Introduced At Legislature

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Beverage container deposit laws, or “bottle bills”, are designed to reduce litter and capture bottles, cans, and other containers for recycling. We reported on the bill introduced to require a deposit on “nips” in an earlier post. There are two new bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, both of which require deposits on all single-use beverage containers.

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Legislation Proposed To Require Deposit On “Nips”

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Rhode Island Representative David A. Bennett, who represents Warwick, has introduced legislation to require that every miniature alcoholic beverage container, which is known as a “nip”, that is sold in Rhode Island shall have a refund value of not less than fifty cents. The legislation was introduced on January 25 and referred to the House Finance Committee.

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Betty J. Cotter: A Nip Here, A Nip There, Everywhere A Nip

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This excellent essay is worth a read! “When you walk the roads of rural Southern Rhode Island, you are never far from the drinking habits of its residents. On a raw but sunny afternoon, we set off from the homestead armed with a garbage bag and a grabbing tool. It wasn’t much of a walk because we had to stop every few steps while one of us (me) operated the pincers and the other (my husband) held open the garbage bag…”

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HollyEstatesNovember2020

Planning Commission Reinstates Subdivision Approval From 2007

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Covid-19 pandemic is heating up the housing market and growth in Charlestown is accelerating at a rate not seen in over 20 years. Charlestown normally sees about 20 new residential lots created per year. The Planning Commission currently has almost 80 residential lots/units in various stages of review and an additional 360 self-storage units and other commercial developments proposed.

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Charlestown’s Conservation Corridors Connect The Ocean To Northern Forests

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Charlestown is part of the only undeveloped area along the Eastern Seaboard that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the inland forests of New England and Canada. Charlestown contains critical wildlife habitats and recreation areas that are important in their own right, but in a regional context they are even more important. Fragmentation of this corridor diminishes the importance of the entire corridor for both wildlife and recreation.

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Michael Chambers: In Praise Of Former Town Officials

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With the swearing in of the new Town Council in Charlestown last week, I took the opportunity to review the accomplishments of those public servants who have moved on to other pursuits in life. The Town of Charlestown has been fortunate in that over the past 10 years the residents and taxpayers have enjoyed a well-run government.

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Photo of Milky Way over Frosty Drew Observatory by Scott MacNeill

South County Tourism Council Podcast On Frosty Drew Observatory

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South County Tourism Council sat down with astronomer Scott MacNeill from the Frosty Drew Observatory to talk about the Sky Theatre in Ninigret Park, the Great Conjunction and favorite celestial bodies! Check it out and give it a listen. You’ll learn about the history of the observatory, our night sky, how we see the sky, science, upcoming celestial events, Charlestown’s Red Light District and much more!

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Leo Mainelli: Thank You To All The Voters In Charlestown

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Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to cast your vote in a free and open election of government officials are some of the most important elements of the United States of America. This past November 3rd and the weeks leading up to it, the citizens of Charlestown cast their votes in record numbers to elect officials who would represent them for the next two years or more.

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DEM, Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council Partner to Improve Awareness of River Access Points

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The 300-square mile watershed provides abundant clean groundwater that serves as the sole source of drinking water for more than 60,000 local residents and supports roughly 70 percent of Rhode Island’s globally imperiled species. The Pawcatuck, which forms the northern border of Charlestown, is very popular for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and other forms of outdoor recreation.

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URI: Biocontrol Effort To Fight The Emerald Ash Borer

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Lisa Tewksbury, Charlestown resident and director of the URI Biocontrol Laboratory, has launched a targeted biocontrol effort to fight the emerald ash borer. First found in RI in 2018, emerald ash borers are threatening to destroy the entire population of ash trees in Rhode Island. Do you have an ash tree in your yard or on your street? If so, watch out for this invasive beetle. Lisa and her students are deploying three species of parasitic wasp from Asia that lay their eggs in the beetle’s eggs or larvae to try to control the ash borer.

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