MINUTES:

Discuss and approve the October 21, 2021 and November 15, 2021 meeting minutes.

Solicitor Scott Levesque stated that he requested revisions to the October 21, 2021 minutes which were redistributed to the Board earlier today.

Al Nani made a motion, seconded by Mike Moan, to approve the Planning Board meeting minutes for October 21, 2021 as amended.  The vote on the motion was as follows:

Voting In Favor:  Members, Colavecchio, Moan, Ruotolo, and Pinelli

Voting In Opposition:  None

Abstaining:  Members Gizzarelli, Orabona, and Nani

The vote on the motion being four in favor, with three abstentions, the motion carried.

Ken Orabona made a motion, seconded by Al Nani, to approve the Planning Board meeting minutes for November 15, 2021.  The vote on the motion was as follows:

Voting In Favor:  Members Gizzarelli, Colavecchio, Yoakum, Nani, Orabona, Ruotolo

Voting In Opposition:  None

Abstaining:  Member Moan

The vote on the motion being six in favor, with one abstention, the motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS

SMITHFIELD VILLAGE - (ID#: 16-008) Request for Extension of Final Plan Approval

Major Land Development

AP 29/Lot 66A, AP 30/Lots 20, 29, 30, 30A, 31(portion of), & 31A, AP 35/Lots 13 & 21

355 Putnam Pike- 27 Acres (approx.)

Zone: Putnam Pike/Esmond Street Planned Development District

Applicant: Churchill & Banks Companies, LLC. 

Owner: Churchill & Banks Companies, LLC. and Walter & Norma Paterson

1. The Board will conduct the project’s annual review.
2. The Board will vote on approval of the extension.

Attorney Joelle Rocha represented the applicant and stated that the applicant is seeking a one year extension to the Final Plan approval which was received in February of 2020 at the start of the pandemic.  Atty. Rocha stated that the applicant has since consolidated the properties but that market conditions have changed substantially and is having issues finding users for the property.  Atty. Rocha stated that the applicant has engaged a broker but that the application may need amendments to the approval.

Ken Orabona made a motion, seconded by Curtis Ruotolo, to grant a one year extension for Final Plan approval for the Smithfield Village.  The vote on the motion was all in favor and the motion carried.

STILLWATER DISTRIBUTION - (ID#: 22-01) Pre-Application/Concept Review

Major Land Development – Pre-Application/Concept Review

AP 45 / Lot 18 and AP 46 / Lots 71, 72, 73, 74 & 76

295 George Washington Highway

92 Acres (approx.) / HC & PC Zone

Applicant: Wharton Smithfield, LLC

Owners: Jake Development Co., LLC & Rollingwood Acres, Inc.

Engineer: DiPrete Engineering

a.   The Board will review the submission with the applicant and provide input for future review stages.

Attorney Michael Kelly represented the applicant and stated that the property owner previously obtained a Master Plan for a mixed use development having a larger impact on town services and higher traffic generation.  Atty. Kelly stated that the property has been for sale for 3 years and have had very little interest but that, in the spring of this year, they received interest in a type of warehouse distribution facility.  Atty. Kelly noted that warehouse and distribution is allowed by right and would make this project more attractive with 40 percent less traffic and significantly less water usage.

Board member Mike Moan stated that this is only a conceptual plan with no traffic analysis being required but noted that the town has an access management plan for this corridor.

Len Bradley, Professional Engineer with DiPrete Engineering, reviewed the pre-application plan set and stated that they are proposing three points of egress from Douglas Pike, George Washington Highway, and Lydia Ann Drive.  Mr. Bradley stated that the proposal is for a one million square foot buildings and one additional 120,000 square foot warehouse. 

Len Bradley stated that the wetlands are being reviewed and verified by the RI Department of Environmental Management and that there will be landscaping and buffering along the Route 116 and 7 corridor.  Town Planner Michael Phillips questioned whether the buffer will count towards the required 5 percent open space and Mr. Bradley replied that they will count the buffer towards the open space.

Paul Bannon, with Beta Group, stated that he is working on site access and circulation and that he conducted a field investigation of site distance, conducted traffic counts in the fall, and reviewed the corridor access management plan.  Mr. Bannon stated that they are proposing main access to the project on Route 7 and a secondary access on Routes 116 and Lydia Ann Drive.  Mr. Bannon stated that review of the existing traffic conditions found overall volumes consistent except for the Fidelity associated traffic because they are not back in the office.  Mr. Bannon stated that he looked at previous information as a basis for the future condition and that traffic may rebound to the pre-pandemic condition of 23,000 vehicles per day on Douglas Pike but today they are less.  Mr. Bannon stated that the estimates are 900 total trips in the morning and 1,200 total trips in the p.m. which is roughly 40 percent less than the previously approved mixed use concept plan.  Mr. Bannon stated that a warehouse distribution center is typically a 24 hour operation and will not coincide with peak traffic conditions.  Mr. Bannon stated that they are proposing a double left turn lane and a right turn in from Douglas Pike and that most traffic will be entering from Route 116 to the employee parking.  Mr. Bannon stated that they are proposing to restripe Route 116 to allow a median turn lane to help the operation of this segment of the road and added that Lydia Ann Drive could also be a signalized location to help with traffic circulation. 

John Yoakum questioned the left turn traffic turning into the property from Douglas Pike and Len Bradley replied that they will coordinate with RIDOT to see if they have any plans on this segment of the corridor.

Richard Colavecchio stated that Attorney Kelly referenced recent changes made from mixed use to allowing a single use warehouse and questioned what those changes were.  Town Planner Michael Phillips that the EGO use category allowed warehouse distribution by right in the PC district under the all other permitted uses category to allow for a single use lot in the district.  Mr. Colavecchio stated that it is hard to understand how this property went from a mixed use village concept to a single use and that he thinks it is short-sighted in the middle of a pandemic and to throw out all of the work that was done.  Mike Moan and Mike Pinelli agreed with Mr. Colavecchio’s sentiment.  Curtis Ruotolo stated that the Town has a responsibility to the taxpayers and that the property owner is entitled to make money and the he appreciates the amount of work that has gone into this pre-application.

Town Solicitor’s Report:

Deer Run Estates / West Farm Road - Correspondence RE: Certification of Default & Allocation of Bond Funds

Solicitor Scott Levesque stated that the Deer Run Estates project has issues with lighting and problematic pavement and that the Town Engineer issued a violation notice to the developer who did not get an adequate response.  Mr. Levesque stated that his office was put on notice and bond monies that have been put aside for this have been used to ensure that the deficiencies are corrected.

Ken Orabona made a motion, seconded by Mike Pinelli, to adjourn the meeting at 7:22  pm.  The vote on the motion was all in favor and the motion carried.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Donna A. Corrao, Recording Secretary