OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Newport Zoning Board of Review - August 25, 2025 Meeting

Meeting Portal — Monday, August 25, 2025
BodyNewport, Rhode Island
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, August 25, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:24:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

All right, we are live.

0:03

Okay.

0:05

Okay, ladies and gentlemen.

0:07

This is the uh Monday, August 25th, 2025, Newport Zoning Board of Review.

0:12

Uh uh regular monthly meeting.

0:15

And uh we have a couple of items uh tonight.

0:18

Um not a busy schedule, but um uh we do want to try to get through it as quickly as we can.

0:23

So on a call to order, I'm looking here uh at uh at our board.

0:28

Um it looks like we have our five regular voting members.

0:31

Uh that would be uh Nicole Chevry, our vice chairman Dave Riley, our secretary Russ Johnson, myself, Wick Rudd, Chairman, uh Bark Rhymes, and um I think that's it, right?

0:42

You're sitting as first alternate, Melissa to us?

0:45

Yes, yes, and uh Richard Belinski will be our second alternate uh tonight.

0:49

Um and I don't do we have any recusals?

0:51

I don't think we have any recusals, so okay.

0:53

Um very good.

0:55

Um so we do have a quorum and uh we do have draft minutes.

1:01

Uh we have draft minutes from June 25th, 2025, and we have uh draft minutes from July 28, 2025.

1:09

Uh let's handle these one.

1:10

June 23rd, I think it's June June 23rd, I'm sorry.

1:14

Oh I may need eyeglasses.

1:16

Wow.

1:18

That's interesting.

1:19

Okay.

1:20

Uh yeah.

1:21

Pair of readers.

1:22

Um thank you.

1:23

Um so we'll do these one at a time.

1:26

Um if there are no if there's no discussion, I'll entertain a motion to accept the minutes as uh written for June 23rd, 2025.

1:35

I make a motion to accept the uh minutes of uh June 23rd 2025.

1:42

That's read.

1:43

Uh do I have a second?

1:45

Second.

1:45

Um I'm just gonna do a voice vote.

1:47

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

1:50

Aye.

1:50

Any opposed?

1:52

The ayes have it.

1:53

And please, if I could have a motion on July 28th.

1:56

Do I have that right, Nick?

1:57

Very good.

1:58

July 28, 2025, please.

2:00

I make a motion to accept the minutes of the July 28th, 2025.

2:06

Minutes as written.

2:07

Do I have a second?

2:08

Second.

2:09

All favor, please signify by saying aye.

2:12

Aye.

2:12

Any opposed?

2:14

Hearing none, that's unanimous.

2:16

Okay.

2:16

Um moving quickly along on communications.

2:20

Uh, we have no withdrawal requests and no extension requests.

2:24

That's what we've been looking for.

2:26

We'll get to that in a minute.

2:27

And on the summary calendar, we have none.

2:29

Um, so tonight um we have two abbreviated summaries, and we have uh one full hearing uh to be considered, which is a pretty light schedule for us.

2:39

Uh usually uh we've got you know four or five full hearings, a number of summaries and uh quite a few abbreviated.

2:46

So um getting right into it.

2:48

Um we've got two uh apparently uh that we're gonna discuss under abbreviated summaries um that we had already approved, uh, but uh they missed the uh the deadline for um trying to get an uh an extension on the uh the the building, the completion of the project.

3:06

So they have they are required to come back to zoning.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Variances██████████████████████████████████████████42%
Zoning and Land Use█████████████████████████25%
Procedural████████████12%
Short Term Rentals████████████12%
Parking and Traffic█████████9%
Summary of Proceedings

Newport Zoning Board of Review - August 25, 2025 Meeting

The Newport Zoning Board of Review held its regular monthly meeting on August 25, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers. The board addressed a light agenda including two abbreviated summary re-approvals and one full hearing petition. All five regular voting members (Chairman Wick Rudd, Vice Chair Nicole Chevry, Secretary Dave Riley, Russell Johnson, and Bark Rhymes) were present, along with alternates, establishing a quorum. No recusals were noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of the June 23, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously.
  • Minutes of the July 28, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No oral public comments were made during the meeting. However, written objections were received for the Bay Coast Bank petition (two letters) and written support letters for the Linda Pereira petition (five letters). The board acknowledged these submissions.

Discussion Items

  • Abbreviated Summary – Bay Coast Bank (ZBR-25-63): Petition for re-approval of dimensional variances to construct a new bank branch with drive-through at 137 Broadway. The previous approval had lapsed due to delays in construction. The board granted the petition with a condition that the project be started and substantially completed within 12 months of the decision. The vote was 5-0.
  • Abbreviated Summary – Jessica Phillips (ZBR-25-66): Petition for re-approval of a special use permit and dimensional variance to construct an in-ground pool at 108 Catherine Street, increasing lot coverage from 16% to 18.2% (15% allowed). The board granted the petition with a 12-month completion condition. The vote was 5-0.
  • Full Hearing – Linda Pereira (ZBR-25-60): Petition for a dimensional variance to add two bedrooms to a two-bedroom guest house at 3 Goodwin Street without providing the required two additional off-street parking spaces. The applicant testified that the property has two on-site parking spaces and that rentals are typically to families using only one or two vehicles. The board granted the variance with a condition that the dimensional variance sunsets upon sale of the property. The vote was 5-0.

Key Outcomes

  • All three petitions were approved unanimously (5-0 each).
  • Bay Coast Bank: Approval conditioned on starting and substantially completing the project within 12 months.
  • Jessica Phillips: Approval conditioned on starting and substantially completing the project within 12 months.
  • Linda Pereira: Dimensional variance granted subject to a sunset provision that the variance expires upon sale of the property; no requirement to lease additional parking spaces.
  • Several other petitions were continued to the September 22, 2025 meeting by request of the applicants.
  • The meeting adjourned after approximately 37 minutes.

Meeting Transcript

All right, we are live. Okay. Okay, ladies and gentlemen. This is the uh Monday, August 25th, 2025, Newport Zoning Board of Review. Uh uh regular monthly meeting. And uh we have a couple of items uh tonight. Um not a busy schedule, but um uh we do want to try to get through it as quickly as we can. So on a call to order, I'm looking here uh at uh at our board. Um it looks like we have our five regular voting members. Uh that would be uh Nicole Chevry, our vice chairman Dave Riley, our secretary Russ Johnson, myself, Wick Rudd, Chairman, uh Bark Rhymes, and um I think that's it, right? You're sitting as first alternate, Melissa to us? Yes, yes, and uh Richard Belinski will be our second alternate uh tonight. Um and I don't do we have any recusals? I don't think we have any recusals, so okay. Um very good. Um so we do have a quorum and uh we do have draft minutes. Uh we have draft minutes from June 25th, 2025, and we have uh draft minutes from July 28, 2025. Uh let's handle these one. June 23rd, I think it's June June 23rd, I'm sorry. Oh I may need eyeglasses. Wow. That's interesting. Okay. Uh yeah. Pair of readers. Um thank you. Um so we'll do these one at a time. Um if there are no if there's no discussion, I'll entertain a motion to accept the minutes as uh written for June 23rd, 2025. I make a motion to accept the uh minutes of uh June 23rd 2025. That's read. Uh do I have a second? Second. Um I'm just gonna do a voice vote. All in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it. And please, if I could have a motion on July 28th. Do I have that right, Nick? Very good. July 28, 2025, please. I make a motion to accept the minutes of the July 28th, 2025. Minutes as written. Do I have a second? Second. All favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that's unanimous. Okay.

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