Council approves zoning change to allow small restaurants (no alcohol) in select industrial zones

The South Kingstown Town Council on Tuesday approved a zoning code amendment to allow "restaurants without alcohol" as a special‑use category in the town’s Industrial‑1 districts, subject to a set of specific and objective criteria. Attorney Michael Monty, representing Palisades Mill LLC, said the owner seeks to add a small, non‑alcohol restaurant to the mixed‑use operations at the Palisades Mill; the change would restore a use that was permitted by special permit before a 2023 state zoning reform.

Under the approved language, a restaurant without alcohol in IND‑1 would be evaluated by the planning board under objective limits (examples offered in the application included a size cap of 2,500 square feet, controls on waste and dumpster placement, attention to parking and proximity to residences, and a one‑restaurant‑per‑tax‑lot restriction). The planning department and planning board reviewed the petition and made a unanimous favorable recommendation to the council, which cited the council’s comprehensive plan and the mixed‑use character of several mill complexes as supporting rationale.

Council members asked whether a restaurant that later sought alcohol sales would be required to return for a separate amendment; both the applicant and planning staff confirmed that a separate zoning action would be needed for 'restaurant with alcohol' uses. Public comment at the hearing included several residents who supported the proposal as appropriate reuse of the mill and a community amenity. After closing the public hearing, the council voted to approve the amendment.

The amendment does not automatically approve any specific business; an operator must still apply for and meet the special‑use criteria at the planning board and obtain all required permits and inspections before opening.