Gas stations, Kennedy Plaza, National Register R3 Zoning: Down to the Wire Changes on the Comp Plan

Published in Advocacy Alerts, Housing, Policy & Land Use, Sustainability.

In the third Ordinance Committee hearing on the Comprehensive Plan, City Councilors proposed amendments on climate, parking, design

Various changes — including a proposed ban against building new gas stations within city limits, encouragement of the elimination of parking minimums, and the creation of a committee for design standards  — were tacked on to the Comprehensive Plan at the Oct. 9 meeting at City Hall.

At the third meeting of the Ordinance Committee on the proposed Comp Plan, there was a discussion of the City Council’s proposed amendments, in addition to further testimony from the public.

Deputy Director of Planning and Development Bob Azar noted several map changes that had been made to the Comp Plan as a result of conversations with Councilors and Council staff. 

One such change included changes for some properties in National Register Districts in Wards 11 and 12, which PPS has advocated for throughout the comprehensive planning process. “These are areas that we had proposed for upzoning to R4 that also are in National Register districts,” Azar said. “The proposal is that we keep these areas R3” in some Ward 11 and 12 areas “corresponding with the boundaries of National Register Historic Districts.”

Read the themes and takeaways from the past two hearings at the Ordinance Committee below. The Comp Plan will be taken to the full Council for a first vote (two are needed for its passage, and then it has to be signed by the Mayor) next Wednesday, Oct. 16. Currently the public schedule entails the Ordinance Committee meeting at 5:30, followed by a regular City Council meeting at 6 pm. Further public testimony will be heard that evening. 

Read more about the breakdown of the proposed changes to the Comp Plan from the City Council here. Read the redlined copy of the draft Comp Plan here.

Climate & Environmental Justice

Several of the proposed amendments, as well as public testimony, swirled around issues such as environmental justice, transit-oriented development, and industry.

Ward 1 Councilor and Senior Deputy Majority Leader John Goncalves proposed an amendment to the Comp Plan that would “prohibit” rather than “discourage” the construction of new gas stations throughout Providence. This amendment was approved by the Ordinance Committee.

“By becoming one of the first cities on the East Coast to potentially prohibit new gas stations, Providence can lead the way in reducing carbon emissions and promoting cleaner, greener energy alternatives,” Goncalves wrote following the hearing.

If the Comp Plan is adopted with this amendment in place, existing gas stations would be allowed to continue; only the creation of new ones would be barred.

The Boston Globe reports that Mayor Brett Smiley did not share a stance on the banning of gas stations. But Spokesperson Josh Estrella criticized the last-minute nature of the addition.

“Amendments passed at the eleventh hour disrespect the thoughtful and diligent process we went through to develop this plan with our community,” Estrella said, according to the Globe. “The Mayor will review and evaluate this amendment and every amendment introduced today with that same diligence.”

The Providence Port and Allens Avenue were another prominent point of discussion during the hearing.

“Just looking back on the last 10 years, [there has been a] number of disasters we have had in the port of Providence, with overturned tankers, with fires, with near pipeline explosions, not to mention the daily odors that we in the neighborhood have to deal with,” Chair of the Providence Sustainability Commission Julian Drix testified.

Drix said that he was impressed by the Council’s proposed amendments, which include the prohibition of “specific types of new commercial activity in M2 and W3 zones, including fossil fuel facilities, chemical manufacturing, power plants, incinerators, and waste storage.” Drix shared that he had been planning on testifying on what changes would be needed but now didn’t need to. He was grateful that the Council had considered the community’s feedback.

“It feels like a, very unfortunately rare, moment to have … this is what it looks like when city government and elected officials listen to people, listen to grassroots organizations and do the right thing, and are willing to stand up to the powerful lobbyists that want to keep the status quo,” Drix said. 

Representatives from the Washington Park Neighborhood Association have testified at each public hearing on the Comp Plan with the Ordinance Committee, stressing the importance of addressing pollution and public health in their neighborhood given the proximity to ProvPort and heavy industry on Allens Ave.

Lawyers and others representing industry in and around the Port also testified in front of the Council. Chris Hunter, representing the Providence Working Waterfront Alliance, shared concerns about amendments that would diminish allowed uses around the Port. “I would say that you are creating an industrial zone that doesn’t allow industry,” he said. “I believe there are only two or three industrial zones left in the city…those are important resources to keep and protect. That language was reflected in the original comprehensive plan.”

