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Council approves first readings to clean up bed-and-breakfast and rooming‑house language in zoning code
Summary
The council opened and held a public hearing and approved first readings to move and clarify bed-and-breakfast definitions into the zoning definitions and to amend rooming/boarding house language; planning-board input favored clearer owner-occupancy language for public clarity.
The Narragansett Town Council opened a public hearing on Sept. 16 to consider text revisions to Appendix A (zoning) that move the definition of bed-and-breakfast and guest house from a footnote into the main definitions section and update section 6.1 (use regulations).
Town Solicitor (speaker 10) described the proposal as “predominantly a cleanup matter” intended to make the definition consistent with other ordinances. A planning-board representative and members of the public discussed whether explicit owner-occupancy language should remain in the manually visible definition or be left as redundant text already present elsewhere; the planning board recommended removing redundant language but a public commenter urged keeping clearer, explicit language to help residents who consult online ordinance summaries.
After public comment, the council voted to close and hold the public hearing and later approved the first reading of the zoning text revisions by a 5-0 vote (motion by Councilor Lawler; second by Councilor Kopeck). The council also introduced and approved as a first reading an amendment to Chapter 14 on rooming houses/boarding houses; speakers clarified that owner-occupancy is located in the zoning definition and that a bed-and-breakfast license would require owner-occupancy under the amended definitions.
The town manager and staff said that the urban renewal zoning work and related planning updates will include public hearings and recommendations; the council also accepted planning-board recommendations on file related to the zoning updates. No final ordinance adoptions occurred at the meeting — both amendments were advanced as first readings and will return for subsequent readings or further public process.
"It's pretty straightforward," the solicitor said of the bed-and-breakfast change, summarizing the intent to relocate the definition where it belongs in the code for clarity.
The council took no enforcement action related to the zoning items at the meeting; the public hearing record and related planning-board materials were placed on file for the continued process.
