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Planning Board Regular Meeting- Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, February 18th, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
Westerly Town Hall | Town Council Chambers
45 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891
A. CALL TO ORDER - Chairman O’Neil called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL AND ATTENDANCE - Mr. O’Neil recognized all board members and staff present
Present: Chairman: Matthew O’Neil, Vice Chairman: Christopher Lawlor,
Secretary: Andrew Delisio, Members: John Armstrong and Jean Gagnier
Absent: None
Town Staff Present: Assistant Solicitor for Planning and Zoning: Scott
Levesque, Administrative Officer/Town Planner: Nancy Letendre,
Minute Taker: Chloe Chenot, and Information Technology: Lanny Fuller
C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a. December 3rd, 2024 (amended)
i. Mr. Delisio motioned to approve the minutes as amended, and Mr. Gagnier seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion passed unanimously 5-0
b. December 17th, 2024 (amended)
i. Mr. Armstrong motioned to approve the minutes as amended, and Mr. Lawlor seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion passed unanimously 5-0
i. Mr. Gagnier motioned to approve the minutes from the January 21st meeting, and Mr. Delisio seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion carried unanimously 5-0
D. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
Mr. Gagnier suggested a motion to move item F-1 after discussion of item E-2, and Mr. Armstrong seconded the proposed motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion carried 5-0
E. OLD BUSINESS
1. 2024-ATC-04 Petition for Road Abandonment: James Street
Ms. Letendre provided an overview of this item. Attorney Steven Surdut, 85 Beach Street Building A, Westerly, RI 02891, was present to represent the applicants. Mr. Surdut introduced Title Examiner Jacob Parris, of Pilgrim Title Assurance Company. Mr. Parris shared the results of his title search of the property with the board.
Mr. Surdut presented Exhibit 1: “Plan Showing Perimeter Survey of Strip of Land to be Conveyed by the Town of Westerly to Meghan M. Nelson”, and discussion ensued.
Ms. Letendre stated for the record that document Exhibit 1 was not recorded because the Town determined they did not own that portion of the subject property, and that Megan Nelson did.
Mr. Levesque entered: “DPW Case 1, Draw 2, Plan 28” marked as Petitioner’s 1. Mr. Surdut explained that this document shows a town drainage pipe running under his client’s property, and that the pipe does not run through the area that they are deeming to be abandoned. Mr. Levesque also entered into the record document: “Memorandum and Staff Recommendation”, dated August 14th, 2024, for the meeting August 20th, 2024, as Petitioner’s 2. Mr. Surdut explained that in this memorandum, Town staff agreed that this portion of the parcel be abandoned. Mr. Surdut stated that he would like clarification on the change in opinions and requested that Town Engineer Kyle Zalaski be present at the next meeting to substantiate his position. The board engaged in discussion of these documents.
The board was polled to discuss recommendation of this item. Mr. Gagnier agreed that the Town Engineer and the Department of Public Works should be present to provide feedback and was in favor of continuance to the next meeting. Mr. Lawlor believed more information was needed to provide a proper recommendation and favored continuance. All other board members were in favor of continuance. Mr. Gagnier motioned for continuation of this item at the next meeting, and that the Town Engineer be present. Mr. Armstrong seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion carried 5-0.
Mr. Surdut informed the board that the applicants would not be able to attend the March 18th meeting. Mr. Gagnier then motioned to continue this item to the April 15th meeting, and Mr. Lawlor seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion carried unanimously 5-0.
Attorney William Nardone, and Rachel York of Cherenzia and Associates, were present to speak on behalf of the applicants. Mr. Nardone provided an overview of the application, and Ms. York presented the revised site plan. Changes from the initial site plan included: reduced setbacks, decreasing the number of buildings, and adding trash removal and mail pickup plans. The board asked questions, and Ms. York provided feedback. Further items of discussion included: the carport, parking, neighbors’ comments, soil testing, DEM involvement, and emergency vehicle access, among other topics.
John Patrick Walsh, Project Architect, addressed the board’s concerns of the building design and reviewed the design plan sketches. The board asked questions regarding the: utilities, HVAC systems, landscaping, potential recreational area, bike racks, ADA Accessibility, and drainage.
Mr. O’Neil opened the discussion to public comment at 7:19 p.m. No members of the public were present to provide comments.
F. NEW BUSINESS
Attorney William Nardone, Sergio Cherenzia, of Cherenzia and Associates, 99 Mechanic Street, Pawcatuck, CT, and Dominick Celtruda, Landscape Architect, were present to speak on this item.
