Developers outline 19‑unit Narragansett Boulevard condo plan; commission flags floodplain and access questions

Developers and their design team presented a pre‑application for a Narragansett Boulevard condominium project on April 7, describing a proposed build of roughly 19 units across four building types on a ~2.16‑acre parcel near the marina.

Project manager Bill Lavery said the site is subject to coastal and floodplain constraints, including CRMC jurisdiction, a 125‑foot CRMC buffer and a mapped VE (velocity) zone. The team proposed a mix of three‑story units, two‑story units and elevated (pier/piling or breakaway‑wall) units in the floodplain; they said garages and lower‑level elements would be designed to meet FEMA and CRMC requirements and that about 52 parking spaces are proposed (code minimum 38). The design also shows a pool and pool pavilion toward the marina.

Commissioners and a public commenter raised several technical questions: whether adequate guest parking was provided, whether stormwater detention/underground storage and low‑impact features would be sized to handle site runoff, the legal status and sufficiency of access easements (notably Pier/Pierce Place), and whether use of shared marina parcels for emergency access would require formal easements or agreements.

Public commenter Richard Messiano emphasized risk in the VE flood zone and cautioned that recreational features such as pools may be problematic in mapped coastal high‑hazard areas.

The applicant team said they plan to meet with the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) for preliminary feedback and to submit master‑plan materials to planning staff; no formal application or vote was taken at the pre‑application stage.