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North Providence Council previews scaled Colletti Farm plan amid resident concerns about fill and drainage
Summary
Council showed concept renderings for Colletti Farm—smaller footprint with trails, courts and a playground—but residents raised worries about recent trucked-in fill, potential runoff and whether imported dirt had been tested; council postponed action and promised a technical follow-up and November continuation.
Council members on Oct. 1 presented concept renderings for the Colletti Farm property showing a reduced footprint, a walking trail, parking, a playground and courts for tennis and pickleball. The presentation made clear these were preliminary visuals, not final engineering plans.
Why it matters: Nearby residents said the revised layout responds to earlier concerns about a soccer stadium footprint, but they pressed council members for technical answers on grading, runoff control and soil testing before any approvals proceed. The council repeatedly emphasized that no final action would be taken tonight and that more detailed plans would be provided.
Residents at the meeting described recent site activity in vivid terms. Larry Feeney and other neighbors said trucks have been delivering soil to the site and raised safety and property concerns. One resident said there had been "12 truckloads of dirt an hour for the last 2 and a half weeks being dumped in there right now," and asked whether that imported material was being tested for contamination. Another resident said clearing and recent rainstorms had already damaged a six-foot privacy fence and asked whether a retaining wall or other protections would be installed.
Council members and staff responded that the shown renderings are conceptual and that detailed engineering and drainage plans will follow once the developer advances formal designs. A council member said the administration will arrange for the project designers to return and address technical questions such as stormwater management, vegetative buffers and potential retaining walls. Council also acknowledged the residents’ request that the town confirm where soil was sourced and whether it was tested. One council member committed to trying to get that information for the record.
Outcome and next steps: The council voted to continue the Colletti Farm matter to the November meeting and to schedule follow-up technical briefings so residents can question engineers about drainage, grading and erosion mitigation. The continuation preserves the council’s ability to review later, engineer-backed plans before any permit or zoning approvals are pursued.
Quotations used in this report come from residents and council members speaking at the Oct. 1 meeting.
