A subcommittee of the Middletown Planning Board will meet

August 15, 2019, 2:30pm at Middletown Town Hall, 2^nd Floor Conference Room 350 East Main Rd., Middletown, RI

AGENDA

1.    Discuss possible establishment of an airport overlay zoning district.

This meeting location is accessible to the handicapped. Individuals requiring interpreter services for the hearing impaired should notify the Town Clerk’s Office at (401) 847-0009 not less than 48 hours before this meeting.

Middletown Comprehensive Community Plan, p IX-13, 14

Colonel Robert F. Wood Airpark (Newport State Airport)

Middletown is host to Colonel Robert F. Wood Airpark, also known as Newport Airport, which is owned and operated by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC). The airport area includes nine separate parcels that are zoned partially or entirely for light industrial use. This amounts to approximately 275 acres of land zoned LI, of which 222.8 acres are part of the airport property.  The remainder includes the Forest Park mobile home park, Middletown Tradesman’s Center, and land owned by the Crystal Springs spring water company. With the exception of the Crystal Springs property, which is subject to a conservation easement held by the Aquidneck Land Trust, all LI zoned parcels are developed to some extent.  There is little vacant land available for new light industrial development in this area of town.

In Rhode Island, municipalities are legally obligated to establish and enforce appropriate airport land use compatibility planning.  To assist municipalities, RIAC prepared in 2013 a Guidebook to assist local officials with the tools to plan for and enforce land uses that are compatible with their local airports.  Middletown has reviewed the “Rhode Island Airport Land Use Compatibility Guidebook,” and intends to utilize it as a planning tool to assist in:

Protection of the navigable airspace around Newport State Airport and the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) that support it

Establishment and maintenance of a safe operating environment around the Newport State Airport

Supporting Newport State Airport as a transportation facility

In conjunction with the recommendations of RIAC’s Aviation Systems Plan, the Town should designate an Airport Hazard Area Overlay District. The purpose of the district is to regulate the types of land uses and the height of buildings and trees in the district to avoid creating airport hazards. The zoning ordinance should be amended so that it is consistent with applicable state and federal requirements pertaining to airport hazards.

Middletown Comprehensive Community Plan, p IX-24,25

LAND USE - Goals, Policies, & Action Items

GOAL L-I: To achieve a balanced and harmonious development pattern in Middletown that promotes economic growth and reinvestment while preserving neighborhood integrity, environmental and aesthetic quality, and overall livability.