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Newport scores
'Bike-Friendly' status
The League of American Bicyclists announced in October that Newport has achieved Bike-Friendly Community (BFC) status - the first municipality to do so in Rhode Island. Congrats to Bari George and Bike Newport for collaborating with community stakeholders and city officials to achieve the designation.
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Grow Smart Rhode Island
Board of Directors
Howard M. Kilguss
Chairman of the Board
Ashish Airan
Susan Arnold
William Ashworth
William Baldwin
Daniel A. Baudouin
Samuel J. Bradner
Kenneth Burnett
Joseph Caffey
David Caldwell
John Chambers
Kathleen Connell
Gib Conover
Jen Cookke
Trudy Coxe
Dave Cunningham
Kristin A. DeKuiper
Dennis DiPrete
Dr. David Dooley
Maia Farish
Stephen J. Farrell
Michael L. Friedman
Wilfrid L. Gates
Junior Jabbie
Stanley J. Kanter
Jason E. Kelly
Gail McCann
Kelley Nickson Morris
Donald W. Powers
John A. Rupp
Richard Schartner
Lucie G. Searle
Pamela M. Sherrill
Julia Anne M. Slom
Jonathan F. Stone
Barbara van Beuren
Martha L. Werenfels
Directors Emeritus
Arnold "Buff" Chace
Louise Durfee, Esq.
Michael S. Hudner
Michael F. Ryan
Deming E. Sherman
W. Edward Wood
Meet the Board
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RIPTA seeks feedback on schedule re-design
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Click to comment
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RIDOT to Road Builders:
Ped-Bike Friendly Design is Important
Grow Smart applauds RIDOT for embracing and promoting a road design manual that transportation advocates say will shape more walkable and bikeable communities in Rhode Island.
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ITE-CNU Manual is an engineer's guide to implementing "Complete Streets"
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Click image to download manual
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Grow Smart Rhode Island
at the Foundry
235 Promenade Street, Suite 550
Providence, RI 02809
401-273-5711
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The Foundry Corporate Office Center,
Grow Smart RI's home
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Dear John
You're among the 5,297 civic leaders, state & local officials, development professionals, investors, decision-makers and visionary citizens getting the latest news, happenings and trends in the local smart growth movement.
We're Grow Smart Rhode Island. Partner with us. Support us with a tax deductible contribution. Let's make Rhode Island a better place for people and business by playing to our strengths.
If this was forwarded to you.....
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Extending RI's New Historic Tax Credit a top priority of Grow Smart's 2014 advocacy
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Program has demonstrated its return on investment while strengthening communities, neighborhoods and municipal tax bases
After being closed to new applicants since 2008, the Rhode Island General Assembly reinstated a reformed State Historic Tax Credit last June using $34.5MM in previously budgeted, but abandoned credits. The new tax credit program allocates credits of between 20% and 25% based on the type of project.
On August 1st, the first day applications for the new program could be accepted, the private sector responded and developers proposed new investments of approximately $250MM in rehab projects throughout the state that would amount to $54MM in tax credits ($20MM more than was available), so state officials held a lottery.
As a result of the lottery, 32 projects were tentatively allocated credits. Through August 14th, 45 applications had been received, meaning that 13 projects had to be placed on a waiting list.
Grow Smart will work vigorously this year to propose and advocate for legislation to extend the Historic Tax Credit, a proven public private partnership for turning liabilities into assets and improving our communities in the process. Stay tuned for more details.
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Three elected to Grow Smart Board
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Founding member and past Board Chair Deming Sherman celebrated for 15 years of service to Grow Smart
At its Spring meeting, three new members were elected to serve on the Board of Directors of Grow Smart RI.
New members, elected to serve a 3-year term, are:
Ashish G. Airan
Ashish is a former Florida prosecutor and solo legal practitioner. He currently works at Amgen, Inc. in its Quality organization and will obtain M.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2013. A champion of small businesses, Ashish is also establishing a tax controversy practice in Rhode Island which provides free representation before the Internal Revenue Service to returning United States combat veterans.
David Caldwell, Jr.
Dave is Vice President at Caldwell & Johnson, Inc., a General Building Contractor with a "green building" focus that has been family owned and operated in North Kingstown since 1968. He is also the Managing Director for Caldwell Realty, LLC which is a full service real estate brokerage that has been family owned since 1975. Dave's other activities include serving on the Board of HousingWorks RI, on the Executive Committee of the RI Builder's Association and chairing North Kingstown's Economic Development Commission.
Maia Farish
Maia moved to Rhode Island in 2011, when her husband Don was named the tenth president of Roger Williams University. She immediately plunged herself into Rhode Island's community life and currently serves as a Board member for Grow Smart, Preserve Rhode Island and the Old Slater Mill Association. She also serves on the Steering Committee and Advisory Board for the Roger Williams University Community Partnerships Center. During the recent successful effort to reinstate RI's Historic Tax Credit, Maia played a key role, assisting Grow Smart and Preserve RI in coordinating the effort's Steering Committee.