“You had me until the amendments today,” said Joelle Rocha, a land use lawyer representing industry, in her testimony.

Transit, Parking, & Student Housing

At the first hearing, Providence residents spoke on upzoning, environmental justice around ProvPort, transportation, historic districts, and more. There were several repeat testifiers speaking to largely the same concerns at the subsequent hearings. The Oct. 2 hearing additionally focused on other topics: Kennedy Plaza and — overwhelmingly — parking.

At that Oct. 2 hearing, the Ordinance Committee struck out language from the Comp Plan that would have encouraged moving the central bus hub away from Kennedy Plaza. Ward 4 Councilor Justin Roias proposed the change, which was passed with raucous applause from the hearing attendees.

Upzoning and density have been a common refrain for those testifying at each of the Comp Plan hearings before the Ordinance Committee, with many in support of zoning which encourages higher density and more housing throughout the city. 

Council President and Ward 13 Councilor Rachel Miller proposed language to encourage minimizing parking minimums for new development, which was included in the original draft of the Comp Plan. “This language, as reflected in Objectives in LU2 and LU12 in the Land Use Chapter, will create a pathway for Council to eliminate or reduce parking minimums by zone in the upcoming Zoning Ordinance,” according to the City Council’s press release on the amendments.

The change is meant to allow space to be used for housing rather than parking, increasing the housing stock in Providence. Several attendees of the Oct. 2 hearing expressed skepticism about such restrictions, saying it was already hard enough to find parking in certain parts of the city and that commercial activity could be compromised.

Fox Point Neighborhood Association President Lily Bogosian urged the Council to consider selectively granting exemptions and perks, such as extra stories or having no parking minimums, specifically to developers building affordable housing. “The housing that’s getting built in my neighborhood is for upper-income people and students,” she said.

“What I would recommend is that we take a look at this thing, this big document, and ask ourselves whether this actually can incentivize developers to actually build units that people who don’t have housing can actually afford,” Bogosian said.

Student housing and the gentrifying effects of off-campus living, also known as “studentification,” was another concern of attendees.

“For 10 years there have been hearings, subcommittee meetings, meetings to talk about student housing. The only thing that’s been accomplished is that off-campus housing is on steroids in the city of Providence, Rhode Island,” Chris Tompkins said, expressing concerns that students distort the market and displace families in neighborhoods like Wanskuck, Smith Hill, Elmhurst, Washington Park, and Wayland Square.

“Neighborhoods Under Pressure from Student Housing Gentrification” was included on PPS’s 2024 Most Endangered Places List. He said that student housing is “obliterating” entire neighborhood blocks, which is worsened by the transient nature of students, Tompkins said. Once they graduate, they tend to leave.

“Students are the future, but unfortunately, they’re not the future of Providence,” he emphasized.

Design Review

Another priority for PPS has been encouraging thoughtful design for new development throughout the city. Ward 2 Councilor Helen Anthony proposed an amendment to the Comp Plan which would encourage “new housing to reflect the character and aesthetic of every Providence neighborhood,” according to the Council’s press release. The Land Use chapter of the Comp Plan includes “a plan for developing, reviewing and enforcing design standards that would ensure new developments enhance rather than disrupt the communities they enter.”

Some attendees expressed concerns that design taste was subjective and that the city could miss out on architecture that may be appreciated in the future. Others worried that the committee could slow down development timelines. 

“I’m a colonial historian. I love old buildings and architecture, but a design review commission that has any power to slow anything down is going to raise costs,” said Ian Saxine, a member of the Providence Urbanist Network. “And we’ve seen this happen in other cities. It is a poison pill.”

“The amendments specify that the cost or timeline for new developments should not be negatively affected by any new process,” according to the Council’s press release.

What Comes Next?

While the Council will likely move toward approving it in the coming weeks, there is still time for further public testimony.

Ultimately, Smiley will have to sign the document for it to officially become the city’s Comprehensive Plan. He could veto the proposal, which could be overridden by a two-thirds majority of the City Council.

The Comp Plan will be taken to the full Council for a first vote on Oct. 16.

By Katy Pickens / Planning & Preservation Writer / kpickens@ppsri.org

© 2024 Providence Preservation Society. All rights reserved. Design by J. Hogue at Highchair designhaus, with development & support by Kay Belardinelli.