Council tables Newport Design Week gala permit after neighbors raise past ticketing concerns

The Newport City Council voted to table a special‑event permit application for a Newport Design Week gala proposed for June at a private residence on Narragansett Avenue, citing neighbor concerns about using a residential property for a ticketed commercial event and questions about prior events.

Applicant Carol Swift told the council the event would be a fundraiser and an earlier plan to use the ballroom was moved last year to Salve Regina; she described this year’s plan as a shorter cocktail event with British cars from the Audrain and a speaker from the Audrain Automobile Museum. “Yes, we are selling tickets,” she said when asked by a councilor.

Neighbors and some councilors recounted a ticketed, publicly marketed event associated with Design Week in July 2024 whose location was disclosed to purchasers only on the day of the event. Councilor Charles Collins moved to table the application after describing concerns about prior ticketed events and discrepancy between commercial use in a residential zone and the permit request. The motion to table passed.

Why it matters: The application raised recurring questions about the limits of residential zoning, special‑event permitting and whether ticketed fundraisers at private homes are appropriate when they resemble commercial use. Councilors noted the property had not been used for commercial events since the prior summer, but neighbors and some councilors pressed for clearer disclosures and adherence to special‑event rules.

What the applicant said: Swift said she and partners had limited previous on‑site events, moved a large event to a campus venue last year and now sought permission for a single, earlier evening cocktail fundraiser. She said the home was not regularly used as a commercial venue and that the event would be scaled back.

Council action and next steps: The council tabled the permit, which means the application will be revisited at a later meeting; the clerk and applicants were instructed to follow the normal re‑filing process. The council discussed that the Tree and Open Space Commission and other advisory groups can be asked to work on potential uses of school grounds and related spaces once final plans for nearby school projects are presented.

Public comment: Nearby resident and frequent commenter Pete Rice urged the city to require a clear presentation from the school building committee when it requests additional funds for a school project and to explain who will manage adjacent land and amenities.

The applicant was told she may refile the application; councilors suggested the event organizers consider other formal venues if neighbors remain opposed.