Fox Point News
March 2010
CPC Supports Public Waterfront, Delays Vote
The City Plan Commission expressed support for the growing public sentiment for a public waterfront, but postponed a voted last night on the state-owned Shooters site, adjacent to India Point Park.
Prior to taking up the Shooters issue, CPC Chairman Stephen Durkee stepped down saying, that he may have been incorrect in an earlier statement, that he could officiate at the meeting because “his term extended to the end of the month.” That statement was a response to a complaint at the beginning of the meeting from local attorney Andrew Teitz, who questioned if the Chairman should be officiating since he did not “have a contract with the City.”
Robert Azar, director of current planning for the Department of Planning & Development, (DPD, immediately confirmed Durkee’s assertion that his contract extended to the end of the month. But before the issue of Shooters was addressed, the CPC took a five-minute break and Durkee returned to admit the possible error. Vice-Chairman Harrison Bilodeau thanked Durkee for exercising “an abundance of caution,” by stepping down from handling the remainder of the meeting. The Board then “re-voted” on all the prior issues dealing with other neighborhood plans.
Azar, then addressed the Commission, bringing forward City Solicitor Adrian Southgate to “explain the implications of downsizing the site and to give legal advice to the board (on the possibility of a lawsuit.)” Azar admitted that even though the Commission approved the Waterfront Plan in December, it did so without including he Fox Point/India Point waterfront, which is one-third of the plan’s defined scope. The Shooters site, a parcel on that waterfront, also appears as an overlapping element in the College Hill, Wayland and Fox Point Neighborhood Plan, which the Commission passed in October, Azar pointed out.
At the December 15th meeting on the Waterfront Plan, five of the seven commissioners—Sam Limiadi, Meredyth Church, M. Drake Patten, Council President Designee Bryan Principe and Vice Chair Harrison Bilodeau— expressed the belief that the Shooters site should be preserved for public use.
Those statements conflicted with CPC’s October ruling on the neighborhood plan, when CPC Chairman Stephen Durkee interrupted discussions of a public waterfront and moved it towards a vote. At times during the hearing on the neighborhood plan, commission members seemed divided, some in favor of down zoning, others for restrictions on the parcel and still others voicing support for public use. But, a vote was unexpectedly called and the revised neighborhood plan was passed, allowing for up to an eight-story condo, office or hotel on the Shooters site.
At last night’s meeting, the commissioners again expressed their favorable views on a public waterfront for Providence. However, Southgate characterized downsizing (removing the residential usage) “as serious,” and would likely result in a “substandard value” for the parcel. Azar agreed, saying, downsizing could be viewed as “depriving the rights of the owner,” (the state) of its value.
CPC Questions Likelihood of State Suing City
Bilodeau pointed out that while there may or may not be a reduction in value, the state could not claim, “all value would be eliminated.”
Bryan Principe, City Council president designee, questioned Southgate if she knew of any instances where the State of Rhode Island had sued one of its cities over the development of a public amenity. She said no that she “was not aware of any, but I’ll do research on it.”
Principe called for the City and State to look at the special quality of the location—its proximity to the growing “knowledge corridor” being established by the universities in the Jewelry District, and its’ link to the East Side as reasons for the two governmental entities should work together.
However, Azar kept bringing up the possibility of a lawsuit, saying the board should not make a decision that would cause the state to “sue you and the City Council. There could be action, but there might not.”
Restricted development of this site would “impede (residential) uses, which could provide 24-hour activity on the shoreline,” Azar continued. “There was an incident at the Community Boating Center recently where all of the boats were sunk by vandals,” Azar said. “If there was the presence of a condominium there, then maybe this sort of thing wouldn’t happen.”
Principe fired back, saying that the development (of the 1.7 acre parcel) into dynamic maritime uses, possibly with RIPTA (Rhode Island Transportation Authority) personnel on site, would provide the same 24-hour presence. “The impact on the tax base from this 1.7 parcel not being developed into condominiums would be negligible,” Principe added. “In fact, public use of this property just might increase property values behind this site (Fox Point).”
He then cited the often-used planning department principle of not providing a zoning change to a piece of property that is not in keeping with surrounding property. For Shooters, “that surrounding use is public, (with no residential housing.) “We should be guiding (the city) towards a vision of what is best.”
