North Providence council schedules special meeting after neighbors raise noise, lighting and property-line concerns about Colletti Farm plan

Mayor Lombardi and the North Providence Town Council and dozens of neighbors discussed a revised design proposal from Rad Sports for the former Colletti Farm (also called Colletti Multiuse Field), and agreed to a special meeting to resolve remaining design, access and neighborhood-impact questions.

Neighbors said they support a smaller-footprint plan but raised questions about hours, lighting, noise from pickleball courts, the location of entrances and parking, soil testing for fill material, and whether the plan overlaps private property or a nearby cemetery. “I would ask that you not vote on it tonight,” said Kathy Lanning, a resident who said she had tried to provide feedback for months and asked for a separate dedicated meeting with Rad Sports and town staff. Mayor Lombardi said the town would not construct on anyone’s property and that lot lines and other details would be rechecked before any construction started.

The design presented to council includes courts and a proposed playground; residents and council members described a number of changes from prior renderings and said the town has obtained and extended grant funding tied to the project. Council discussion noted roughly $400,000 from the state Department of Environmental Management has been allocated and that the overall multiuse field concept had an earlier estimate in the materials of about $5.2 million, though council members said final costs will depend on any further design changes.

Residents focused on a handful of recurring issues: lighting orientation and cutoff times so light would not spill into backyards; noise mitigation around pickleball courts (including fences and buffering); whether both pickleball and tennis courts are required to preserve grant eligibility; vehicle access and the location of entrances so cars would not discharge onto residential streets; the scale and number of courts (several residents urged fewer courts and a larger buffer zone); and how long existing earthwork and imported fill would remain on the site while surrounding construction and school projects continue.

Several speakers asked for a specific lights-out time for courts and for clearer commitments on buffering. June Masterson, a nearby resident, asked whether lights would be shut off “around 8:30, 9” p.m.; Santiago Restrepo said a similar cut-off would be reasonable for families with young children. Neighbors also asked whether soil taken to the property during earlier earth-moving operations had been tested and requested documentation about any further hauling of fill to or from the site.

Council members acknowledged these concerns and said they were working with Rad Sports and the mayor’s office to incorporate neighborhood feedback. Councilman Famighetti said the rendering showed a smaller footprint than earlier concepts and that it appeared to reflect neighborhood input; other council members said they were prepared to impose time limits or other restrictions by ordinance if needed.

Because several residents said they had not had a chance to review the latest design files before the meeting, and because neighbors requested one final dedicated session with Rad Sports present, the council voted to hold a special meeting to finalize the design. Councilman Famighetti moved for a special meeting (seconded by Councilman Pollock); the motion passed and the council set a special meeting for April 17 at 6:00 p.m. "We will schedule a special meeting on this within the next two weeks," the chair said when announcing the date.

The council did not adopt a final plan or vote to begin construction at the meeting. Mayor Lombardi told the council and residents the town would recheck lot lines and other legal boundaries before any construction permit or ground disturbance, and reiterated that the town would seek to preserve grant funding while addressing neighborhood concerns.

Residents and council members requested that Rad Sports, grant staff and town engineers attend the special meeting so that outstanding questions — about grant conditions, lighting, noise mitigation, the number and placement of courts, site access, soil testing and a construction start date — can be answered before any final vote.

The council directed staff to convene the special session and to circulate the latest design materials to neighbors and council members before that meeting.