Neighbors press board on traffic and parking around proposed Broadway housing

Residents who live near the 525 Broadway site repeatedly told the Planning Board that existing traffic patterns and parking shortages make the proposal unsafe for area streets. Richard Gilman, who said he is an abutter at 1 Rolland Road, told the board the situation is already dangerous and that additional vehicles would 'invite chaos.'

"No. I don't care how many lines you draw on the road...It's not gonna fix it," Gilman said during public comment, summarizing neighbors' skepticism of signage and striping alone. Other commenters measured distances and argued the driveway sits closer to the intersection than the applicant's sketches indicated; Paul Donovan reported a measurement of roughly 175 feet from the intersection to the driveway and raised concerns about large trucks' turning radii and queuing.

Neighbors also challenged parking solutions proposed by the applicant — five guest spaces at Cranston Calvert and five at the adjacent church — calling off‑site guest parking and leased spaces insufficient and unreliable. Several residents urged the board to require a reduced unit count or to wait for a state traffic study, saying the Broadway corridor already experiences peak‑hour bottlenecks and visibility problems.

Board members acknowledged the depth of neighborhood concern and asked the applicant and city engineer to refine mitigation details; the board nevertheless concluded TRC and the city engineer found no objection to the proposed traffic improvements and approved the application with conditions that require continued coordination on the specific traffic measures.