Church says Public Wants Public Waterfront
Board member Meredyth Church agreed. “The public has made its sentiments well known—they are opposing residential development there in favor of public use,” she said. “I hear from a lot of people who wish there was a Marina. They’d love to enter (Providence) from a harbor and be able to go into the city for dinner.”
Board member Sam Limiadi questioned why the city and the state would not be willing to “work together on the creation of public use of the site.” Andrew Cortes, the mayor’s designee on the commission said he “likes all the uses (put forth) by the HOBG, (Head of the Bay Gateway Committee.)” “But, if we down zone (the Shooters site) are we skewing it towards a public use,” that may not produce revenue? Cortes asked.
Azar again cautioned the commission to “be realistic” and not render a decision until the next meeting when Southgate could return with more legal advice on the likelihood of the State of Rhode Island suing the City of Providence.
A motion was then made and approved to invite Michael Lewis, director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, (RIDOT), to that next meeting and continue discussion of the “right of first refusal, which was granted to former Shooters owner, Michael C. Kent.
Under the negotiated eminent domain statute, Kent has the right of first refusal to buy the property back or the option to match the offer of the highest bidder. The city would have the second right of refusal to purchase the property, but indications are that Kent would exercise his right to buy the property back.
In an e-mail plea to the Commission, Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin said he urged the State to not sell the property because of its adjacency to India Point Park. “I have repeatedly urged the State to refrain from selling this land, where it would be placed back into the private domain and the hands of private developers, Yurdin points out. “I will push by whatever means available to guarantee maximum public access to our waterfront, to protect the neighboring park, and the quality of life in the area.”
The State Ethics Commission has received an Ethics Complaint against Durkee from the Olneyville Neighborhood Association.
The City Plan Commission will be revisiting the Shooters site and the issue of a public waterfront at a later date in February at the 4th Floor Auditorium of the Department of Planning & Development, (DPD), 400 Westminster Street.
February 2010
CPC Adopts Plan, Removes Shooters
At its December 15th public meeting, the City Plan Commission approved the Waterfront Plan, but not before it voted to remove the Fox Point waterfront from the decision. The issue of whether Shooters’ site should be for public or residential and/or hotel use prompted several unsuccessful motions, finally resulting in the CPC tabling the issue for one month.
Prior to the voting, five of the seven commissioners expressed the belief that the Shooters site should be preserved for public use. However, the issue of removing residential and hotel use from the Fox Point parcel became mixed up with removing hotels from the Allens Avenue area of the waterfront. During the voting process Thom Deller, Planning & Development Department, (PPD), reminded the commission that it had already passed the existing zoning on the Shooters site, when it approved the final draft of the College Hill, Wayland and Fox Point Neighborhood Plan. (Earlier, on another issue, Deller said that a CPC-approved plan could be revised anywhere along the process and addressed by the City Council.)
At that October CPC meeting, the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, (FPNA), urged a delay on the commission’s decision on the neighborhood plan until after public discussion of the Waterfront Plan. But, CPC Chairman Stephen Durkee interrupted discussions and moved the plan towards a vote. At times during the hearing on the neighborhood plan, commission members seemed divided, some in favor of down zoning, others for restrictions on the parcel and still others voicing support for public use. But, a vote was unexpectedly called and the revised neighborhood plan was passed, allowing for up to an eight-story condo, office or hotel on the Shooters site.
At the Waterfront Plan hearing, the five commissioners—Sam Limiadi, Meredyth Church, M. Drake Patten, Council President Designee Bryan Principe and Vice Chair Harrison Bilodeau—voiced more favorable views than the ones they expressed in October. When an impasse was met, a motion was made to pass the Waterfront Plan allowing for a hotel use in the Allens Avenue parcels, but delay a vote on the Fox Point waterfront, which includes the Shooters site.
Plan Lacks Vision for “A Great City”
Earlier, FPNA President Daisy Schnepel asked the Plan Commission to vote down “this version of the Waterfront Plan because it lacks any vision of an active, public waterfront—the signature of a great city.” Schnepel also pointed to several references existing in Rhode Island’s Land Use and Waterborne Transportation Plans, which should be included in the Waterfront Plan. She then read one, Land Use 2025 (P2-1), “Networks of efficient transport and services will connect and support the major centers…Where land meets water, the waterfront edge will remain the State’s trademark, carefully managed to provide utility and activity, while preserving the beauty of its natural features.”
