North Kingstown Planning Commission Meeting - January 17, 2023
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North Kingstown Planning Commission Meeting - January 17, 2023
The North Kingstown Planning Commission met on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at 7:00 PM at Town Hall. The commission voted unanimously on two development plan decisions and held a public informational hearing on a comprehensive permit master plan for a 56-unit affordable housing project.
Public Comments
- Mr. Welch (8 Arrow Lane, North Kingstown) spoke in favor of the Moran Properties project, stating that the development would create taxable property from a previously untaxed state-owned parcel, provide workforce housing near Quonset, and support local retail. He commended the developer's track record of property maintenance.
Discussion Items
Pinewood Village Preliminary Plan – The commission reviewed a 13-page decision for an 88-unit apartment project at 50 South County Trail (Plat 102, Lots 6, 8, & 25). Minor corrections were made, including changing “master plan” to “preliminary” and a typo fix. The motion to approve as amended passed 6-0.
Gooseneck Vineyards Development Plan Review – The commission approved a 5,400 square foot farm winery at 1340 & 1376 Tower Hill Road (Plat 7, Lots 13, 22, & 23). A condition was added requiring a stormwater mitigation plan to be submitted and approved prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy, due to uncertainty about whether gravel access ways are considered impervious by DEM. The motion passed 6-0.
Moran Properties Master Plan Public Informational Hearing – A comprehensive permit for 56 one-bedroom apartments (14 affordable units) on Devil's Foot Road (Plat 181, Lots 13 & 28; Plat 147, Lot 37). The site includes a previously unzoned state-owned parcel (Lot 28). The applicant seeks waivers for: density (16.1 units/acre vs. 10 allowed), ground-floor residential use, building setback (20 feet from Kingstown Crossing vs. 38 feet required), and relief from the comprehensive plan and zoning designation requirements for the unzoned lot. The commission reached a positive consensus (6-0) to prepare a decision for a future vote, with an extension to March 22, 2023. Staff recommended conditions including lot merger, withdrawal of a prior approval on a portion of the site, and addressing waivers.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Pinewood Village preliminary plan (6-0).
- Approved Gooseneck Vineyards development plan (6-0).
- Positive consensus on Moran Properties master plan; staff to draft decision with final vote scheduled for February 21, 2023, and an extension to March 22, 2023.
- Conditions for Moran include: merger of three lots, withdrawal of prior master plan approval, and resolution of waivers.
- The commission also discussed the need for procedural training and agreed to explore options with staff.
Meeting Transcript
The first item on our agenda is a decision of the preliminary plan application of Pinewood Village LLC for Pinewood Village, a comprehensive permit major land development project proposal for 88 apartment units to be located assessors plat 102, lots 6, 8, and 25, 50 South County Trail, North Kingstown, zoned in a compact village district, and in the groundwater protection overlay. At the last meeting when this was before us, there was a 6.0 positive consensus, and staff has compiled a 13-page decision, which has been uh disseminated to all of the members. I think we all have a red line with a few minor changes, and the only thing I would like to do rather than read 13 pages into the record because they are just the findings and the decisions that we had is uh and I'll defer to Mark. We don't need to read the entire 13 pages into the record. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Um so if uh people would like to go through if you have any additional comments, I will go page by page and ask if there are any, and we can note the changes that were made to the original draft as we go through it. Uh page one is simply applicable documents. Hey Jim, I did notice they put master plan instead of preliminary, though. So we have to just change that right at the end. Oh, on the very, very top. Yep. Okay. Page two is a continuation of the uh act applicable documents beginning applicable plans. Page three is the background. Hey May, can you make sure your mic is on and talk right into it close? Yes. I just found there's a small typo on page three, four lines from the bottom. We'll be addressed with an underground infiltrations as well. Good catch. Uh page four. We had a deletion and an addition. You have to talk right into them because I noticed the last time I I couldn't hear members several times on the recording. Anyway, I just I deleted where it said Mr. Cooper testified just because I figured we can say our own stuff. We don't need reference. He said it. Uh page five, there were no changes. There were no changes. Page seven, no changes. Page eight, nine, and ten. There were no changes. Uh page eleven had a uh correction for master to preliminary again. And then there was a uh removal of two lines being eight A and the first line of eight B. I am it was deleted A and B and just left that. Just kind of clean that up. On page 12 and 13. Uh just uh a couple of words added defining the treatment facility and identifying it specifically as a wastewater treatment facility. With that, are there any other uh corrections or additions that anyone feels need to be made? Hearing none, I would ask for a motion to approve this preliminary uh decision as amended. I'll make that motion that we approve it as amended. I'll second. There's a motion and a second. Is there any discussion? Okay. Uh I'll call a roll. You want a roll call? Uh Meg. Tracy? Yes.
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