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Resident urges council to review Planning Board approval for 525 Broadway over parking and safety
Summary
A Newport resident asked the City Council to revisit Planning Board variances for the 525 Broadway workforce housing project, citing an estimated 1,800 additional vehicle trips per week, a shortfall in on-site parking and pedestrian safety concerns; he urged either 48 guaranteed on-site spaces or fewer than 30 units.
Paul Donovan, a Newport resident who spoke during the citizens forum, asked the council to review Planning Board decisions from Sept. 8, 2025 granting variances and special-use permits for the 525 Broadway LLC project. Donovan said the project’s traffic analysis projects "an additional 1,800 vehicle trips per week entering and exiting this very busy section of Broadway," and warned the site’s 41 allotted spaces would be insufficient if residents have more than one car or host guests.
Donovan urged the council to make permanent on-site parking a condition of approval: "Before any variances or special use permits are granted, it should be mandatory that the developer provides at least 48 guaranteed on-site permanent parking spaces," he said. He also proposed reducing the project to no more than 30 apartments if sufficient parking cannot be provided, noting current zoning would allow 13 units without a variance. Donovan told the council he and other residents felt ignored during the Planning Board process and that application materials were posted on the city website only the Thursday before the hearings.
The comment was entered into the record; council did not take immediate action on the project during the meeting. The Planning Board’s decisions, related traffic studies and the developer’s response to parking and pedestrian-safety concerns will be necessary for the council should it choose to review the permits.