During the voting process, Durkee stated, “this issue may really be one for the state, not the city.”
David Riley, co-chair of the Head of the Gateway Committee, (HOBG), noted that tourism was not even listed as a goal in the proposed Waterfront Plan, even though it is the second largest economy in the state. Commissioner Principe agreed, saying that the Shooters site with its capabilities to tap into maritime tourism “offers many opportunities to connect with the overwhelmingly successful tourism efforts of Newport.”
The City Plan Commission backpedaled on a Planning Department proposal to label the entirety of the Allens Avenue corridor a development area, instead approving a mixed-use plan, minus residences. The commission also approved several amendments regarding the Redevelopment Project Area, including one that moved its “northern boundary to Thurber’s Avenue.” Schnepel pointed out that this decision meant Providence Piers, which has failed many times to operate a ferry service due to environmental problems, will remain in a highly industrial area. “Will the City of Providence be able to put forth this location again as satisfying many of the Rhode Island’s directives regarding land use and transportation?” Schnepel asked.
MakeShootersPublic.com
The night before the City Plan Commission meeting on the Waterfront Plan, FPNA’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to conduct a well-coordinated public awareness program aimed at saving Fox Point’s waterfront for public use. Regardless of the City Plan Commission’s ruling on the Shooters site, FPNA promised to push forward the concept of a public waterfront as a citywide issue, not just one for the neighborhood. (The deadline for this article preceded the City Plan Commission’s proposed January ruling on the Shooters issue.)
Termed the number one issue for 2010, the public awareness campaign has established an informational blog site, MakeShootersPublic.com. Visitors to the site, which is under development by FPNA, will be able to log in their beliefs on a public waterfront versus another location for high-rise condominiums.
FPNA also voted to print bumper stickers and yard signs with the theme, Save our Waterfront, MakeShootersPublic.com. FPNA will be distributing the bumper stickers through its extensive Neighborhood Coalition e-mail list, which includes 350 FPNA members, plus HOBG supporting organizations and other neighborhood organizations. “This extensive support network already views Shooters, not as a Fox Point issue, but a citywide one,” Schnepel pointed out. “This issue is FPNA’s number one concern for 2010.”
Developments on FPNA’s efforts for the public use of Shooters will receive coverage in upcoming reports of the Fox Point News in the East Side Monthly, on the blog and through periodic news releases.
January 2010
RIDOT Moves Back Intersection Meeting
Members with the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, FPNA, are hopeful that delays in scheduling a Rhode Island Department of Transportation, (RIDOT,) public meeting on the revised plans for the Wickenden intersection are a good sign. The public meeting was first said to be held in September, then November and finally December. (Deadline for this article precedes the proposed meeting.)
In mid-June, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) presented its initial design for the re-establishment of the neighborhood’s post I-Way street grid pattern, including the new Wickenden/Benefit intersection to interested Fox Point residents. Later in August, RIDOT and Providence’s Department of Planning & Development agreed to return to the drawing board on the design of Fox Point’s street grid pattern
The decision followed the submissions of alternative designs from Fox Point resident Ron Henderson, founding principal of L+A Architects and Russell Preston, IV, a licensed architectural and urban designer with Cornish Associates. In early July, the two architects addressed a meeting sponsored by FPNA as a follow-up to RIDOT’s June Public Meeting.
The July 7th meeting spotlighted the two architects’ alternative ideas for the riverfront, which included pedestrian-friendly streets; a quick integration of bicycle lanes into the transportation system; greater river access and appropriately sized streets and curbs for the neighborhood. In announcing the delay until December, Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin told FPNA that he understands, “they are working on more neighborhood-friendly versions” of the street grid plan.
State Funding Lacking for AmeriCorps
It now appears that Fox Point will receive no AmeriCorps workers from the Department of Environmental Management, (DEM), as part of its "Green Streets" Neighborhood Environmental Awareness and Improvement Program due to the state’s $220 million shortfall.
In August, DEM announced that Fox Point had been selected for the program, which was set to begin in the fall, according to Terry Gray, assistant director for Air, Waste and Compliance at DEM. He also indicated that DEM would attempt to find some way to address environmental concerns regarding the proposed boat launch in the park.
