Advances for transfer of development rights (TDR), transportation, housing; Setback for community comprehensive planning reform

Rhode Island lawmakers adjourned for the year at 4:10 a.m. on Friday, June 11, 2010. The following are highlights of bills that have an impact on community & economic development and quality of place.

Planning / Land Development

H-7588 (Representative Carter)

Transportation

S-2744 (Senator DiPalma),

New Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities takes center stage with Keynote Symposium including key leaders from from HUD, DOT, EPA and Smart Growth America.

20 workshops and nearly 80 speakers brought together leading experts on sustainable economic growth, zoning for green energy production, reuse of I-195 surplus land, an enhanced public transportation system, regulatory reform, improving public health through better community design, agricultural vitality, leadership in energy and environmental design, affordable housing and more.

Click HERE for a complete recap of the Summit, including a registration list, survey results, outcome recommendations and media coverage.

Grow Smart is exceptionally grateful for the support of our Summit sponsors and for the generosity and commitment of our many presenters and panel moderators. We will continue to leverage the talents, ideas and energy of diverse partners to help transform Rhode Island into an economic and cultural leader for this and future generations.

At issue is income tax versus property tax as both sides look to maximize economic benefit.

An April 26th forum on Port Development in Rhode Island organized by Grow Smart Rhode Island and Save The Bay brought together more than 75 invited business, government and maritime industry leaders to clarify issues and explore future opportunities.

Forum speakers included veteran maritime transportation advisor William Coffey, Providence & Worcester Railroad Company president P. Scott Conti, ProvPort President Bruce Waterson, the Quonset Development Corporation's port manager Evan Matthews, Moran Shipping Agencies Executive Vice President Jason Kelly, and Jennifer McCann of the URI Coastal Resources Center. State Senator William Walaska, who co-chairs the General Assembly's joint commission on ports, attended the forum and shared the commission's plans for future work. Following the presentations Grow Smart's Executive Director Scott Wolf moderated a response panel that included Providence Planning and Redevelopment Director Thomas Deller, RIEDC Business Development Manager John Riendeau and Save The Bay Executive Director Jonathan Stone.

Click HERE for links to presentations.

The presenters and audience comments highlighted several critical points that should be incorporated into future state policy development:

• There is an inherent disconnect between state reliance on income tax revenue and municipal reliance on property tax revenue which severely impedes reaching state-municipal consensus on economic development strategies.
• There is limited land available and zoned for future port-related development adjacent to existing ports.
• The state needs to find a way to finance necessary future dredging at Quonset.
• Policy-makers need data about the economic impact of current port and shipping activities.

Several speakers also noted potential opportunities for joint marketing of the Port of Providence and Quonset.

Attendees agreed that the forum underscored the importance of bringing together diverse interests to share differing perspectives and heighten overall understanding of the shipping industry and the range of issues involved.

Grow Smart sees the forum as a first step in our efforts to promote port development that capitalizes on the economic development assets offered by Rhode Island's location and natural harbors and at the same time incorporates sound land-use planning principles and stewardship of the Bay's natural resources.