[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6462090,"mediaKeyId","5812001-5276533203aea2350df2cb2b15d7b7fd","parentId",5812001,"title","Votes at a glance: Cranston council elects vice president, approves liquor license, tax abatements and appointments","audioSeconds",535,"startMs",1498549,"endMs",2034135,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812001-5276533203aea2350df2cb2b15d7b7fd&start=1498&end=2034","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812001-5276533203aea2350df2cb2b15d7b7fd/thumbnail_1498549.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6462090/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Votes-at-a-glance-Cranston-council-elects-vice-president-approves-liquor-license-tax-abatements-and-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462090-36955ed1769c96ad711f40249314262c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774876440&Signature=SE9S9sKOg48k9JfLHaeqYDQi5lGleUL9jTbMLIy8apbDip4H7eE2IqrOs0uMm-BofqjQzofFu0-ckC08JZJJFHvQHq2pHNdLUSHprZu3xv3FC09ANAPMl0YylVDfIuvPcJ4QdmDjlzAI1KxC0bPBNCwJXtzEhAe6hIJqG6DP83z4TtOOwkNfMvaiCZFAb7kw7c5~BKgeTieg5MM4jK5mfqbQV1uacXOdYOwOWnv1XCL6-eW6LobNIhawBzQJByL~nj9W6ol5CWKe6DOIZLNsR7L5M0U1LjmpGupQAcRvLxebWsqIX2zp7iH2463FQDdNMNWmU3dffgtPFi2lfXVOmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," City of Cranston","date","2025-09-23T00:13:20.24Z","article","The Cranston City Council on Sept. 22 approved a series of routine and substantive items in a single meeting. Key outcomes included election of a council vice president, approval of a Class B/BV liquor license for a downtown business, passage of tax-abatement resolutions, and confirmation of appointments to local commissions.

Kristen Heroyan elected council vice president
Kristen Heroyan was nominated and elected by roll call to serve as council vice president for the 2025–2026 term. The clerk recorded a roll call in which all members voted in favor except that Heroyan did not cast a vote for herself; the meeting transcript records Heroyan as abstaining on her own nomination. The council president announced Heroyan had been duly elected.

Liquor license — Virology LLC, 160 Atwood Ave.
Council Vice President Heroyan, as safety and service committee chair, reported the committee had voted to recommend a Class B/BV liquor license for Virology LLC at 160 Atwood Avenue and asked the council to approve despite the city being over its cap for liquor licenses. The council voted by roll call to approve the license.

Tax abatement resolutions
The council approved a resolution authorizing real-estate tax abatements requested by the tax assessor; the measure passed the finance committee on Sept. 8 and was adopted by roll call. A separate resolution authorizing motor-vehicle tax abatements, also requested by the tax assessor and recommended by the finance committee on Sept. 8, passed on a separate roll call.

Appointments and reappointments
The council approved the appointment of Sarah Pereca (as recorded in the meeting) to the Cranston Art Commission for an unexpired three-year term ending June 24, 2028. The reappointment of David W. Guoik (as recorded) to the Historical Cemeteries Commission was placed on the record; the president indicated the reappointment was by the council president and the item was acknowledged on the docket.

Minutes and other procedural votes
The council approved a block of minutes and a previously contested Sept. 11 special meeting minutes as amended (time corrected). The council also took new-business items as a block, moving several matters to committee.

Votes listed in the meeting record were taken by roll call; where individual votes were recorded the transcript’s roll-call results are reflected in the actions array below. The council did not tie any of these approvals to changes in local statute beyond the liquor-license exception reported by the safety/service committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 22, 2025, City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its Sept. 22 meeting the Cranston City Council approved a block of items including minutes, elected a council vice president, approved a Class B liquor license over the cap, passed real-estate and motor-vehicle tax abatement resolutions, and confirmed appointments to local commissions.","taxTitle","Cranston City, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",4549,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462095,"Council approves zoning change for 1746 Cranston Street; stormwater concerns noted",482,1394040,1876650,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812001-5276533203aea2350df2cb2b15d7b7fd&start=1394&end=1876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812001-5276533203aea2350df2cb2b15d7b7fd/thumbnail_1394040.jpg","/articles/6462095/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Council-approves-zoning-change-for-1746-Cranston-Street-stormwater-concerns-noted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462095-0525a996f231f48a0d768003dbad6381/orig.mp4?Expires=1774876440&Signature=DbVKOui9GuQGnKaZefcLx2v0Jejce38Jw5I75KVXIIXFTwqvrudiFn4VynWQAkXfwROz1Ozt6NICBrXQhiiXo7RgP~aDaSbVwn7rDLnBCFoBoPbUZU-tb0-4UtOWr~4jCgcpcVVV-NRPlBr7bF-Yu1pxA7X9bywQrcVlg6vMHIyefj9mIpCUb7DfSfTe7K-aygMAZ4ucPtsvRBmKJLRf1iEqytshC2bkrpnLNSY03zpWb2riEQLY057TSmMscn45-bGxsrfM-SLI331flTQ46I86pQzQDlX0c2BKJgL6QiKRU5KiAkjI~rhCmUWKRPxlq0spZwK130AO8hmsHBLeDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cranston City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 22 to approve ordinance 07-2506, an amendment to Chapter 17 of the Code of the City of Cranston (2005) that changes the zoning classification for 1746 Cranston Street.