Then, in mid-October, FPNA learned it would be receiving only one worker, but the program—which included a spring clean up of the Seekonk Shoreline at Gano Park—would proceed. But, in a November 3rd e-mail to organizations selected to be program participants, Gray said, “Unfortunately, due to unavoidable budgetary conditions, we’ve had to suspend the project.”
According to DEM Director Michael Sullivan, the problem arose when the Department of Administration was unable to provide $35,000 for the matching “participating fee” from its discretionary fund—putting an end to the $200,000 federal program this year. “I’ve met with Gordon Fox (Rhode Island State House Majority Leader) to assist us with this program (in 2010), which is a win-win for the neighborhood and our education and advocacy efforts with children, Sullivan said. “No one is more committed to this program than I.”
Sullivan explained the grant for the AmeriCorps program will remain active until October of 2010 and pledged to continue to seek the state funding necessary for projects in Fox Point and the other selected communities.
Seekonk Shoreline Clean Up to Proceed
Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin, who had earlier met with Gray, FPNA and a park official at Gano Park to discuss the clean up, said the project would continue. “We are on track (with Providence’s Department of Parks) and won’t require the AmeriCorps support to execute (the spring clean up), Yurdin said in an e-mail to FPNA. Yurdin has suggested the riverfront area be managed somewhere between a park and a natural way through the possible association of the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society and other horticultural resources.
FPNA is organizing the clean up for early, early spring before birds, other wildlife and vegetation become active. The proposed area will extend from the Crooks Point Bridge on the north to the proposed site of the boat launch beyond the dog park on the south. The volunteer effort will provide park visitors something new—a view. If you would be interested in volunteering for the effort, contact fpna@cox.net or through the organization’s web site, www.foxpointprovidence.org.
Honk to Return to Fox Point
Organizers of PRONK, the Providence HONK! Festival, say their experience in Fox Point was so positive this past fall that they plan to return next year with their collection of brass bands and performers. In a letter to FPNA, event coordinator Lydia Stein said, “Before the bands left town, they were already asking if we could do it all again next year. Their enthusiasm is a true testament to the energy of this amazing community.”
FPNA, which endorsed the effort with a contribution of $125, would like to see the event grow beyond the 15 sponsors and eight local restaurants and brewers, who came together to feed the 150 musicians from nine cities. “We hope the planners will contact us sooner next year, so that we could assist them further to make the event even more successful than it was this year,” said Daisy Schnepel, FPNT president.
Bath House Planter Spruce Up
FPNA board members Mae Warner and Dennis Wood have created a more welcoming entrance to the Fox Point Bath House’s community room in the Vartan Gregorian school library. The volunteers stained the two planters, then planted bulbs and several shrubs, which will provide seasonal interest throughout the year. FPNA funded the beautification and would like to thank and compliment them for their efforts. FPNA’s board meets on the second Monday of each month at the location on the east side of the bath house.
Happy New Year!!!
December 2009
Despite Objections, CPC Adopts Plan
At its October 20th public meeting, the City Plan Commission sided with the Planning Department over residents, city consultants and opinion polls to pass the final draft of the College Hill, Wayland and Fox Point Neighborhood Plan.
At the center of the controversy was wording in the document allowing for the development of the Shooters’ site—adjacent to India Point Park—into residential condominiums. Residents from the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, (FPNA), urged a delay on the commission’s decision until after public discussion of the Waterfront Plan, which is scheduled for November 17th.
Speaker after speaker gave impassioned pleas for public usage at a long and sometimes contentious meeting. From the onset, an impatient CPC Chairman Stephen Durkee made it clear he wanted to see a high-rise condominium tower on the site by interrupting discussions and moving the plan towards a vote. At times, other commission members seemed divided, some in favor of down zoning, others for restrictions on the parcel or others voicing support for public use.
But, a vote was unexpectedly called and the revised plan was passed, allowing for up to an eight-story condo, office or hotel. More than 100 letters and e-mails supporting a public destination at the Shooters site were presented, including 15 from citywide, statewide, or regional organizations, 29 from local businesses, 20 from elected officials and another eight from neighborhood associations.
Despite the vote, FPNA and the Gateway Committee vowed to push for their vision of a vibrant public destination with maritime uses including a marina, a landing for excursion boats and commuter ferries, as well as a restaurant, visitor center and event space for public and private gatherings.
