North Kingstown Planning Commission Meeting – December 21, 2021
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
North Kingstown Planning Commission Meeting – December 21, 2021
This meeting of the North Kingstown Planning Commission focused on two related proposals for the Wickford Junction district: a zoning text amendment and a major land development master plan for a 152-unit apartment complex (Wickford Junction Apartments) at 1130 Ten Rod Road. The commission heard presentations from the applicant’s team and discussed traffic, wastewater treatment, and design issues. No public testimony was recorded. The commission did not take a final vote on either item but directed staff to continue working with the applicant on outstanding concerns.
Discussion Items
- Zoning Text Amendment (Application of WJ Apts, LLC): The proposal sought to amend Section 21-96(c)(1) of the North Kingstown Zoning Ordinance to adjust specific requirements for residential use in the Wickford Junction district. Staff and commissioners discussed the amendment’s purpose and relationship to the master plan.
- Master Plan – Wickford Junction Apartments: The application proposed a 152-unit major land development in the Wickford Junction (WJ) zone and Groundwater Two (GW2) overlay zone. Presentation covered:
- Traffic Impact: Estimated 55 total trips per day, with 14 trips in the peak hour. A traffic impact analysis was reviewed, and recommendations for improvements at the site access and adjacent intersection were noted.
- Wastewater Treatment: The project would connect to an existing on-site wastewater treatment system originally designed for a different use. Concerns were raised by commissioners about the system’s age, capacity (described as 3,460 gallons per day), and reliability. The applicant’s engineer outlined plans to upgrade the system’s controls and components, and argued that a functional solution is achievable through town collaboration.
- Commissioner Concerns: Several commissioners expressed skepticism about the wastewater system’s ability to handle the new development, citing past performance failures and environmental risks to a nearby reservoir (noted as approximately 114 feet from the site). They stressed that the system must meet code limitations and that ongoing monitoring would be essential. Discussion also touched on building height (three to four stories) and sidewalk connectivity.
- Design Flexibility: The applicant requested flexibility to allow for up to two additional stories or design modifications, which the commission indicated would require further review.
Key Outcomes
- No motions were made or votes taken on either the zoning amendment or the master plan.
- The Planning Commission directed staff to continue discussions with the applicant regarding:
- Verification that the wastewater treatment system can reliably meet discharge limits.
- Traffic impact mitigation measures, including potential intersection improvements.
- Design details such as building height and sidewalk connections.
- The item is expected to return to the commission for further consideration after additional analysis and revisions.
Meeting Transcript
Um, so I think so. I think that's why we're just gonna use um discussion if you know this is never too bad. And I'll have a copy of the five years, two sides, and the request for design, the specifics, and presenting presentation from the basic production of 61, which is about a overlay district. Any other resolution is going to be very size and dimensional structures for this model within the building model. And by the two, so forth and 21 minus 6D, which is the final requirement. So if I see 1.5, then on average time to 2.0 birds per minute. And all I want to say is that third one we have discussed with the applicant level and four days, potential for anything, modification, and if we adding design, which wasn't. There's another study in 2014 as a representative area that showed that 17,000 media in the largest in the area was a recognition itself. So 20 minute guy. So we have always been looking at the function. Um this is a lot of C now. Um there's a very size. Um salving, we have a functional level, the lesson of the princess, which is how we can use the thing right now. Or is this option together this is nothing that was not an option that you're issues? And you thought it was the round decide to go so I know that I think that's a success. You know, I can look back at any other pieces, have a code SCY 125 for specs. Um we do have like 2.25 in post road, and all I can do is that we should do that was to read the SQL two. So you could have sort of called the outside. Maybe you wouldn't do all three to make someone to the goal here was also to keep away from having three diamonds. So we're sorry, two point of five that allows the diamonds of one to three or four and how it's done. I think the goal here was only that three or four battery done for the one two. Now suppose I think that's gonna happen. And this is all tossing on the left side of the side side, I side out of the rate. Um with things, if we can see all the seasonal bag, as possible for um for the guys and restaurants, and uh for all the decisions happening for massive business so we have always back, and the rejection doesn't fall into the world. Um screen goes probably. So just a little record when you see all the uh so I think that's it. So it's been fun. So now you've got the Mrs. C Brian is one of the honors and investors uh in the project. We have uh just one. I have time for sources to I also have more cool community clearing. So those are the witnesses that we're going to introduce. And there's also this report recommendations down and saying I'll bring it up to them. And we did discover during the review process for the staff. You have one of the links to three stories and two eight. And then you have another test of four stories of testing. And that we found out CDR. So it's a whole component in the system. So if you went forward, we weren't clear about how that building is flying this case and staff included the problems and just that issue as part of the zone to make sure we don't get more. The building has not been designed yet because we're going to be slow to the but we do think for the two sources and three buildings and how it is composing. And with the race and maybe on top of the uh the structure for the building is also possible when you design it to be so the I think that in design of the five. So that's called D the design of the uh treatment system is fully treatment. Um just everybody's uh background. This is a kind of name and all the wind units are handled. So the property is definitely kind of they all had access to use the treatment. So for instance, the one set classes for access to treatment and accepted uh treatments. And because it's a five million, everybody has a consent to that kind of seasons and a second time has to be buying some. So today we're doing a possibility to make the scene thought for some resistance. And what we can show you was that in the same limitations, uh, and we're all in the platform, and the more likely this commission is set to advance a few master plane, so I can go to the council and then come back here from today. So address the concerns in the world and represent if the system uh doesn't perform correctly for China guys are real practical or legal possibility to but there are the solutions and we think that the address safe guys uh working together with the town through the B and process on this project so that uh safe class controls live as a place to make sure the sources correctly um we really believe it's possible, and that's what we're going to talk about to talk about.
openpublica.com