North Kingstown Planning Commission Meeting - June 6, 2023
North Kingstown Planning Commission Meeting – June 6, 2023
The North Kingstown Planning Commission met on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall at 80 Boston Neck Rd. The commission addressed a surety reduction, a development plan review waiver, two zoning ordinance recommendation letters, and the approval of previous meeting minutes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kathleen Garino (139 Summit View Lane, North Kingstown) expressed appreciation that the meeting was held in the Town Hall building, which has a hearing loop system that allowed her to follow the meeting clearly via her hearing aids. She noted that at the municipal office building she can hear almost nothing.
Discussion Items
- 3.a Surety Reduction: Dusty Hollow – Town Engineer Allie presented a request to reduce the surety for Dusty Hollow by $104,362.22, leaving a retainer of $33,695.18 (10%). The recommendation was to approve. A motion was made and seconded; the commission voted unanimously to recommend approval.
- 3.b Development Plan Review Waiver Request: Lil Rhody Pickleball – The applicant, Richard Storti (represented by partner Kevin O'Brien), requested a waiver for development plan review to convert an existing retail space into an indoor pickleball facility (5 courts, 10,000 sq ft) in Kingstown Plaza, 6615 Post Road. The property is in the groundwater recharge area. Staff noted no extensive exterior changes, anticipated maximum of 20 patrons plus 2 staff, no new showers or bathrooms. The building official required a DEM suitability determination for the septic system. Commission discussed and then voted unanimously to grant the waiver.
- 3.c Recommendation Letter for 84 Pleasant Valley Road (Plat 129, Lot 9) – A text amendment to remove use restrictions on property zoned General Business Use Limited. The staff report included a recommendation that bicycle and sidewalk connections consistent with the Comprehensive Plan be incorporated. After discussion about making this a condition or simply an emphasized recommendation, the commission agreed to move the language to the end of the letter, changing “shall” to “should be considered.” The motion to approve the recommendation with that amendment carried unanimously.
- 3.d Recommendation Letter for 3681 Quaker Lane Realty LLC (Plat 129, Lot 3) – Application to change zoning from Neighborhood Business (NB) to General Business (GB). The commission applied the same bicycle accommodation language as in the previous item. A motion to recommend approval with the amendment was seconded and passed unanimously.
- 4.a Minutes Approval – Minutes of May 2, 2023, were approved as amended (with a correction submitted by Eric Wishart). Minutes of May 16, 2023, were approved as amended (with comments sent via email). One commissioner abstained from the May 16 vote due to absence.
Key Outcomes
- Surety Reduction (Dusty Hollow): Unanimous vote to recommend approval.
- Development Plan Review Waiver (Lil Rhody Pickleball): Unanimous vote to grant the waiver.
- Zoning Recommendation (84 Pleasant Valley Road): Unanimous vote to recommend approval with added language on bicycle/sidewalk considerations.
- Zoning Recommendation (3681 Quaker Lane): Unanimous vote to recommend approval with the same bicycle language.
- Minutes: May 2 and May 16 approved (May 16: one abstention).
- Adjournment: Meeting adjourned after public comment.
Meeting Transcript
Ready, Becky? Okay. Welcome everyone to the uh June 6th, 2023 uh planning commission meeting. Um several uh items on the agenda uh short sorted reduction uh for dusty hollow uh development plan waiver request uh a couple decision letters and um minutes we'll start out with the first item which is the sority reduction for dusty hollow and I think we'll start with uh town engineer. Yep, only yeah, Allie's Allie's here if you guys have questions of her, but you guys have seen these before. Um they were before the town council last on June 13th, 2022, as you can see in the cover memo that Allie prepared. Um they're looking to reduce the um surety amount by 104,362.22 cents, and then we will have a retainer remaining of 33,695 dollars and eighteen cents. Which is the 10 percent. Yep. And actually, as you can, you know, we do you can see Allie added a note at the bottom just as a reminder about that one year period, too. Comments? Eric Tracy? Okay. Uh do we have a motion to uh approve the reduction or to recommend the this is a recommendation, right? I'll make sure button. Make a recommendation that we approve the reduction. I'll second uh uh motion and a second. Any discussion all in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed motion carries. Great. You're all set, Jim. The next two items are uh decision letters. Well, there's the um waiver first. Oh, I'm sorry. Yep, I'm sorry. Next item is development plan waiver request, request of Richard Storty to waive development plan review approval requirements for Lil Roadie pickleball to locate pickleball courts, indoor commercial recreation within an existing retail space in Kingstown Plaza, located at 6615 Post Road, Cessors Plat 57, lot 143, zoned post road, and located in the groundwater recharge area. Yep. So as you guys are aware, you've had a couple of these um waivers as of late. Um the property is located in the groundwater overlay, and um a change of tenancy or occupancy would normally um kick in development plan review, but the subdivision regulations allow for a waiver request if they can meet certain standards, which um where they should have been. I'm not sure if you receive them in this packet, um, but uh their letter, their cover memo addressed the main concerns that we have. Um the section is 8.2 of the subdivision uh regulations for waiver of development plan approval, and some of the key items is there's no extensive construction. Um it will not affect existing drainage, circulation, relationship of buildings to each other, landscaping buffering, lighting, um, and as was noted in his cover memo, and I did follow up. Meg asked me to get a little bit more information, which I'll share with you guys because there was only that waiver request in your packet. Um we didn't really have much more, but I did have some email exchanges from another staff member that they shared with me. And the applicant is here and they can answer any questions that you might have if this doesn't cover it. My understanding is it's five courts, although there was a little I wasn't quite certain. They the email said one and a half for like rent being able to rent them or so. I'm not entirely sure for lessons they can clarify that, but my understanding was five rentable courts. It's 10,000 square feet of space in um to the left of the existing TJ Maxx where the old Sears building our space was. They um anticipate a maximum of 20 patrons plus two staff members, no new showers or bathrooms. There's two existing handicappes that will remain. Um there's no other changes to the exterior of the site. They did mention the potential of having to um relocate the front entryway on that same facade front, but I'm not sure if that's planned right now. Um and other than that, they're not doing any exterior changes. They have to remove some interior walls, rebuild a small office, you know, add some countertop space, and obviously install the install the courts themselves. Um so again, the applicant is here if they want to come up either and add anything to that, um, or if you guys just want to discuss, you know, and if you have any questions for them, they can come up. I'll give an opportunity if you want to come up and uh address us, please uh use the microphone there. And just press if it's not already pressed the little button, so the light is green, just so that means the microphone is working.
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