The neighborhood plan now becomes part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which must be approved by the City Council and the State Department of Planning before becoming the basis for future zoning recommendations.
On the Positive Side
The plan was altered to remove all language suggesting extended hours for South Main Street or the I-Way parcels. It was also agreed that after the old interstate highway was removed, that parcel five (the large one) should be divided—either by replacing the former Cent Street or by some other sort of division. Language was also included to make the Wickenden/Benefit/South Main Street intersection more "pedestrian and bicycle friendly.”
The final plan was also altered to require a public meeting for the College Hill Parking Task Force Plan before it could be implemented.
FPNA’s Fall Meeting Well Attended
The environmental problems for students at the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School due to its proximity to the I-Way were also discussed by Bill Mott with the Parent Teachers Organization and Barbara Morin, supervising environmental scientist with the Department of Environmental Management, (DEM).
Morin, who has gathered air samples at the school, indicated that there are indications of high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon particulate matter. The school campus lies within a “150-meter danger zone,” making students more susceptible to asthma and other respiratory diseases including lung cancer, Morin said. Mott called for intervention efforts including a ventilation system for the school, a barrier between the highway and the school and more tree plantings to absorb the carbon dioxide.
Elected Officials Offer Viewpoints
State Representative David Segal said budget problems for cities and towns will continue due to reductions in the state formula for municipal funding. “The formula for funding education in Rhode Island is much worse than in other states,” Segal said. “Unfortunately, property taxes will probably go higher because it is one of the few ways that local governments can increase revenue.” Segal said the legislature will be exploring consolidation of some municipal services and promised to sponsor some legislation for domestic partnership rights.
Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin reported that the Fox Point Library appears to be on sound footing due to revised rental contracts, the Providence Community Library’s administrative improvements and an active Friends Group. Restored funding for the Fox Point Senior Center also means a more positive future for the city service, of which so many persons are dependent.
Yurdin also announced that plans for an early spring clean up of the Seekonk River shoreline at Gano Park are looking more promising. Fox Point has been awarded an AmeriCorps worker, who will work through DEM and Groundwork Providence on the clean up, Yurdin said. The volunteer effort also will receive assistance from DEM and the parks department, Yurdin added. For more information, or to volunteer for the effort, contact HYPERLINK "mailto:fpna@cox.net" fpna@cox.net.
Resident Permit Pilot Programs Explained
The resident permit parking pilot program was explained to an interested, if divided, audience by Ernie Carlucci, parking administrator with the Department of Public Works, (DPW). “A pilot program for some streets in Fox Point can get approval from DPW if 51 percent of neighbors on the streets sign a petition requesting it,” Carlucci said. After the petitions are collected and reviewed by DPW, then a public meeting will be held, Carlucci added.
There will be an opportunity to express opposition to a proposed pilot program and if enough signatures are collected against the intitative, then the decision could be reversed, he added. DPW will also assess any safety concerns. To find out more information on establishing a pilot resident permit parking program on your street, contact Ernie Carlucci at HYPERLINK "mailto:Ecarlucci@providenceri.com" Ecarlucci@providenceri.com or by calling 467-7950, extension 310.
America’s Oldest Little Theatre
Barker Playhouse’s Rupert Friday urged Fox Point residents to re-discover The Players for its 101st Season by joining the club located at 400 Benefit Street. A membership of $75 ensures five shows, green room events and three parties, Friday said. This year’s season offers Rabbit Hole, Design for Living, All My Sons, Tale of the Allergist’s Wife and A Little Night Music. For More information, contact www.playersri.org, theplayers1909@aol.com or 401-273-0590.
November 2009
Planning Department To Revise Plan
At a September public meeting, the City Plan Commission asked the Planning Department to make additional revisions to its final draft of the College Hill, Wayland and Fox Point Neighborhood Plan for consideration at its October 20th meeting.
Residents from the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, (FPNA), spoke at the meeting, asking that the waterfront be viewed as an “active public destination.” At the center of the controversy was the proposed development of a high-rise building at the Shooters’ site. “The character of the neighborhood would not be maintained by (the development of) a 12- to 15-story building,” according to Arria Bilodeau, Head of the Bay Gateway Committee. “It would be incompatible.”
FPNA member Heather Florence said the plan also lacked any reference to the recent re-design efforts for the Wickenden and Benefit intersection, which has received a lot of attention recently by FPNA.
