Planning board approves Coggeshall School conversion and related variances, with parking and drainage conditions

The Newport Planning Board voted unanimously to grant preliminary approvals and two dimensional variances for ECM Realty Partners’ plan to convert the former Coggeshall School into multifamily housing and to build three duplex houses on adjacent lots.

Attorney Peter Regan, representing the applicant, told the board the project would create 32 long‑term rental units: 26 inside the school building and six in three duplexes on Evarts Street. He said all units would be deed‑restricted to long‑term rentals for at least 30 years and that 40% of the units in the school building (11 of 26) would be restricted to Rhode Island workforce housing rents.

The project required two dimensional variances: one to add smaller dormers on the school’s east and west wings so third‑floor attic space could be habitable, and one to allow three standard residential driveways for the duplexes rather than a large rear parking lot. The board approved both variances after expert testimony and public comment, subject to several conditions.

The board adopted the staff report as findings of fact before voting. The conditions attached to the parking variance require that each duplex provide three off‑street spaces per unit (driveways may be stacked/assigned), that duplex renters be allowed to use spaces in the upper VanZandt/Coggeshall parking lot for additional resident or guest parking where feasible, and that the applicant work with the city to improve drainage capacity on the privately owned lots and the city‑owned field behind the school.

Traffic and safety: the project’s traffic consultant presented ITE‑based trip generation and capacity analyses intended to reflect near‑term and summer conditions. The consultant said that, for all 32 units, weekday AM peak traffic would be about 4 entering and 10 exiting vehicles, PM peaks about 11 entering and 6 exiting, and that studied intersections would operate at Level of Service A or B. He also reported three crashes in the study area across a five‑year period and concluded the site distances and circulation meet standards. The board cited that expert testimony in finding the standards met.

Neighbors pushed back at length during the public comment period, citing narrow streets, heavy existing parking demand, safety for children at the adjacent park, and privacy impacts from the new dormer windows. "My privacy is gonna be gone," said Allison Burke, a resident across from the school. Becky Dewitt warned the board that "tandem driveways create a significant safety hazard," and she questioned the traffic study’s conclusions and cited a neighborhood estimate of an additional 113 daily vehicle trips. The board and applicant responded with proposals to assign driveway spaces, reserve guest parking in the upper lot, extend driveway depth where feasible, and explore no‑parking or other curb‑management options with the city’s interdepartmental traffic committee.

Design, site work and park improvements: the architect said the conversion largely occurs within the building’s existing footprint; classroom spaces were described as becoming one‑ and two‑bedroom units (one‑bedrooms roughly 500–700 sq ft; two‑bedrooms up to about 1,200 sq ft). The landscape plans call for preservation of a large oak, expanded playground surfacing and irrigation, new screening fences between parking and neighbor yards, and replacement of playground equipment. As part of the purchase agreement and final plan review the applicant agreed contractually to renovate the field and playground adjacent to the school; the board required an agreed approach between the applicant and the city solicitor to ensure those playground improvements occur in a timely fashion as construction proceeds.

Costs and funding constraints: project counsel and the team explained economic drivers for the overall design, saying rehabilitation costs on the school are very high (the team estimated roughly $400,000 per unit) and that the comparatively lower cost duplex construction contributes to the financial viability of preserving and reusing the historic building.

Outcome and next steps: the board approved the two dimensional variances (parking and height/dormers), granted conditional approval of the special use permit for the duplexes, and granted preliminary development plan approval subject to final administrative plan review. Conditions include utilities department sign‑off on the stormwater report, finalized agreements for playground improvements, and administrative final‑plan approval. The applicant will return for final plan sign‑off and must seek additional variances if equipment or rooftop installations exceed the approvals given.

The board’s actions move the project to final plan review and administrative approvals; the city and applicant will coordinate specific conditions, including parking assignments, guest‑parking access in the upper lot, and agreed timing for playground and field improvements.