Planning & Development
Rivers Know No Bounds
Rivers are slippery folk. They refuse to adhere to political boundaries, as much as we’d like them to. (Pictured to the left, a river refusing to adhere to political boundaries).
Such is the case of the Pocasset. The river enjoys residency in both Cranston and Johnston, and has a reputation of flooding its banks.
A 115 acre development on the banks of the Pocasset in Johnston is making waves downstream in Cranston. Cranston residents are concerned about the increased risk of flooding due to the loss of 50 acres of permeable landscape in the what will be a Wall-Mart Super Store. In a 2001 report, the US Department of Agriculture stated that the flooding along the Pocasset has worsened in recent years, something that Cranston residents can attest to.
Cranston Citizens for Responsible Zoning & Development (CCRZD) is urging Cranston planning officials and lawmakers to attend the next Johnston Public Hearing on August 5th, at 7:00 PM. Ultimately, fate of the project will rely on the support from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Ironically, it was the DEM that granted Cullion the clearance to build the now infamous Concrete Plant – a project that the CCRZD has bitterly fought.
So far the worst flooding that has occurred is the flood of car dealerships and shopping mall projects in Johnston.
[where: 02910]Comment
Wednesday May 12, 2010
Thee Euston-Fairweather Registry of Hyper Links: Trashing the New Comp Plan Edition
This edition of the Registry offers a short collection of projects from Cranston’s ugly development front. All of these developments required numerous zoning variances and comp plan amendments, all of them are out of character with their respective locales, and all of them will benefit their developers at the expense of Cranston’s residents, its character, environmental well-being, and fiscal health.
moreMonday May 3, 2010
Losing the War on Drugstores
After about a 15 month flatline, it looks like the Cranston Recklessly Approved Project index (the city’s leading economic indicator), is on the rise again. We can all rejoice that developers are back at work – looking for ways to get variances and cut corners on the road to grabbing... more
Monday January 11, 2010
Skip the Bag, Save the River
On Tuesday, January 12 at 7pm, the City Planning Commission will consider the Stop & Shop proposal slated for the Warwick Nurseries property. One of the concessions that the neighborhood was looking for was a moratorium on plastic bags. It’s a great idea, and I have to admit I’m anti-disposable... more
Monday November 23, 2009
Fixing Rolfe Square: Pimp Your Storefront Edition
Ruth’s Lingerie storefront during a sale last year Things are starting to look up for Rolfe Square. Soon they will be looking fabulous. The Artists’ Exchange has teamed up with students from Rhode Island School of Design to redesign six storefronts. Artists’ Exchange Director Elaine McKenna-Yeaw says “the idea is to... more
Saturday October 24, 2009
The Park Cinema Reopens for a Sequel
At 5 PM last night, the Park Cinema officially re-opened as the Rhode Island Center for Performing Arts. Rolfe Square took on a completely different feeling when the theater was illuminated and pods of people spilled out onto the neighboring streets. It was especially striking to see the Park sign... more