But, the main contention appeared on page 22 of the neighborhood plan, which called for a 12- to 15-story building on the site. “The DPD plan continues to call for a high-rise condominium on parcel 10, the Shooter’s site, despite overwhelming objections throughout the charette process from residents, non-profits and tourism interests who would like to maintain our waterfront for public use,” said FPNA President Daisy Schnepel in a letter to the Commission.
A High-Rise Future for the Point?
“On that page, the plan not only calls for a 15-story building on parcel 10, but also a 12-story structure on ‘the southern portion of parcels 6 and 8,” Schnepel pointed out. Parcels 6 & 8 are parts of Fox Point’s street grid, which will be developed when portions of the old Interstate 195 are removed.
Still more disturbing news can also only be found on page 22 in a section called, “What Do the Dots Mean,” the letter read. “This sole mention references a huge area of Fox Point’s old warehouse district on both sides of the new I-Way, which calls for the land to be ‘subject to the same requirements of Parcel 10,’” she added. “That means the entire point could become high-rise condominiums, further blocking off the waterfront from public use and the neighborhood from a view of the bay.”
Director of Future Planning Bonnie Nickerson said the 15-story limit (found on page 22) came from a prior document and is no longer under consideration, adding that the page would be removed from the plan. Instead, she said the current proposal calls for a maximum building height of eight stories, or 12 stories if the developer agrees to incorporate features to make the property more accessible to the public.
FPNA also objected to a recommendation in the document for approval of the College Hill Parking Task Force Plan, which has yet to receive any public comment. Also in the letter, Schnepel said that a public meeting was promised by Brown University on more than one occasion, including within the plan itself. “Last September, at a Brown-sponsored public meeting, Michael McCormick, assistant vice president of planning, design and construction, said they were sending their final plan to the Plan Commission, which would hold ‘a series of meetings to secure the public’s input,’” Schnepel said. “No public meeting was ever held.”
When the Plan Commission approves this neighborhood portion of DPD’s report, it will be part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which will influence zoning for the next 10 years.
Williams Street Residents Upset Again with Student Noise
Once again, Fox Point residents endured the all-night parties, noise and resulting litter from off-campus students from Brown, RISD, and Johnson & Wales universities.
This year, the noise from parties and loud pedestrians seemed particularly bad along Williams Street, setting off another round of e-mails between FPNA, Williams Street Association, Brown University, city officials and local law enforcement personnel. Most complaining residents say that Brown could do more about the problem by increasing penalties for students and fines for the absentee landlords, who own the rowdy houses.
The last major noise problem from students was in May of 2008, when Brown University began to more closely monitor the off campus addresses and activities of its students.
“FPNA hopes the universities will re-double their efforts to stem the problem, be it through providing an increased security presence and/or implementing real penalties for students who disturb the peace and break sanitation laws,” said FPNA President Daisy Schnepel.
October 2009
Fox Point Goes Green
Fox Point has been selected by the Department of Environmental Management, (DEM), to be one of three communities in Rhode Island to participate in its "Green Streets" Neighborhood Environmental Awareness and Improvement Program. (Final selection approval from AmeriCorps is still required, though the program itself has been approved). As part of the environmental effort, the neighborhood will receive two AmeriCorps members, who will canvass the neighborhood for appropriate issues.
The ten-month program will examine environmental challenges in the Fox Point neighborhood and evaluate them for worthiness and remediation, under the supervision of DEM. One possible issue is the proposed, but environmentally challenged boat launch site on the Seekonk River at Gano Park. The AmeriCorps workers may also look at ways businesses--from restaurants to auto repair establishments--can "go green" for the neighborhood's benefit and cut their operating expenses.
DEM will be hiring the two AmeriCorps volunteers during the month of October so that they can undergo some “pre-training,” according to Terry Gray, assistant director for Air, Waste and Compliance at DEM. “We would like these two persons to demonstrate a strong commitment on environmental issues, as well as possess the people skills to connect with the community,” Gray said. “Special consideration will be given to bilingual applicants, with the second language for the Fox Point program to be Portuguese.”
For more information on the positions, applicants should contact Gray at terry.gray@dem.ri.gov or Elizabeth Stone at elizabeth.stone@dem.ri.gov, 401/222.
