Council gives first reading to zoning changes including 12-month ADU rental minimum; FAR seller exclusion disputed

The Narragansett Town Council on June 2 completed a public hearing and approved a first reading (3–1–1) of amendments to the town zoning ordinance intended to align local code with changes enacted by the 2024 Rhode Island General Assembly.

Key change: ADU lease minimum — Following public comment and a council amendment, the ordinance language now includes a requirement that any ADU "utilized as a rental" be leased for a minimum term of 12 consecutive months. Community Development Director Jill Sabo told the council the change reflects a common local-safeguard approach and aligns town practice with state statutes while discouraging short-term, seasonal rentals. "The language is any ADU established pursuant to the terms of this chapter, utilized as a rental, shall be leased for a term no less than 12 consecutive months," Sabo said in the hearing.

Public reaction was mixed. Supporters — including Colin Penney of South County Habitat for Humanity and other housing advocates — said ADUs provide year-round housing options and help aging homeowners and younger families. Opponents and many neighbors asked for a slower, workshopped approach: they urged detailed study of sewer and water capacity, parking impacts, enforcement mechanisms, and potential consequences in neighborhoods with many seasonal rentals. Several speakers urged that the council send the measure back for more public workshops before final action.

FAR and seller/finished-basement debate — The meeting also featured debate on floor-area-ratio (FAR) rules and whether finished basements or certain "sellers" (cellars/basements/unfinished spaces) should be counted. Planning board members and resident speakers urged caution: removing sellers from FAR calculations could enable larger redevelopments on small lots and increase building massing that some residents said would diminish neighborhood character. Council members agreed to a compromise amendment discussed during the meeting: exempt "unfinished" basement/seller square footage from FAR calculations while retaining finished basements in the FAR measure, and to workshop FAR comprehensively.

Procedure and next steps — The council recorded the first reading at the June 2 meeting (vote 3 in favor, 1 opposed, 1 abstention). Councilors and members of the public repeatedly requested a workshop to address enforcement, water/sewer capacity, parking and other local impacts; councilors signaled willingness to schedule additional public sessions to refine language before a final vote.

This first reading codifies many state-driven definitional changes (planning staff noted the bulk of edits are clarifications required by state law) and preserves town discretion on certain operational limits, particularly the ADU leasing condition. The matter will return to the council for additional readings and a final vote after any further workshop and notice requirements are completed.