Attorney Robert Murray, representing the applicant, spoke during the public hearing to notify the council that he was present to answer questions and that the matter had received a hearing before the ordinance committee. Murray said, “We had a very good hearing before the ordinance committee 11 days ago. And we provided quite a bit of information,” and added he would “be happy to answer” any questions raised during council deliberations.

Councilman Andujar, chair of the ordinance committee, reported the committee had considered the measure on Sept. 11 and urged passage. During general debate Councilwoman Graziano expressed support for the zoning change but placed a condition on the record: she asked the applicant and staff to ensure compliance with stormwater management standards and said she would “put that on the record.”

A motion to approve the ordinance was made and seconded; the clerk called the roll and all recorded council members voted yes. The ordinance was approved on the council floor. The council did not adopt additional modifications at the meeting; Graziano’s stormwater remark was entered for the record as a council concern to be addressed during permitting and review.

No specific land-use approvals beyond the zoning map amendment were voted at the meeting; building permits, stormwater plan review and any subsequent site approvals remain subject to normal staff review and permit processes.","The Cranston City Council approved Ordinance 07-2506 amending Chapter 17 (zoning) to change the zoning for 1746 Cranston Street; an attorney for the applicant attended and Councilwoman Graziano asked that stormwater management standards be strictly applied.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462099,"Cranston council weighs engineering and enforcement to address speeding on Hope Road",744,2161865,2906440,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812001-5276533203aea2350df2cb2b15d7b7fd&start=2161&end=2906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812001-5276533203aea2350df2cb2b15d7b7fd/thumbnail_2161865.jpg","/articles/6462099/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Cranston-council-weighs-engineering-and-enforcement-to-address-speeding-on-Hope-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462099-a4cc48cf633d732b25b71dbadf53a3de/orig.mp4?Expires=1774876440&Signature=MqW-NJS7GR12W-GM82O-jjDMJeZccuEElZ-BZB~hjPERazCvKapuHEjhW8M6GV-VJmoElC0LQ-espX9f-4iv~wVM27RhMbTinH3W8jf1fHJaYP2xCV-QpabRVTOxL7NqW7AYjjmmxIUpgL8HNmmE-ktU9Juwb0XwCpheltBqFlpRoe0JZ1zuPgtjfr3UdAbLqPRTKALJn~phsQrbhlfFE2p9xWynR-06kMKqvAaHsNt~~3yvO6O-DIym4Pop8lSr5ThAE6aPd8sY96sN0kdxCFaT9kldw27kS5w15l8Qqe5DB0aAdfr6YgUPja486PM9isD9oe4ImSv4eVDr~9hxmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilman Ritz urged the Cranston City Council on Sept. 22 to pursue a package of engineering and enforcement measures after a traffic study showed a large share of vehicles exceeding the posted 25 mph limit on Hope Road.

The council discussed why the matter matters: Hope Road runs past Hope Highlands Middle School and town athletic fields, and residents and council members described blind curves, sidewalks that end, and children walking to fields as safety concerns. Ritz said a prior monitoring study showed “62% of the vehicles that they monitored were going at least 20, at least 10 miles over the 25 miles per hour speed limit,” and that the average recorded speed was about 37 mph.

City and police staff described a set of possible interventions they are prepared to implement without an outside study and flagged options that would require further analysis. The traffic engineer had recommended dividing Hope Road into three study zones (Phoenix to Pippin Orchard; Pippin Orchard to Burlingame; Burlingame to 7 Mile Road) to target remedies by segment. Proposed measures discussed included fresh lane re-striping, targeted lane-narrowing where feasible, radar speed display signs, increased enforcement by the police department, road stenciling marking school zones, repair or replacement of damaged radar signs, and a public information campaign.

Police Colonel Winquist told the council he supported many of the measures. The city’s director of public works and the traffic engineer warned that some interventions — notably narrowing the traveled way — carry collision risks if done where right-of-way or roadway geometry does not allow it. The director said, “the road narrowing actually is not an option then speaking with the traffic engineer because there's no — there's no further narrowing. You're just gonna have head-on collisions if that were the case.”

Ritz and other council members also reported conversations with the traffic engineer and police chief about the unconventional idea of raising the posted speed limit on long, straight stretches to 40 mph so drivers would be less likely to exceed it; the police colonel described that as a concept he had discussed but several council members — including Councilwoman Heroyan and Councilman Bonanno — rejected raising limits near a school. Bonanno said school-area limits should remain 25 mph or be reduced to 20 mph and supported additional markings, enforcement and street-level stencils to increase visibility.

City staff noted a formal outside traffic study (the type that could justify speed-limit changes citywide) would cost “tens of thousands of dollars.” The director recommended immediate, lower-cost steps the city can implement now — repairing the radar sign, adding stenciled “School” markings near the school, posting school-zone speed signs and increasing enforcement — while the council considers whether a paid, comprehensive study is needed.

No ordinance or binding policy change was proposed or adopted at the meeting. Council members asked staff to proceed with the low-cost interventions and increased police attention; staff agreed to coordinate implementation and to report back to the council on results and next steps.

The discussion drew multiple council members, the police colonel, the traffic engineer and DPW staff; members of the public did not deliver undocketed comments on this agenda item during the meeting.","Council members discussed a mix of targeted traffic studies, signage, enforcement and road markings to address speeding on Hope Road near Hope Highlands, with some members opposing raising speed limits near schools.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Cranston council elects vice president, approves liquor license, tax abatements and appointments

Council approves zoning change for 1746 Cranston Street; stormwater concerns noted

Cranston council weighs engineering and enforcement to address speeding on Hope Road