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Zoning board hears Block Island Water District plan for 20-by-30 well house control building on state-owned Schmidt property
Summary
The New Shoreham Zoning Board of Review took public testimony on a special‑use permit for a 20-by-30 well house control building to house pump controls, valves and electrical equipment for two new wells on the Schmidt property; the board closed the hearing and took the application under consideration.
The New Shoreham Zoning Board of Review on a September meeting heard an application by the Block Island Water District for a special‑use permit to erect a 20-by-30 wood‑frame well house control building (WHCB) on Plat 9, Lot 87 (Payne Road), property owned by the state as part of the Schmidt parcel.
The WHCB would house variable frequency drives, automated control valves for two new wells, breakers and an automatic transfer switch to operate the wells remotely and connect them to the district's existing treatment facility, testimony showed. David Petranka, legal counsel for the water district, said the building is needed because the new wells are too far from the treatment plant to be controlled successfully by on-site wiring.
The application matter was presented by legal counsel David Petranka and John Breunig, the water superintendent, who described the district's ongoing three‑phase capacity expansion: a completed storage tank (phase 1), the new well field on the Schmidt property purchased by the Rhode Island Water Resources Board (phase 2) and a later treatment capacity expansion (phase 3). "It was incorporated in 1887," Breunig said of the water district, describing its long operation and role supplying drinking water and fire protection to Old Harbour and New Harbour. He said the ground lease with the state allows the district to construct and operate the public water supply on the property; "It's for $1, I believe," he added when asked about the lease consideration.
The proposed building will be designed to resemble a detached garage, with composite shingles, windows on the sides and a front door to blend with nearby residences, Breunig said. He told the board lighting would be limited and motion‑activated to comply with dark‑sky considerations; landscaping would screen the facility to minimize visual impact. The application states the site will use vegetative measures to minimize stormwater impacts and will comply with applicable state and federal regulations.
The state is a co‑applicant on the submission and, according to testimony, signed and returned the application after approvals within the Department of Administration and the Water Resources Board. The board was presented with an applicant exhibit set that included a survey map, site plan and structural plans prepared by James Jeremiah and Associates and two favorable advisory letters: one from the conservation commission and one from the planning board.
Kate Atwater Butcher, chair of the Zoning Board of Review, closed the public hearing and the board took the application under consideration. No final vote on the special‑use permit was recorded at the meeting.
Why it matters: The new well field and associated control building are part of a multi‑phase project to expand drinking water capacity for Block Island; the location on state‑owned land relies on a ground lease and coordination with the Rhode Island Water Resources Board, which affects implementation timelines and approvals.
What happens next: The board will consider the submitted exhibits and the planning board and conservation commission advisories in its forthcoming deliberations and written decision.
