Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council schedules public hearing on Putnam Pike plan change after members raise inclusionary‑housing concerns
Summary
The Town Council set an August 5 public hearing to consider an amendment to the Putnam Pike development district; councilors raised concerns that the proposal’s low‑ and moderate‑income (LMI) component (10%) conflicts with the town’s inclusionary zoning and comprehensive permitting standards.
The Smithfield Town Council voted July 15 to schedule a public hearing on Aug. 5 to consider changes to the Putnam Pike Esmercy (Putnam Pike Esmercy Plan Development) District ordinance.
During discussion councilors and the planning‑board solicitor raised several concerns about the proposal: the LMI (low‑ and moderate‑income) component in the draft appears to set an LMI percentage at about 10%, which several councilors said conflicts with Smithfield’s existing inclusionary zoning (33%) and the comprehensive‑permitting standard (25%). One councilor also said the prospective buyer had not provided detailed engineering plans, traffic studies or wetlands analyses and that the number of residential units allowed will depend on wetlands delineation.
A councilor noted a planning‑board attorney (identified in the transcript as Attorney Rocha) had told the planning board that the developer might be able to pursue the project without a zoning amendment, and some councilors questioned whether scheduling a zoning change public hearing without a concrete plan from the prospective buyer risked unnecessary town expense for advertising.
The council approved the motion to schedule a public hearing; the item will return to council after public comment and the planning board’s formal recommendation.
