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North Smithfield planning board grants variance, gives preliminary OK with lighting, landscaping and drainage conditions
Summary
At a Planning Board meeting, members unanimously granted a requested variance and gave preliminary approval to a land‑development recommendation with stipulations including sensor‑activated doorway lighting, dimmers for off‑hours parking‑lot lighting, enhanced landscape screening and an annual drainage and maintenance report to the EPW director.
At a meeting of the North Smithfield Planning Board, members voted to grant a requested variance and to give preliminary approval to the planning office’s recommendation for a new commercial building, adding several conditions including sensor‑activated doorway lighting, parking‑lot dimmers for off hours, enhanced landscape screening and an annual drainage and maintenance report to the EPW director.
The board first addressed the variance request and, on a motion based on the material presented that evening, voted to grant the requested variance with one stipulation that it be conditioned on approval of the land‑development project. The roll call recorded unanimous support from the board members present: Dr. Roberts (yes), Gordon (yes), Mr. Menard (yes), Dr. McBride (yes), Mr. Ford (yes) and the chair (yes).
The board then offered preliminary approval of the planning board’s recommendation findings and added three additional stipulations to those already recommended by staff. The added requirements were: (1) sensor‑activated lighting at doorways and dimmers for the parking lot during off hours, (2) enhanced landscape screening along the southwesterly wall of the building facing Central Scribe, and (3) submission of an annual drainage and maintenance report to the EPW director. The board also asked for architectural block to replace a currently aluminum‑sided section of the building and for additional landscaping along two fence sections. That motion passed on a roll call with the same unanimous yes votes.
During discussion, board members and staff noted the applicant had provided a rendering of the proposed building. A board member suggested the town collect such renderings to promote North Smithfield’s image to prospective businesses. The applicant confirmed the new building should create additional jobs and said the company currently posts openings on the job site Indeed; the applicant said the town is not currently distributing those postings. A planner noted the project aligns with the town’s comprehensive plan goal of creating high‑quality local jobs for residents.
The board did not specify a timeline for final land‑development approval in the public record at the meeting; the variance approval was explicitly conditioned on later land‑development project approval. The additional stipulations will be required as part of the project's permitting and compliance process.
No statutes, ordinances or other legal authorities were cited on the record during the discussion. The board adjourned following the votes.
