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Pawtucket council adopts rezoning for 10 Newport Avenue with neighborhood protections
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Summary
Council and ordinance committee approved rezoning 10 Newport Ave from single-family to commercial-general; owner agreed to a condition requiring a non-chain-link 6-foot barrier with a gated emergency access and a prohibition on commercial rear deliveries to protect adjacent residents.
Aleppo LLC requested that 10 Newport Avenue, long used as a retail pharmacy, be rezoned from residential-single-family to commercial-general. Planning staff recommended approval and members of the ordinance committee and city council reviewed the request in a public hearing.
Owner Mister Vitale (speaker 19) explained he bought the property to lease it to commercial tenants and described repeated occasions when prospective tenants abandoned deals because the parcel’s zoning required special approvals. Neighbors raised concerns about potential rear access, deliveries and impacts on the quiet U‑shaped residential block behind the building.
To address those concerns, councilors and counsel negotiated an amendment that the owner accepted: the property will be subject to three conditions as part of the rezoning. First, a non‑chain‑link (screened) barrier or fence at least six feet high shall be installed on the western property line with a gate that remains locked except for emergency access by police, fire or ambulance. Second, no commercial deliveries shall be permitted at the rear of the building. Third, the prohibition on rear deliveries does not apply to official emergency response vehicles in an emergency.
The ordinance committee approved the amendment and returned the zoning change for first passage; the full council subsequently approved the rezoning as amended. Council members said the stipulations are intended to preserve neighborhood character while allowing the property’s longstanding commercial use to continue in front-facing operations.
Next steps: the condition will be recorded as part of zoning action; any future tenant or operator will still require licenses or permits appropriate to the use (e.g., victualing, entertainment) and those applications will be reviewed with the neighborhood protections in mind.
