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 and map changes across numerous articles. The committee entered a City Plan Commission letter into the record finding the amendment consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Committee members approved three council-requested map amendments that were read into the record. The first changes zoning for 213 and 215 Camp Street (Plat 6, Lots 5903 and 9594) from R-3 to R-4 but adds a footnote limiting development on those parcels to either what is permitted in R-3 or what is permitted in R-4 provided any development has no more than 16 dwelling units, no more than four stories, and a share of units required to be affordable to households earning less than 80% of area median income. The second amendment rezones parcels at 125–133 Alger Avenue and 99 Dixon Street (Plat 89, lots 380, 380-1, 380-2, 380-3 and 1055) from M-1 to MMU-75. The third adds 41 and 45 Central Street (Plat 30, Lots 6806 and 703) to the transit overlay district.

Public commentators were split but generally supportive of the overall rezoning approach while raising concerns about parking, neighborhood character and timing. Greg Garrett, a Sixth Street resident, said the changes "won't be enough" to meet long-term housing needs and urged bolder action. Fred Unger, a Mount Hope resident, urged retaining minimum on-site parking requirements, citing local commuting patterns and concerns about street parking during snow events: "Please restore some sensible minimum parking requirements for every unit built." Catherine Taylor, State Director for AARP Rhode Island, said she supports the ordinance because it would "provide many more types of housing options for people of all ages." Christine West, an architect and former chair of the Providence City Plan Commission, said she strongly supports the changes and described them as "reasonable" and "practical."

Committee members also entered three exhibits into the record during the hearing (the rezoning exhibit, the City Plan Commission letter and a public submission packet) before closing the public hearing and voting to approve Phase 1 as amended. The ordinance committee announced the measures were approved by voice vote.

The committee did not adopt additional requested changes during the hearing for Haywood Street and several Pearl Street parcels; Councilor Harris read a Haywood Street request into the record so it could be considered, and the request was recorded for the public hearing record. The committee chair noted the planning department will undertake additional phases of zoning updates to address other comprehensive-plan items.

The ordinance now moves forward as the committee approved Phase 1 of the rezoning as amended; the record includes the City Plan Commission letter and public comments. The committee did not provide a roll-call vote tally in the transcript; the chair noted a quorum was present earlier in the meeting.