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Planning board forwards updated housing chapter, adds preservation language
Summary
After a consultant presentation and extended public discussion, the Planning Board voted to forward the proposed housing chapter and comp‑plan amendment to City Council with three edits: add preservation to Goal H‑1, define "dark houses" in the glossary, and remove action H4.3(b) (a fixed cap on nonoccupied short‑term rentals).
The Planning Board voted to send a positive recommendation to City Council on a proposed housing chapter and comprehensive‑plan amendment after a lengthy public hearing and deliberation.
Consultant Kim Salerno of Libra Planners presented the chapter as a framework to support increased housing production and better align zoning with the city’s goals. "The utmost goal is housing production," Salerno told the board, noting the proposal includes a build‑out analysis and an implementation schedule intended to guide later zoning changes. Board members praised the document’s data and structure but pressed for clearer language on preserving the existing housing stock and on concrete implementation steps.
Members repeatedly raised concerns that the chapter focused on broad goals without sufficient detail about how the city would implement them. One board member asked why the most specific strategies were located in the build‑out appendix rather than earlier in the document; another warned there are winners and losers in implementation and urged the plan to acknowledge trade‑offs. In response, staff said the comp‑plan amendment is the regulatory framework required to enable subsequent zoning changes, and the zoning amendments would be the primary implementation vehicle.
After discussion the Board approved three recommended edits before forwarding the chapter to City Council: (1) revise Goal H‑1 to read "meet projected demand and preserve existing housing" and change the first bolded line to read "preserve and construct housing units," (2) add a glossary definition of "dark houses" (seasonally vacant properties), and (3) remove action H4.3(b), which called for capping the number of nonoccupied short‑term rentals. The motion carried by voice vote.
The board’s recommendation also asked staff to include updated cost‑burden household metrics (via HousingWorks RI) as part of the record so Council and staff can track progress and pivot policy based on current conditions. The Board did not adopt any other substantive text changes at this meeting; additional edits can be proposed during the City Council review and the required state review schedule.
Next steps: the Planning Board will forward its recommendation and the record to City Council; if Council approves the comp‑plan amendment the city will proceed to the zoning‑amendment phase, where specific code changes (e.g., parking requirements, form‑based code adjustments) will be drafted and debated.
