Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council told city will seek temporary‑use permit authority, tougher nuisance enforcement and higher zoning fees
Summary
Staff proposed a new temporary‑use permit class (up to six months) for medium‑term events and structures, recommended stronger nuisance‑property enforcement (including municipal receivership options), and proposed doubling many zoning application fees and raising special‑meeting fees.
Staff proposed three operational changes to better manage short‑ and medium‑term land uses and to recover staff costs. First, a temporary‑use permit category would allow longer events and temporary structures (longer than two weeks and up to six months) to be reviewed by staff, the zoning board and, for longer terms, the council. Nick Farmer said examples include art installations, seasonal retail lots, ice rinks and mobile homes used after a catastrophic fire.
Second, staff outlined a potential nuisance‑property remedy—likely in the building or housing chapter—that would permit the city to require remediation of derelict properties and to recoup costs through liens or municipal court action; staff said Providence and Warwick models of municipal receivership are under review. Third, Farmer proposed an across‑the‑board increase in zoning application fees (typical fee now $100) to better reflect staff time and suggested a special‑meeting fee increase (proposal example: $1,000) to cover the cost of holding dedicated hearings.
