Strong construction sector performance and increased flow of federal investment among the more recent indicators that the program is a win for Rhode Island

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Transformation of abandoned Hope Street School made possible through State Historic Tax Credit program

Grow Smart RI Executive Director Scott Wolf was among those on hand May 23, 2007 to congratulate NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (NBRV) on the completion of renovations to The Hope Street Family Center in Woonsocket.

Standing as a focal point on the highest elevation of this formerly neglected neighborhood, the building's rebirth mirrors that of the community it overlooks. Abandoned since 1978, it was a source of blight and a a sign of the neighborhood's decline. But now, it will provide 110 child care slots and office space for Connecting for Children and Families, Inc. This development caps 12 years of work by NBRV and their partners to rebuild and revitalize the Constitution Hill neighborhood.

Wolf urged the assembled crowd to contact their legislators to voice their support for the continuation of a strong, predictable and transparent state historic tax credit program saying "these credits make the difference between buildings lying empty - often in dangerous condition - or being restored and put back to good use."

2007 legislative session approaching home stretch at the State House

A number of initiatives from Grow Smart's 2007 Statewide Policy & Legislative Agenda are up for consideration as highlighted below.

Land Conservation

H-5990 - Establishment of a state rural conservation district exempt from state affordable housing requirements. Read Grow Smart's written testimony in OPPOSITION to this bill.

Rhode Island DEM and 4 projects in Providence and Pawtucket are the recipients of a total of 8 grants.

U.S. EPA grants will help to revitalize former industrial and commercial sites, transforming them from abandoned and blighted properties into community assets. The awards were made under EPA's Brownfields program after being selected in a competitive national competition.

Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

"EPA Brownfields grants are an economic engine, helping vitality to return to our communities, and this influx of new EPA funding will speed up that process." said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England regional office. "These funds will directly improve the quality of life in these Rhode Island communities, where citizens are working to redevelop and put to good use abandoned, contaminated parcels."

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June 8th workshop set for local officials, planners, and citizens from RI and SE Massachusetts

Many cities and towns are now working on targeted approaches to sustainable development, such as green buildings, climate change initiatives, curbing sprawl, or developing sustainability indicators.

Few communities in the U.S., however, have integrated sustainable planning and practices on a comprehensive basis. This interactive workshop, called "Designed for Life", will demonstrate how this can be achieved by citizens, planners and local governments.

Swedish planner and economist Torbjörn Lahti and Sarah James, co-author of the APA's Planning for Sustainability policy guide will lead the half-day workshop to be held in Seekonk, MA

Organized by the Sustainability Initiative, RI Peace Mission, 56 Walcott St., Pawtucket, RI 02860.

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Click here to let us know if you would like your land-use/water resources related conference or workshop listed on our CommunityConnectionRI Calendar.

Legislative study commission calls for an expanded role for the RIPTA, making it the state's "mobility manager," with more services and dependable financing

With ridership soaring more than 24% in the last 3 years and overcrowding becoming more commonplace, a Special Legislative Commission to Study Transit Service in the State of Rhode Island recommends a variety of service expansions. The recommendations are generally consistent with recommendations in Grow Smart's 2007 Policy & Legislative Agenda.

The May 29, 2007 report says the agency is doing a good job, describing RIPTA as "one of the most innovative and creative public transit systems in operation today," and says the agency should be enabled to do more in order to respond to the growing popularity of efficient public transit.

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Grow Smart collaborates with the New Public Transit Alliance (NuPTA) and the City of Providence's Transit 2020 Working Group to advocate for improvements in Rhode Island's public transportation system.

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