September 2009
Alternatives To New Street Grid Considered
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and Providence’s Department of Planning & Development have agreed to return to the drawing board on the design of Fox Point’s street grid pattern and also to another public meeting to discuss their designs.
The decision followed the submissions of alternative designs from Fox Point resident Ron Henderson, founding principal of L+A Architects and Russell Preston, IV, a licensed architectural and urban designer with Cornish Associates. In early July, the two architects addressed a meeting sponsored by the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, (FPNA), as a follow-up, to RIDOT’s June Public Meeting.
The July 7th meeting, which was moderated by Daniel A. Baudouin, executive director of the Providence Foundation, spotlighted the two architects’ alternative ideas for the riverfront. Attending was a collection of interested persons, including prominent real estate professionals, merchants, university representatives and even the pastor of Our Lady of Rosary Church. Collectively, there seemed to be a consensus to have the street grid returned—as much as possible—to the way it was before the last interstate highway was built over 50 years ago.
Henderson presented street grid maps, which included one from 1918, another with the current interstate-street grid pattern and and a third of RIDOT’s proposed Wickenden/Benefit street intersection. “We need to build back our neighborhood by reconnecting it to the water.” Henderson said. “The city should get over the mistakes of the 1950’s by building a new intersection, not one that does the same thing.”
Pedestrian Friendly Grid to Access Riverfront
He complimented RIDOT for the way that the new India Point Park Pedestrian Bridge reconnects the city to Narragansett Bay, saying the layout of the new street grid should do the same thing for the Providence River. “The Wickenden Street intersection should be pedestrian-friendly first,” Henderson emphasized. His design includes “actual crosswalks of desire,” not complicated ones that attempt to re-direct pedestrian movements; a quick integration of bicycle lanes into the transportation system; and appropriately sized streets and curbs, which continue into the neighborhood.
Preston called for a slimmer Wickenden intersection with “no turbo, right-hand turns onto I-Way access roads.” Preston’s designs called for smaller parcels for development, saying large scaled parcels lead to tall buildings and parking structures—the kind of development (the neighborhood) does not want.”
Preston’s concept called for motorists to “think they’re in a city when they exit the I-Way;” for cyclists to feel comfortable in clearly marked and safe bike lanes--“the way motorists feel safe on the interstate;’ and for pedestrians to access clearly marked and safe crosswalks. “For a pedestrian hit by a car traveling 35 miles per hour, it can mean a fatal accident; being hit at 20 can mean bumps and bruises,” Preston pointed out. The current RIDOT design allows for motorists to travel at much higher rates of speed—up to 50 and 60 miles per hour, he added.
FPNA Cites “Once-in-a-Lifetime” Opportunity
FPNA President Daisy Schnepel, who organized the July 7th meeting called for the alternative ideas to be seriously considered by city and state officials. In a letter, Schnepel said, “FPNA would like to continue the discussion for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to optimally re-connect Fox Point to the waterfront, the Jewelry District and the city". Schnepel cited recommendations found in a draft of the “Krieger Report,” as a directive for smaller parcels for development. “This plan recommended that these 4.42 acres east of the Providence River be zoned for residential buildings with heights between three and six floors.” Schnepel said.
In response to FPNA and other letters received, Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin said the City’s Planning Department has requested that RIDOT develop two additional proposals based on the public comment to date. “It’s clear from many public comments that there are significant questions regarding the proposal’s scale and design,” Yurdin said in a statement to FPNA. “Alternative concepts as developed and promoted by Russ Preston, Ron Henderson and Dan Boudouin clearly are being reviewed by RIDOT, and (Providence’s) Planning and Development Department.”
DPW Hears Wickenden Merchants on Parking Concerns
Wickenden Street Merchants and others turned out July 20th to provide public input into a parking study for the commercial area of Fox Point by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., (VHB), a consultant with Providence’s Department of Public Works, (DPW).
William Ashworth, a principal at VHB, said the goal of the meeting was to figure out the best way to provide more parking on Wickenden Street. VHB will be presenting a draft of their recommendations in September, followed by another public meeting and a final public meeting later in the fall to present their recommendations.
