Planning Board Regular Meeting - Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, July 21st, 2026 - 6:00 p.m.

Westerly Town Hall | Town Council Chambers

45 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891

 

A.    CALL TO ORDER –

Mr. O’Neil called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.

 

B.     ROLL CALL AND ATTENDANCE –

Mr. O’Neil recognized all board members and staff present

 

Members Present: Chairman: Matthew O’Neil, Vice Chairman: Jean Gagnier,

Secretary: Derek Lombard, Members: Perry Kellogg, Maurice Devine, Jeffrey Russo, and Alternate: Patrick Ahern Lemp

 

Town Staff Present: Town Manager: Shawn Lacey, Administrative Officer/Town Planner: Douglas Loveland, Planning Fellow: Diego Martin, Planning Intern: Mary Carter, Minute Taker: Chloe Chenot, Information Technology: Lanny Fuller, and Solicitor for Planning and Zoning: James Murphy

 

Absent: Solicitor for Planning and Zoning: Scott Levesque, Member: James Nicholas

 

Town Manager Shawn Lacey was present to introduce Douglas Loveland as the new Administrative Officer/Town Planner for the Town of Westerly

 

C.    APPROVAL OF MINUTES – June 16^th, 2026 –

 

The board reviewed the minutes from the June 16th meeting. Mr. Gagnier suggested the minutes be amended to include discussion of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation highway garage as an alternative bus garage relocation site. Mr. Gagnier then motioned to approve minutes as amended, and Mr. Russo seconded the motion. Mr. Russo, Mr. Gagnier, Mr. O’Neil, Mr. Lombard, Ms. Kellogg, and Mr. Lemp were in favor. Mr. Devine abstained, as he was not present at the June 16^th meeting. The minutes passed 6-1

 

D.    CHANGES TO THE AGENDA –

There were no changes

 

E.     OLD BUSINESS –

There was no discussion

 

F.     NEW BUSINESS –

 

1)      2026-UMJLD-01- Preliminary Plan Review – Unified Major Land Development – Misquamicut Fire Station Expansion (65 Crandall Avenue | Assessor’s Map 164, Lot 214)

 

Anthony Nenna, Project Engineer, On-Site Engineering Inc, 3 Crestview Drive, Westerly, RI 02891, was present to represent this application. Mr. Nenna introduced additional representatives of the project present to provide comments, which included: Paul Azzinaro, Project Architect, Misquamicut Fire Chief, Todd Findeisen, and Misquamicut Tax Assessor, Leon Donfrey. Mr. Nenna then presented the revised application materials, based on board feedback and discussion from Master Plan review at the May 19^th meeting. Site details discussed included: landscaping, trash removal, drainage, impervious surface, and Town Staff approval. Mr. Nenna also shared an update on Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management approval, and permitting. The revised site plans were displayed for the board’s examination. Members inquired further about lighting and building height requirements. Upon no further discussion, Mr. Gagnier motioned to open the public hearing at 6:18 p.m., and Mr. Russo seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion passed. The public hearing was opened. No members of the public were present to provide comments. Mr. Gagnier then motioned to close the public hearing at 6:19 p.m., and Mr. Russo seconded the proposed motion. The board was all in favor, the motion passed. The public hearing was closed

In preparation for board action on the matter, Mr. O’Neil reviewed the procedures of unified review. Board members discussed further the process of project changes occurring after preliminary plan approval is received, based on inquiries posed by members Kellogg and Devine. Solicitor Murphy and Town Planner Loveland addressed the inquiries. Upon no further discussion, Mr. Gagnier motioned to approve the Preliminary Plan application, referencing the draft motion in the Administrative Officer’s Memorandum and Staff Recommendation, dated July 16^th, for meeting July 21^st, 2026, with one condition that Final Plan approval shall be administrative. Mr. Lombard seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion passed unanimously

 

G.    ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S REPORT –

 

1)      Affordable Housing Tracker

 

Planning Intern Mary Carter lead discussion as board members reviewed the Affordable Housing Tracker. Ms. Carter explained that the document would provide real-time updates from Rhode Island Housing of Westerly’s affordable housing data and track the status to Westerly’s 10% affordability goal. Board members discussed potential challenges to this goal, density, current zoning regulations, incentives, and comprehensive plan requirements, in addition to other topics. Mr. Devine inquired if the presented data included proposed affordable units. Mr. O’Neil addressed the inquiry, sharing that the data included completed units only. Mr. Gagnier suggested a footnote be added to the document to reflect the 99-year deed-restriction. Town Councilor Dylan LaPietra, 51 Clark Lane, Westerly RI, 02891, posed inquiries regarding deed restriction, housing vouchers, and mobile home impacts on affordable unit counts presented. Mr. LaPietra requested a breakdown of the various housing types that total the current number of affordable units. Town Councilor Rose VanDover, 20 Top Street, Westerly RI 02891, expressed gratitude to Ms. Carter for her work on the document, and asked if the unit count included seasonal homes. Ms. Carter addressed the inquiry. Mr. Gagnier motioned that the Planning Board draft a letter of appreciation to Ms. Carter for her work as an intern with the Planning Department. Mr. Russo seconded the motion. The board was all in favor, and the motion passed

 

2)      Future Agenda & Monthly Report Matrix

 

The revised document was reviewed, and members discussed upcoming and ongoing projects. Mr. Loveland informed members that a draft annual report would be presented at the August 18^th meeting. Mr. Devine inquired about the July 23^rd Affordable Housing Committee meeting, and Mr. Martin shared that the meeting was cancelled. Mr. Gagnier requested that the Solicitor provide further information of the threshold for projects to return to the board under adaptive reuse. Mr. Murphy shared that he would work with the Town Planner to have the information prepared for the next meeting. Mr. O’Neil asked if updates could be provided on the Marina and Royale Dispensary projects

 

H.    ASSISTANT SOLICITOR FOR PLANNING/ZONING’S REPORT –

No discussion

 

I.       FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS & BOARD QUESTIONS –

 

Members suggested future agenda items during discussion of the Future Agenda Items & Monthly Report Matrix document. Mr. O’Neil suggested an agenda item be added to follow up on the bus garage alternative sites, based on information received by the Town Manager and Town Council, and added that board response can be drafted at the next meeting

 

J.      CONFIRMATION OF QUORUM FOR NEXT MEETINGS –

 

1)      August 18th, 2026, Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m. - All board members will be present

 

K.    ADJOURNMENT –

 

Mr. Devine motioned to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 p.m. The board was all in favor, and the meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

 

Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting – August 18^th, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by Chloe Chenot on 8/4/2026

Approved by Board Vote on 8/18/2026