Council discusses options for reuse of former Compton Mill site; seeks guidance for remediation study

The West Warwick Town Council discussed potential uses for the former Compton Mill property on Pulaski Street on Feb. 4, and staff asked the council for informal guidance to help finalize a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Phase I/II study.

Staff said the Phase I is complete and the Phase II nearly finished; DEM will tailor recommended remedial actions to the town’s intended future use for the lots. “If you plan to pave it as a parking lot, the remediation would differ from leaving it as open recreational space,” a planner said.

Council members weighed options including keeping the lots as open space or recreation fields, selling parcels for commercial use, or marketing the property to an adjacent neighbor who has expressed interest in purchasing a portion for access and parking. Some council members said a sale would require appraisal and would likely need to be put to a referendum if the town disposes of designated public land.

Questions included site size, proximity to the river and the cost already incurred to demolish the chimney (one council member cited a past cost of roughly $60,700). Staff noted the Phase II report is grant‑funded and will present remedial options for different end uses so the council can decide whether to pursue redevelopment, remediation for public use, or sale "as is." Council members generally expressed a preference for keeping the property as open space unless DEM’s findings make it unusable.

No binding vote was taken; staff said they will finalize the study and bring remedial options and cost estimates back to the council.