Narragansett Planning Board Meeting for April 16, 2026 (Scheduled April 21, 2026)
Narragansett Planning Board Meeting for April 16, 2026 (Scheduled April 21, 2026)
Note: The agenda and minutes indicate the meeting was held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, but the provided timestamp is April 16, 2026. This summary uses the provided date but notes the discrepancy.
The Narragansett Planning Board met at 6:00 PM on April 16, 2026 (per provided timestamp, though agenda states April 21) at Narragansett Town Hall. All five members were present: Chair Thomas Callahan, Vice Chair Joseph O'Neill, Secretary Rupert Friday, Stephen DeSimone, and James Grundy. Also present were staff members and Interim Assistant Solicitor Scott Levesque. The board addressed site reviews, recommendations to the Town Council, approval of minutes, administrative matters, and staff reports.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joe Volpe (21 Harbour Island Road, speaking as a long-time resident, not in official capacity): Expressed full support for a minimum 5-foot side-yard setback for fire safety, opposing any reduction.
- Joe Bolton (resident and firefighter): Spoke in favor of the 5-foot setback, highlighting firefighter safety and operational challenges in tight spaces.
Discussion Items
B.1 Ocean Vibe Development/Mahoney – 0 Stanton Avenue
- The applicant, represented by attorney Jack McGreen, sought a variance and special use permit for a single-family home. The application was found incomplete because it lacked a current Preliminary Determination (PD) from CRMC (the existing PD was 13 years old) and had incomplete drainage plans.
- The board debated whether to deem the application complete. A motion to find it not complete passed 4-1 (DeSimone opposed). The board noted that staff and solicitor had suggested conditioning approval on receipt of the PD, but the majority felt the missing information could materially affect the project.
A.1 Breakwater Village Side-Yard Dimensional Setbacks
- The board split the agenda item into two separate votes:
- Section 4.8.1 (Breakwater Village specific): The board voted 5-0 to recommend approval of amendments reverting Breakwater Village dimensional standards to the 2023 version, as requested by the Breakwater Village Association, including changes to accessory structure setbacks.
- Section 6.5 (Modified dimensional regulations for substandard lots): The board voted 5-0 to recommend approval of text changes restoring a 5-foot minimum side-yard setback (with an 8-foot requirement for three-story buildings) and including a variance option. The board found this consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
A.2 Rhode Island General Assembly – House Bill 8004A
- Rupert Friday proposed a resolution for the Town Council to send to the General Assembly recommending changes to HB 8004A, aiming to restore environmental review standards for subdivisions and clarify definitions.
- Discussion: James Grundy and Stephen DeSimone opposed, arguing the board should not make unsolicited recommendations to the council and that the definition of "buildable lot" is problematic. Friday, O'Neill, and Callahan supported, citing the board's statutory authority to advise on land use matters.
- Motion passed 3-2 (DeSimone and Grundy opposed) after amending the resolution to remove "retain the definition of buildable lot" and to replace "ensure all lots are developable" with "ensure all lots are developable unless reserved for conservation or open space."
Approval of Minutes
- December 16, 2025: Approved 5-0.
- December 22, 2025: Continued to May 19, 2026, pending edits.
- February 18, 2026: Continued to May 19, 2026, pending edits.
- March 17, 2026: Approved 5-0 with an amendment clarifying that an existing stem must be retained except to provide driveway access.
Administrative Matters
- D.1 APA Membership: The board agreed to enroll in the American Planning Association membership using the budgeted $100 fee. No formal vote needed.
- D.2 Rules of Procedure: Tabled to July 21, 2026, after discussion about requiring applications 14 days in advance and digital submission requirements. The board decided to allow more time for review.
Reports/Updates
- E.1 Planning Board Liaison Updates:
- Coastal Access Improvement Committee: Had a guest speaker from Save the Bay on a right-of-way monitoring system; Narrow River dredging project continues.
- Land Conservancy Trust: An RFP for restoration of the yellow building at the Middlebridge site will be issued soon.
- E.2 Legislative Updates:
- Zoning ordinance: Current drafts are with the interim assistant solicitor for review.
- Subdivision regulations: Current drafts are being reviewed; a subcommittee meeting will be held, and a public hearing is expected in May.
- High water table district (Section 4.5): The board requested that the assistant solicitor prepare a brief memo analyzing what the new language added by the Town Council does and does not do, to be discussed at the next meeting.
- E.3 Comprehensive Plan Update: Baseline documentation is underway; public workshops will be conducted to solicit public input. A special meeting may be scheduled for a kickoff with the consultant.
- E.4 Next Meeting: The May 19, 2026 meeting has a heavy agenda; Grundy noted a possible absence due to a family matter.
Key Outcomes
- B.1 Application Deemed Incomplete: 4-1 vote.
- A.1 Breakwater Village Amendments: Recommended approval 5-0.
- A.1 Modified Dimensional Regulations: Recommended approval 5-0.
- A.2 HB 8004A Resolution: Recommended 3-2 (with modification).
- Minutes: Dec 16 and March 17 approved; others continued.
- D.2 Rules of Procedure: Tabled to July 21.
- E.2 High Water Table District: Solicitor to provide memo for next meeting.
- Meeting Adjourned at 8:54 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Thomas Callahan? Here. Rupert Friday? Here. James Gregg? Steve D. Themella? Here. Dr. O'Neill? Here. Mr. Chairman, you have five members present. You have a quorum. Thank you very much. The first thing I'd like to do is introduce Scott. Scott. Hi. Welcome. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We're glad that we're glad to have you with us. Scott is an attorney with uh Kelly Susa. Is it Parmenter? Is that a part of the Parmiter and Resident? He currently also serves as the town solicitor to the town of Westerly. And has played similar roles in Hoppington and Smith. He is here on an interim basis. Indefinitely. We have a conflict. The nature of the conflict has not been disclosed. So that's all I can share with you in terms of what I know right now. So Scott? Well thank you. Okay. Scott and I had an opportunity to speak earlier this week. I didn't want to do this to the board. I asked Scott how he preferred to interact with the board in terms of whether or not he would be referred to the inquiries come through one location through the chair or come directly to him directly to indicated all members who feel free to reach out to them directly. And uh with the note with the note that he will provide Jill with the courtesy of knowing kind of who's called with the nature of the conversations back. All right. Okay. So Scott again, welcome. Thank you. Okay, I'm going to ask the board uh to uh reorder the agenda. Uh I'd like to take in the interest of time, I'd like to take the site reviews up first. So if I could have a motion to take um item B1 at this moment in time, I'll move on. What's on motion? Second, second. All in favor? Aye.
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