View a brief bio of all 37 Grow Smart Board Members
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Deming Sherman received well-earned recognition as he stepped down from the Board after 15 years of advancing Grow Smart's mission, including 4 years as Board Chair.
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Grow Smart also gratefully acknowledges and thanks the following former Board members who opted to leave the Board after several years of exemplary service: Akhil Gupta, Basil Lee and Stephen Maiorisi.
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
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Grow Smart RI Land Use Training Collaborative brings you three great program in November and December
To find additional information for any of the training sessions listed below please go to our website training page.
Writing Sound Decisions
- Tuesday, November 12, 2013
- 5:30pm - 9:00pm with a light dinner included
- Central Falls City Hall, City Council Chambers, 3rd Floor Conference Room, 580 Broad Street, Central Falls, RI
Rhode Island Community Profiles
- Wednesday, November 20, 2013
- 9:30 am - 11:30am
- The Education Exchange, 33 North Road, C - 1, Peace Dale, RI
Design Guidelines and Standards
- Wednesday, December 4, 2013
- 6:30pm - 9:00pm
- Middletown Town Hall, 350 E Main Road, Middletown, RI
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Parking vs. Transit?
Grow Smart seeks realigned transportation priorities from State Government
Grow Smart has been pleased in recent years that the Chafee Administration has prioritized a number of policies to advance smart economic and community development that plays to our strengths. Reinstatement of the state Historic Tax Credit, expanded state funding for tourism promotion and replenished bond funding for investments in affordable housing development and farmland preservation are among them.
However, in recent weeks we have called upon the Administration to realign its transportation priorities by placing more emphasis on stabilizing and increasing funding for mass transit than on providing more parking around the State House.
We believe there are two logical places to start: 1.) Support responsible and sustainable approaches for investing in our effective and well-used mass transit system, and 2.) Follow the lead of many in the private sector by promoting and incentivizing smart-card transit passes for all state employees, particularly in lieu of expanded surface parking.
Read MORE in Projo.com
Read Grow Smart's statement HERE.
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RhodeMap RI "Great Places" Forums continue in November
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Bring YOUR perspective about preserving and creating 'Great Places' for Rhode Island
Many communities have already identified areas for revitalization or future growth. Do these make sense based on the location of existing physical or environmental constraints? Where should we grow? How should growth and preservation differ in urban, suburban and rural areas? What additional information is needed to plan more effectively for the future?
Join in at any one of the workshops. Pick one closest to you. No need to register or RSVP - just show up, listen and be heard.
All workshops run 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
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Blackstone Valley
Wednesday, November 6th
Woonsocket Depot
One Depot Square
Woonsocket, RI |
Southern Rhode Island
Thursday, November 7th
Coastal Institute Bldg., Hazard A
URI Bay Campus
Narrangansett, RI |
Newport County Tuesday, November 12th Best Western Mainstay Inn
151 Admiral Kalbfus Road
Newport, RI |
Greater Providence Thursday, November 14th
William Hall Free Library
1825 Broad Street
Cranston, RI |
East Bay
Tuesday, November 19th Riverside Library 475 Bullocks Point Avenue East Providence, RI
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Northwestern Rhode Island Thursday, November 21st Smith Library 100 Tinkham Lane Harrisville, RI |
For more information contact Melanie Army, Supervising Planner at Rhode Island Division of Planning, or call 401-222-6183. You can also visit the RhodeMap RI website.
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What would a streetcar mean to Providence?
Kansas City beat out Providence this year for a federal grant to help build a streetcar line in that city. See what that news has already meant for KC
When selecting a parking lot along the Kansas City streetcar line as the site for a 50-unit, five-story apartment building, Boulder-based developer Linden Street Partners was clear: "The streetcar is the big thing that drew us, absolutely," the company's Scott Richardson told the Kansas City Star. "We like the demographics and the economic trends. I walked the area and liked the site."
Kansas City hasn't even begun construction yet on the 2-mile, $103 million project. But, it's already spurring the kind of development that promoters hoped for.
Read More in DCStreetsBlog.org.
Will Providence get it's turn? That may be up to the next Mayor. Both Mayors Cicilline and Taveras have been big champions of the concept to leverage real estate and economic development. But with Mayor Taveras seeking the Governor's office next year, it may come down to who occupies the corner office at Providence City Hall next year.
Stay tuned.
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Providence Preservation Society:
Conversation on Open Space & Public Land
November 14th Forum to Feature Adrian Benepe, former New York City Parks Commissioner
Kicking off the Providence Preservation Society's yearlong series on downtown Providence and the making of great cities is Adrian Benepe, former New York City Parks Commissioner and now Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development at the Trust for Public Land. He will lead us in discussing the benefit and potential for open space and public land.
Adrian Benepe has worked in the public and non-profit realm as a leader in park and public space conservation, design, construction and operation, in the areas of city planning, arts, culture, historic preservation, and landscape and urban design for his entire career.
More HERE
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