North Smithfield council approves Route 146 planning resolution, accepts $150,000 state site‑readiness grant and contracts Parr for engineering study

North Smithfield — The Town Council on March 3 voted to authorize a planning resolution for the Route 146 corridor, accept a $150,000 site‑readiness grant from the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and approve a consulting agreement with Parr Engineering to evaluate infrastructure needs for potential redevelopment.

The actions approved the town administrator’s recommended steps to commission preliminary engineering and a feasibility study for water and sewer service along the Route 146 corridor, including a possible hydraulic connection to the City of Woonsocket. The council voted on three separate motions: to approve the Route 146 planning and development resolution, to accept the Rhode Island site‑readiness agreement, and to approve a consulting agreement with Parr Engineering. Each motion passed on roll call.

The town administrator said the site‑readiness grant is a state award and carries no local matching funds. “This is a % grant from the state. There is no matching funds here, so that's that's positive,” the staff member said during the discussion. The Parr scope will evaluate hydraulics, storage and distribution options and may include calibration of Woonsocket’s computerized hydraulic model if a connection is pursued.

Officials stressed that the Parr contract is for preliminary engineering only and does not guarantee any interconnection with Woonsocket. The staff member said engineering will drive cost estimates that the town can use to assess tax increment financing (TIF) and other funding options. Komoid Associates is doing a separate TIF feasibility study to estimate potential tax generation from future development along the corridor; that work will inform whether a revenue bond could underwrite infrastructure investments.

Councilors and staff discussed alternatives if Woonsocket denies access, including on‑site water systems fed by groundwater. The staff member noted groundwater could be cheaper than surface water because surface water requires treatment at a plant, but said the most logical option remains working with Woonsocket.

Council members also voiced concern about near‑term speculative development along the 146 corridor and said the town may need to consider zoning updates or a new zoning district to guide long‑term redevelopment. The staff member recommended moving quickly to define preferred uses so ad hoc development does not outpace planning.

Votes and next steps: the council approved the three motions by roll call and authorized the town administrator to sign the grant and consulting agreements. Parr will proceed with preliminary hydraulics and feasibility work; the town will use the results to inform TIF analysis and potential zoning changes. The grant agreement includes a project completion deadline of Jan. 30, 2026, and staff said the team remains on track to meet that date.

Background: The Rhode Island site‑readiness grant and the Parr contract are part of the town’s efforts to ready property along Route 146 for possible redevelopment by funding preliminary engineering and feasibility analysis. The effort ties to separate work on a TIF feasibility assessment and earlier asset management planning the council expects to schedule for a future meeting.

The council approved the resolution, agreement and consulting contract by roll call votes. The motions were moved and seconded during the meeting; the roll calls that followed recorded affirmative votes from all participating council members.

A presentation by Parr Engineering and further details on hydraulics and cost estimates are expected as the study progresses; staff said subsequent findings will be brought back to the council for policy decisions on funding and zoning.