Mr. Cherenzia began discussion by providing an overview of the site plan. Details of the site plan included: on-site stormwater, reduced setbacks, additional parking, no zoning relief, and centrally located parking, among other details. Mr. Cherenzia stated that the applicants were aware of the stormwater issues on Airport Road and addressed this by discharging stormwater to the back of the property. Mr. Cherenzia also informed the board they are still waiting for responses from DEM, the Police Chief, Town Engineer, Fire Marshall, and the Department of Public Works. The board asked questions, and the applicants provided feedback. Topics of discussion included: fire safety, water collection, parking, trash disposal, pedestrian access, pavement striping, and stormwater. Ms. Letendre suggested adding a signage plan and outdoor storage to the site plans. Mr. Cherenzia shared feedback provided from the Architectural Review Board, and the board discussed.
Dominick Celtruda, 2346 Post Road, Warwick RI, detailed the landscape plan of this application. Landscaping of the proposed property will include green basons planted by the wetlands, native plant material, and an adaptive reuse of buffer zones to recapture wildlife in the area.
Mr. Gagnier motioned to open the public hearing at 8:08 p.m. Mr. Armstrong seconded the motion. No members of the public were present to speak on this topic. Mr. O’Neil then polled the board. The board was satisfied with the information as presented. Mr. Gagnier motioned to close the public hearing, and Mr. Armstrong seconded the proposed motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion carried unanimously with no abstentions.
Ms. Letendre reviewed the conditions of approval and stated her revisions to the draft motion outlined in her Administrative Officer’s Memo for this item. Changes to the conditions included: adding striping and lighting specifications, discussed changes being added to site drawings, and that comment from the Town Engineer and sewer capacity be verified.
Mr. Levesque stated for the record that the Administrative Officer’s Memo had been modified and welcomed the motion. Mr. Gagnier made a motion to move forward with approval of the project, based on the February 2025 memo, with conditions as modified. Mr. Armstrong seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion carried unanimously 5-0
Mr. O’Neil called a recess at 8:20 p.m. The meeting reconvened at 8:25 p.m.
E. OLD BUSINESS
Attorney Elizabeth Noonan, and Project Engineer Anthony Nenna, were present to speak on this application.
Mr. Nenna began discussion by providing an overview of the site conditions. Mr. Nenna explained that a zoning variance would be necessary for parking. Other elements of the site plan as Mr. Nenna described were an existing sanitary easement, public utilities, and the installation of a new septic system.
Project Architect, Scott Lawrence of McGeorge Architects, was also present to speak on this application. Mr. Lawrence detailed the challenges of the current building’s design, and how the new building would address safety concerns. The current building does not have continuous footing since it is raised off the ground, so footing would be installed underneath the new building, to make it structurally sound. Other updates to the site plan include the removal of flat roofs, reduced height, and a roof deck. Mr. Lawrence shared an animation with the board, which provided a firsthand look at what the proposed building would look like. Mr. Nenna passed around a sample paint color and shingle for the board to examine.
Applicant Perry Kellog, 10 Knoll Terrace, Westerly, RI 02891, provided an overview of the building’s history, and shared that she was happy to continue retail history in the Town with this project.
The board asked questions, and they provided feedback. Questions proposed included topics such as: zoning relief, storm conditions, timeline of the project, job costing/analysis, the Watch Hill Conservancy Letter, and the RI Historical Preservation Commission. Mr. Gagnier suggested the applicants move the building to preserve the historical aspect, rather than demolishing.
The board was polled to discuss potential action of this item. The board was all in favor of the Architectural Review Board reviewing the proposed plans and providing further feedback. Mr. O’Neil then opened the discussion to the public. Kelly Fucassett, 86 Beach Street, Westerly, RI 02891, representing the Inn at Watch Hill, expressed concerns regarding the septic system of the proposed building, and stated that the flows need to be re-examined.
G. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S REPORT - There was no discussion
H. ASSISTANT SOLICITOR FOR PLANNING AND ZONING’S REPORT
There was no discussion
I. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND BOARD QUESTIONS
Mr. Gagnier suggested the board discuss agenda items where action is taken, and that they be marked more clearly. Mr. Levesque noted that only business items need to be marked as possible action. Mr. Gagnier also suggested the board have a method to track upcoming projects from the Town Council. Ms. Letendre informed Mr. Gagnier that Principal Planner Aidan Adams will provide more insight on upcoming projects at the March 4th Special Meeting. Mr. O’Neil and Ms. Letendre shared with the board that they will be presenting at the upcoming Town Council meeting.
J. CONFIRMATION OF QUORUM FOR NEXT MEETINGS
- March 4th, 2025, Special Meeting at 6:00 p.m.- All board members will be present
- March 18th, 2025- Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m.- All board members will be present
K. ADJOURNMENT- Mr. Armstrong motioned to adjourn the meeting at 10:09 p.m., and Mr. Lawlor seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 10:09 p.m.
Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting- April 15th, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
SUBMITTED BY CHLOE CHENOT ON 3/10/2025.
APPROVED BY VOTE OF THE BOARD ON 3/18/2025.