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Town manager warns of multiple state bills that could alter local zoning and open-space protections
Summary
Burrillville town manager Michael C. Wood told the council that the General Assembly is advancing a package of bills that would shift local control over zoning, allow higher-density housing types by right and enable state development on state land without local zoning input.
Town Manager Michael C. Wood warned the Burrillville Town Council that a package of bills in the current Rhode Island legislative session could significantly change local land-use controls and make it harder for rural communities to preserve open space.
Wood said the speaker has introduced roughly a dozen bills this session and highlighted three measures he called especially consequential: (1) allowing higher-density housing in commercial and industrial zones by right; (2) enabling state-owned property to be developed by the state without local zoning input; and (3) permitting a new housing product (described as a dormitory-style option) to be built by right in communities.
Wood told residents and councilors the measures repeat trends from the last two years and would “encroach on our ability to save our land and use our land and density and housing that’s going to come our way.” He urged residents who care about open space and rural character to follow committee hearings and contact legislators.
Councilors and the manager noted the town has taken defensible zoning steps, including creating restrictive farm-residential zones and updating the comprehensive plan to guide growth toward village centers. The manager urged participation at the statehouse, saying, “If you care about the communities, you care about what’s going on at the statehouse, my suggestion is you get mobbed, put out there and make your voices heard.”
Ending: The town will post the identified bills and encouraged citizens to attend hearings; officials said they will monitor and, where appropriate, seek legislative changes to preserve local decision-making and rural character.
