Providence committee approves first phase of comprehensive rezoning with map amendments

Providence City Council Ordinance Committee Chair Pedro Espinal presided over a public hearing Feb. 26 and the committee voted to approve Phase 1 of a comprehensive rezoning ordinance intended to align the city's zoning code with the city's recently adopted comprehensive plan.

Deputy Director Robert Azar of the Department of Planning and Development told the committee the ordinance replaces the city's base and overlay zoning maps, merges several residential and commercial zone categories and incorporates new regulations including rules for small lots. "As you'll recall, the comprehensive plan was signed by the mayor in November and became law at the local level. And, immediately following that, we launched into, this first phase of zoning changes," Azar said.

The measure before the committee amends Chapter 27 of the Providence Code of Ordinances (the City of Providence zoning ordinance, approved November 2014 as amended) and proposes zoning text…