Narragansett council sends wide-ranging zoning changes to planning board amid resident objections

The Narragansett Town Council on March 3 voted unanimously to refer a comprehensive package of proposed amendments to the town's zoning code to the Planning Board for review, prompting more than an hour of public comment raising transparency and land-use concerns.

Councilor Jason Colonies introduced the referral and said the council was seeking recommendations from the Planning Board and staff. The council approved the referral 5-0; council members said they would accept the Planning Board's feedback and could extend the review timeline if needed.

Why it matters: The packet of proposed changes includes revisions to bulk-zoning rules, chapter references governing household and student-occupancy limits, and other standards residents and speakers said affect building scale, neighborhood character and the town's ability to limit dormitory-style conversions.

During public comment several residents and longtime local volunteers told the council the Planning Board and the town planning department had not seen the rewritten material before it appeared on the council's agenda. Speakers singled out the proposed elimination of the town's bulk-zoning provisions and a proposed change to student-occupancy limits (comments in the meeting referenced moving a 3-student limit toward 5 students per dwelling) as the most consequential items.

Residents said those two changes together would permit larger, multi-bedroom houses in areas now regulated by bulk-zoning controls. One resident told the council that removing bulk zoning would allow "dormitory-style" houses to be built by right in neighborhoods where the current code would not permit them; another asked why the Planning Board had not been part of drafting the package before the council vote.

Council procedure and schedule: Council members and staff said the referral is a request for review, not final action. The council asked that the Planning Board and town planning staff review and return their recommendations, with an initial turnaround of roughly 45 days mentioned in the meeting; councilors said they would consider additional time if the board requested it. The council also made clear that individual council members remain undecided on many specific changes and expressed a willingness to consider compromises based on Planning Board feedback.

What residents asked for: Multiple speakers asked the council to slow the process, remove some elements from the referral, or hold separate hearings on individual topics rather than sending a large package all at once. Concerns repeatedly raised at the mic included the effect on neighborhood parking and infrastructure, the impact on housing affordability, and the appearance that the proposals had been prepared without broad stakeholder input.

Council response: Sponsor Councilor Colonies said he had not decided on the substance of the proposals and framed the referral as a fact-finding step. Other council members reiterated that the Planning Board's recommendations and subsequent public hearings would shape any final ordinance changes.

Next steps: The Planning Board will review the proposed amendments and return a recommendation to the Town Council. The council will schedule public hearings and a subsequent vote only after receiving that feedback.

Ending: The referral passed 5-0. Residents at the meeting urged the council and Planning Board to hold thorough, separate hearings on the most significant changes rather than considering the whole package at once.