Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wetlands Application topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Shoreham Conservation Committee issues unfavorable advisory to DEM on wetlands-alteration application
Summary
The Conservation Committee voted to issue an unfavorable advisory to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on application 24-0030 (Assessor's Plot 8 Lot 1707) for a new 4-bedroom dwelling, citing a prior DEM clearing/driveway violation, proposed disturbance of 17,875 sq ft of vegetated buffer (~0.41 acres) and lack of wildlife/water-impact studies.
The New Shoreham Conservation Committee voted on Oct. 29 to issue an unfavorable advisory to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) on application 24-0030 (applicant listed in the notice as John R. Leoni) for a proposed four-bedroom single-family dwelling at Assessor's Plot 8 Lot 1707 in New Shoreham.
Committee members said the DEM notice lists proposed disturbance of 17,875 square feet of vegetated buffer within freshwater-wetland buffer zones (approximately 0.41 acres), which is roughly 22% of the under-2-acre parcel. Members raised three primary concerns in their advisory: a prior DEM notice of violation for clearing and driveway work on the lot, an unclear or undocumented "buildable" envelope and lot-coverage calculation given the wetland areas, and an absence of documented wildlife or water-quality impact studies to justify disturbing that extent of buffer and vegetation.
"If it is true...that almost half an acre is going to be altered or destroyed in some way," a committee member said, noting the need to understand setbacks and the relationship between disturbance and wetland management.
Staff and commissioners emphasized the time-sensitive nature of the DEM comment period (the meeting occurred on day 43 of a 45-day notice period) and directed staff to prepare advisory language immediately. The clerk said she would draft the unfavorable advisory citing the three reasons above, have it signed the next day, and overnight it to DEM to meet the comment deadline.
The committee also asked staff to request and obtain supporting DEM documents and any wildlife/water studies associated with the applicant's file so the town can review supporting material and revisit the matter during planning and zoning review.
The unfavorable advisory will accompany a request for DEM records to clarify whether an environmental-impact or wildlife study exists and to document prior enforcement history. The advisory is non-binding; DEM will make the final permitting decision.
The committee recorded the following follow-ups: staff will request DEM supporting documents (staff estimated documents could be available by Nov. 6), prepare advisory language for signatures and overnight the advisory to DEM, and return the matter for future town planning and zoning review as appropriate.
