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Neighbors press South Kingstown council over new Oak Street duplexes; town says state law limited its options
Summary
Neighbors described the two new duplexes on Oak Street as out of character and said the units appear designed for student rentals. Town staff said the subdivision and building permits met municipal rules and that recent state law changes limit what the town can prohibit, while promising staff and legal review of regulatory gaps.
Residents of Oak Street and nearby neighborhoods pressed the Town Council on Tuesday over a newly constructed pair of duplex buildings that neighbors said look and function like student housing.
Several residents called the structures “institutional” and said the size and configuration—two duplexes with five bedrooms per unit—appear tailored for rental to college students. Jean Bowen told the council the buildings were “totally out of character for the neighborhood” and said, “This is, in fact, 2 duplexes with a total of 4 units. Each unit has 5 bedrooms … It is built to house transient college students.”
Town response and legal limit: Planning and building staff said the subdivision and building permits were processed under the town’s existing rules and recent changes in state law. Planning Director Jamie Rabbitt told the council that the project was reviewed by the town’s technical review committee and the administrative officer approved a two‑lot minor subdivision; the subsequent building permits were issued after that approval. Rabbitt said the town currently does not impose bedroom‑count limits on single‑family or duplex dwellings and that duplexes are regulated by dimensional standards (setbacks, lot coverage) rather than architectural or landscape standards.
Attorney Michael Arcello and planning staff explained that recent Rhode Island statutory changes allow up to five unrelated persons to occupy a dwelling unit and expand what qualifies as a minor subdivision in some cases. “There have been a lot of changes to the law which the town of South Kingstown and the residents of every other town and city in the state of Rhode Island, now have to abide by,” Arcello told the council.
Neighbors’ concerns: Residents raised specific complaints about parking, trash, noise and the speed and timing of construction. Susan Cameron, whose house directly neighbors the site, said she and others were surprised that what was presented and permitted as duplexes could effectively function as multi‑bedroom shared rentals: “I don't know if we have any system in place where the spirit of what we have in our ordinances … flies in the face of what the state law requires us to do.” Ed Kimmerlein said the buildings will bring “20 cars parked on the lots … the noise that comes with college renters and the negative impact that these buildings will have on our property value.”
What the town can (and can’t) do: Staff told the council the town could not refuse construction or deny occupancy based on the likely tenant population (for example, students) so long as the property complies with local zoning and state law. The planning director said the town could consider changes going forward—zoning amendments, form‑based code provisions, or new landscape and architectural standards—to influence the appearance and scale of infill duplexes, but any proposed changes must be vetted and could be constrained by state law and fair‑housing rules. Council members asked the town solicitor to work with planning staff to identify regulatory gaps and legal paths for future protections.
Immediate operational relief: Several residents asked for short‑term measures, including stronger enforcement of existing on‑street parking restrictions near the school, additional no‑parking signs, and the appointment of a point of contact or site manager for complaints during occupancy. The council asked staff to explore those operational options and to return with recommended regulatory changes after legal review.
Why this matters: The situation highlights the interaction between municipal zoning, new state housing laws, and neighborhood expectations. Residents asked the council both for immediate enforcement and for ordinance changes to prevent similar large‑bedroom duplexes from appearing in established residential streets.
Selected quote: Jean Bowen (Oak Street resident): “To do this, the new legislative language does away with some of the transparency that neighbors have for input and timely comment. We lost our right to the notification of abutters to the property being developed … This is not even close to being multifamily.”
