1.         Approval of Minutes

2.         Major Land Development – Mill Re-Use, Master, and Preliminary Plan with Informational Public Hearing to Reconstruct the Historic Phenix Mill into 16 Residential Units

Applicant:              84 Division Street, LLC

Location:               771 Main Street

Assessor’s Plat:     2

Lot:                       661

Zoning District:     MRU Mill Re-Use

Engineers:              Level Design Group, LLC            

Attorney:               David Johnson, Esq.

David Johnson, Esq. presented the project to the board for 16 residential townhouses that will replicate the Phenix Mill that was destroyed by fire.  He stated that all applications were in with permitting authorities, but final approvals are pending for this application.

Attorney Johnson introduced the first expert witness, Ed Pimental, Cranston, RI.  A motion was made to qualify Mr. Pimental as an expert witness by Mr. Barrette and seconded by Mr. Villa.  Mr. Pimental presented the project’s compliance with the West Warwick Comprehensive Plan.

David Hasebrook, 719 Cooper Road, Chepachet, RI of Lake Shore Environmental.  He is a geologist and expert in environmental contamination.  Mr. Hasebrook was sworn in by Mr.  Barrette. A motion was made by Mr. Barrette and seconded by Mr. Villa to qualify Mr. Hasebrook as an expert witness. Mr. Hasebrook explained the sitewide capping rather than infiltration of stormwater required by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM).  The riverbank buffer is 20-30 feet and will be fenced and be without a cap.  The site will have grass and landscaping.  Cap installation and maintenance will be specified in the Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP) curing construction, and Environmental Land Use Restriction (ELUR) post construction will be recorded in the land evidence records and be included in the Condominium documents to be submitted to the Town of West Warwick Legal Counsel, Al DiFiore, Esq. for approval.   The board requested a copy of the test results from New England Testing Labs regarding the contamination found on the site after the fire.

Dan Campbell, Architect, Level Design Group, 249 South Street, Plainville, Mass.  Mr. Campbell was sworn in by Mr. Barrette.  A motion was made by Mr. Barrette and seconded by Mr. Villa to qualify Mr. Campbell as an expert witness. Mr. Campbell explained the building design and 16-unit layout for the project.  It was noted that correction to sheet C.2.0 should be corrected for consistency with the Architectural plans.   

Louis Calcagni, Owner/developer, of Dedham, Mass. Answered questions from the board regarding the number of bedrooms, fiscal impact, and property maintenance reports.  The board determined that the information in the fiscal report did not accurately represent the current tax structure and the number of bedrooms and required that the report be revised.  The board also requested a second review by the Technical Review Committee (TRC).   

Public Comment:

James Bonne, 771 Main Street, West Warwick stated he is in favor of the project and was pleased that the new building would be a replication of the former Phenix Mill.

A motion was made by Mr.  Barrette and seconded by Mr. Coutu to close the public hearing.

After discussion and questions by the Board a motion was made by Mr. Barrette and seconded by Mr. Coutu to continue the public hearing to the April 8, 2024, Planning Board meeting for the applicant to provide the requested updates to the application. The vote was unanimous.

3.         Discussion:   Change of Meeting Date

A request was made by legal counsel to change the April meeting date from April 1, 2024, to April 8, 2024. A motion was made by Mr.  Villa and seconded by Mr. Malloy to change the April Planning Board meeting to the 8^th of April.  The vote was unanimous.

                                    Felix Appolonia  Yes

                                    Joshua Barrette    Yes

                                    Rene Coutu          Yes

                                    Paul Villa             Yes

                                    William Malloy   Yes

4.         Adjournment

Motion to adjourn at 7:40 PM by Mr. Barrette seconded by Mr. Villa. The vote was unanimous.