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Council hears DOT proposal to restripe Commons, residents press council on parking impacts and signage
Summary
Rhode Island DOT proposed restriping plans to add parking and change traffic flows at the Commons; DOT’s plan drew questions from councilors and business owners about lost spaces, signage, enforcement and a possible scenic-highway designation to limit signage.
The Little Compton Town Council reviewed a Rhode Island Department of Transportation proposal to restripe the town Commons, a plan DOT engineers say could add more on-street parking while changing lane configuration on parts of the Commons. DOT’s striping proposal was presented to the council for comment ahead of a May 7 meeting of the State Traffic Safety Commission.
Keith Raines (speaker identified in the agenda item) summarized DOT’s work: an earlier plan showed as many as 91 new parking spots in the Commons, later revised downward to 85; the work is being treated as a striping project and—if approved—could be scheduled in summer 2026. Raines said DOT’s engineers had been receptive to town input and that the state owns the road; the council’s comments would be advisory to DOT. DOT engineer Michelle King was cited as working on the plan.
Business owners and residents pressed the council with on-the-ground concerns. Sid Wardell, owner of the Culver Store, said the restriping has removed a small number of spaces in front of certain businesses and that employees from neighboring businesses routinely use private parking behind Wilbur’s and other lots, increasing pressure on local owners. Wardell asked the council to take a more active role rather than leaving the issue only to the state or police chief.
Council discussion addressed safety, line of sight for school buses, and trade-offs between added angled spaces and the loss of existing informal stalls created by drivers pulling onto grass. Several councilors suggested the town could ask DOT for small modifications, but they also noted DOT must meet federal/state engineering and signage standards when projects use federal funds.
Signage and guardrail concerns prompted a separate line of discussion. Councilors noted new DOT signs and guardrails installed across multiple corridors and said some residents consider the measures excessive or poorly sited. Council members discussed using a statutory route—referenced as "24 15 1" in the general laws—to pursue a scenic-highway designation in order to restrict some types of roadside signage. The council voted to ask the town solicitor for a memo on how to pursue scenic-highway designation and for the planning board to be involved in next steps.
On private parking enforcement, the council adopted a motion directing the solicitor to review zoning requirements for businesses’ minimum parking spaces and to work with the building official to notify businesses and property owners where private lots are being used contrary to easements or agreements. That motion passed.
No final DOT decision was made by the council; members urged residents to send comments to DOT prior to the state Traffic Safety Commission meeting on May 7 and accepted public feedback at the meeting.
