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Smart Growth e-Briefs
News and Tools for People Shaping Our Communities October 2005

Image of the Month
The Future is Now
Kevin Flynn, new head of the state Planning Division, addresses the Grow Smart Advisory Council on 9/27
about the state's Future Land Use Plan now nearing completion.
Flynn has served on the Grow Smart Advisory Council since 1998.


 

Grow Smart Board of Directors

Michael F. Ryan

Chairman of the Board

Susan Arnold
William Baldwin
S. James Busam
Joseph Caffey
Robert L. Carothers
Arnold Chace
Jen Cookke
Trudy Coxe
Peter Damon
Stephen J. Farrell
Thomas E. Freeman
J. Joseph Garrahy
John R. Gowell, Jr.
Stephen Hamblett
Robert Harding
Michael S. Hudner
Stanley J. Kanter
Howard M. Kilguss
Thomas A. Lawson
Dennis Langley
James Leach
Roger Mandle
Rev. James C. Miller
Thomas V. Moses
George Nee
B. Michael Rauh, Jr.
Gary Sasse
Richard Schartner
Deming Sherman
Merrill Sherman
Curt Spalding
James F. Twaddell
Ranne Warner
Sandra Whitehouse
Frederick C. Williamson
W. Edward Wood

Board Listing with Affilliation


Help Grow Smart
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This Month's
e-Brief Sponsor

The National Brownfield Association



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Congress for the
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Grow Smart Staff

Scott Wolf

Executive Director

Sheila Brush

Director of Programs

John Flaherty

Director of Research & Communications

Lynn Burns

Executive Assistant for Finance

Dorothy Dauray

Office Assistant

Linsey Cameron

Research Assistant

Dear John,

You're among the 2,692 opinion leaders, state & local officials, development professionals, journalists and visionary citizens getting the latest news, happenings and trends in the smart growth movement from Grow Smart Rhode Island.


  • Grow Smart takes on 'Big Box' plan, MED zone law
  • Executive Director Scott Wolf suggests alternatives for growing state's economy in a way that protects quality of life for future generations

    Grow Smart took aim last week at a controversial example of what is often a sprawl-inducing form of development - the "big box" retail shopping mall. In so doing, it also raised concerns about a 3-year old state MED zone law that it contends may be unintentionally subsidizing sprawl with taxpayer dollars while hurting existing urban businesses.

    The written testimony was heard before the North Smithfield Planning Board as it deliberated on the application by Bucci Development to build "Dowling Village" which would be the state's largest such retail center spanning an area the size of more than 40 football fields in North Smithfield and Woonsocket. One week after testimony by Wolf and many others, the N.S. Planning Board dealt a serious setback to the "Dowling Village" proposal (See below).

    View the 10-minute testimony by clicking below

      Modem version (4M)

    Projo News update: N.S. Planners deny big box expansion - 10/14

  • Workshops examine housing, community land trusts
  • Fifty-eight municipal officials and staff from 18 Rhode Island communities learned about the advantages of housing trust funds and community housing land trusts at three September workshops offered by Grow Smart's Muncipal Land-Use Training Collaborative.

    Mary Brooks, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change's Housing Trust Fund Project, spoke about using housing trust funds at the state and local levels to generate new resources for affordable housing production; Mary O'Hara of Burlington Associates explained how community housing land trusts can help to reduce the cost of housing and ensure permanent affordability; and representatives from the Housing Network of Rhode Island described various ways that communities can access the range of services offered by the newly-established Community Housing Land Trust of Rhode Island.

    More about Community Housing Land Trusts in RI

  • Smarter Growth on the Suburban Fringe
  • 10 Principles for Smart Growth on the Suburban Fringe available for free on a limited basis

    With contributions from experts in the real estate industry as well as conservationists, this 24-page booklet from the Urban Land Institute takes a fresh, realistic approach to suburban development, providing guidelines to make new development more attractive, accessible, efficient, environmentally sensitive, livable, and profitable. [More]

    Available in packets of 10 for $19.95 from the ULI bookstore. Grow Smart Rhode Island will provide a FREE copy to the first ten people that request one. Email us to request a free copy.

  • Need to Find Smart Growth Services?
  • Does your community need a planning consultant to prepare an economic development strategy? A land use attorney to craft that mixed-use ordinance people have been asking about? What about a developer who can turn that brownfield site into something productive?

    And your firm - Does it need an architect, or environmental specialist who really understands smart growth principles? Or perhaps you need advice about those historic tax credits ...

    The Smart Growth Yellow Pages is your one-stop resource. With over 75 listings, our online directory will connect you with others collaborating on smart growth related business and community development opportunities.

  • Thank you to our 3rd quarter funders
  • Individuals

    RI Senator David E. Bates
    Christopher and Lynn Benetti
    David Brown
    Catherine Canney
    Dr. Roberth Carothers
    Arnold B. Chace
    Walter "Chet" Chomka
    Trudy Coxe and James Gaffney
    Elizabeth Debbs
    Stephen J. Farrell
    Melissa and John Flaherty
    RI Representative Gordon D. Fox
    Lance Kilpatrick
    Cranton Mayor Stephen P. Laffey
    James Leach
    Deborah Linnell
    Courtney McCracken
    Scott and Susan Millar
    Wayne and Maureen Moore
    Dr. Patricia Nolan
    John O'Hearne
    Michael and Lynne Ryan
    Michael and Jacqueline Saul
    Deming Sherman
    Curt Spalding
    Sara Struever
    Lee and Martha Whitaker
    Marie Youngkin

    Foundations

    Alice I. Sullivan Charitable Trust (Daniel Sullivan)
    Brightman Hill Charitable Foundation (Ed and Linda Wood)

    Organizations

    Blackstone Exchange LLC (Ranne Warner)
    CVS Corporation
    DiPrete Engineering Associates, Inc. (Dennis DiPrete)
    Durkee Brown Viveiros Werenfels Architects
    E.W. Burman
    John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission
    Johnson & Wales University
    Narragansett Electric
    Rhode Island Housing
    Rhode Island School of Design
    Sovereign Bank
    The Providence Journal Company
    University of Rhode Island

    Your tax deductible donation to Grow Smart RI enables us to continue producing this newsletter and developing and spreading the word about smart growth policies and programs that strengthen our cities and protect our countryside.

    See how easy it is to make a secure online contribution

  • Regional planning forum meets in Newport Nov. 9-10
  • The 2005 American Planning Association Southern New England Conference will bring together expert planners, practitioners, municipalities, developers and citizens to tackle a wide variety of topics that affect the future growth and development of our communties.

    Sessions include:

    • Growth Centers and Sutainable Development
    • Using TDR to Manage Residential Growth & Open Space
    • Best Practices in Affordable Housing Design
    • Planning for Historic Mill Reuse in your Town
    • Rural / Suburban Transit-Oriented Development
    • Innovative Regulations and Form Based Codes

    Conference schedule

  • RI LISC Announces First New Markets Tax Credit Deal
  • Deal paves way for financing of innovative mixed-use redevelopment at mill complex

    Rhode Island LISC has announced its first New Markets Tax Credit deal in Rhode Island. By acting as broker for $710,000 in New Market Tax Credits RI LISC is helping to make possible the transformation of one of the most blighted sites in Olneyville. The old Providence Dyeing, Bleaching and Calendaring Company complex at 60 Valley Street is being renovated by a dynamic joint venture partnership between Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse, Inc. and the not-for-profit Puente. Together they will renovate this historic mill complex into a dual-use residential/commercial development known as "The Plant".

  • CALENDAR
  • Wednesday, Oct. 19 (12:00p - 1:30p)

    New DEM director Michael Sullivan will present the "hot" topics facing his agency.
    Warwick

    Wednesday, Oct. 26 (8:30a - 12:30p)

    Free to attend, but advance registration is required.
    Providence

    Tuesday, Nov. 1 (2:00p - 7:00p)

    Sponsored by URI and the RI Department of Health
    Kingston

    Friday, Nov. 4 (9:30a - 12:30p)

    This seminar at Roger Williams University will provide analysis of the two cases starting with a general introductions to takings law followed by a discussion of the cases' implications for land use planning in RI.
    Bristol

    Tuesday, Nov. 8 (7:00p - 9:00p)

    This free workshop presented by URI's Lorraine Joubert is offered to participants in the Watershed Stewards Program, Watershed Councils, Land Trusts and citizens interested in getting involved with watershed stewardship
    Peace Dale

  • Cable show featuring Grow Smart wins PEG Award
  • Tea with Marie, which airs statewide on Cox Channel 13 Friday afternoons at 3:00 p.m., has earned a PEG Award for its show featuring Grow Smart RI Executive Director Scott Wolf.

    Organized by RI public access personnel from Cox, the Rhode Island PEG Awards recognize the best non- professional, non-commercial public programming produced in the state. "PEG" stands for the three types of community-based access provided in Rhode Island by Cox: Public, Educational, and Government access. The show won in the Politics/Community Affairs category.

    View the show online

  • Growth and development in the news

  • National




    Statewide

    - Rep. Gorham: Preserve Rural RI by Exempting it from the State

    Barrington

    Block Island

    Bristol

    Coventry

    Cranston

    Cumberland

    East Providence

    Exeter

    Johnston

    Lincoln

    Middletown

    Narragansett

    Newport

    North Kingstown

    North Smithfield

    Pawtucket

    Portsmouth

    Providence

    Residents want answers about siting of school on brownfield site

    Richmond

    Smithfield

    South Kingstown

    Tiverton

    Westerly

    West Warwick

    Woonsocket

    :: 401-273-5711

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