Claude Goldstein, a Wickenden Street merchant and board member of the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, (FPNA), expressed frustration about the removal of about 30 parking spaces along George M. Cohan Boulevard. Last winter, DPW removed the spaces by widening a sidewalk, which would reportedly be part of a future bike path from the India Point Park Pedestrian Bridge to the city. “Taking the parking away from one side of the street hurts the neighborhood and makes no sense,” Goldstein said. “They could have simply striped off part of the road, or come up with some other plan instead of removing parking on a street that’s parallel to a commercial one like Wickenden.”
Resident Permit Parking’s Future
The future of resident permit parking in Fox Point has been placed in the hands of interested residents, according to Ernie Carlucci, parking administrator with DPW. “A pilot program in Fox Point can get approval from DPW if 51 percent of neighbors on the street sign a petition,” Carlucci said at the VHB meeting.
Ian Barnacle, a real estate professional and FPNA board member, said lack of overnight parking for residents adversely affects property values and sales. “Parking is extremely valuable in our historic neighborhood, and in a challenging economy because houses and condos without it take longer to sell and command lower prices,” Barnacle said. “Rhode Island has some of the highest real-estate taxes in the country, and I believe that every owner and occupant deserves the right to park a car on their street overnight."
To find out more information on establishing a pilot resident permit parking program on your street, contact Ernie Carlucci at Ecarlucci@providenceri.com or by calling 467-7950, extension 310.
Pedestrian Bridge “Dust-Up” Resolved
On late July morning walk, FPNA President Daisy Schnepel noticed that a wall on the pedestrian bridge’s entranceway to India Point Park had been painted pink.
Unbeknownst to her and Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin, the Providence Park Department had approved an anti-graffiti project, as part of a federally funded economic stimulus grant to the city. The initiative from local muralist Dauna J. Noble had been hurried through the Mayor’s Office and a committee of the Friends of India Point Park, (FIPP). Noble’s design was to be executed by having eight city-employed teenagers to begin painting murals on the bridge within the week. When contacted by Schnepel, FIPP committee members admitted to being uncomfortable with the rushed approval process and scope of the mural project.
In a week-long flurry of e-mails between the groups, the artist, the parks department and the councilman, it was decided to re-locate the mural from the bridge to the Gano Street entrance at the park’s parking lot. An e-mail from Yurdin to FPNA and others confirmed that the parks department was not going to allow the project to go forward. “Thanks to everyone for voicing their concerns—and hopefully in the future, the process for the presenting and approving these types of projects will be more organized on everyone’s part.” The Parks Department plans to have the bridge’s wall sandblasted to remove the pink paint.
August 2009
Alternative Plans Urged for New Wickenden Intersection
In mid-June, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) presented its design for the re-establishment of the neighborhood’s post I-Way street grid pattern, including the new Wickenden/Benefit intersection to interested Fox Point residents.
RIDOT’s Lambri Zerva encouraged feedback to the plan, saying that there would be time to make adjustments since the year-long demolition of the existing I-195 highway will not begin until 2010. Currently, the plan calls for seven-tenths of a mile of new and reconstructed streets, five development parcels of 4.4 acres and a park, consisting of 2.6 acres at a cost of $8 million.
Access to and from I-195 will be provided via South Main and South Water streets, meaning the Wickenden intersection will remain a very busy one. Projected traffic volumes for South Main Street are set at 1,950 cars during morning drive and 1,075 cars during the afternoon peak, while South Water Street should see 1,640 cars during peak afternoon hours, Zerva said. “We have removed the left turn on Wickenden, heading east, onto South Main Street for better traffic flow.” To access I-195 East, persons heading west on Wickenden will need to make a right on South Water Street and then make the block by taking a left on the proposed Dollar Street to South Main Street.
Yurdin: Intersection is ‘Overbuilt’
The meeting was co-hosted by RIDOT and the Providence Department of Planning and Development with about 35 concerned citizens present at the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School. Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin, who was attending, said that the final design of the Wickenden-Benefit Street intersection should strengthen—not weaken—the fabric of the neighborhood. “There is serious concern that the current proposal from RIDOT is "over-built" and not in scale with the neighborhood, Yurdin said. “I will continue to work with neighborhood groups and the City to push for design improvements."
Daniel A. Baudouin, executive director of the Providence Foundation, urged that DOT listen to some other ideas and take time to develop alternatives to the existing plan. (FPNA quickly planned a follow-up meeting in July to examine those alternatives.) Baudouin then introduced Russell Preston, IV, a licensed architectural and urban designer with Cornish Associates, who said the plan should be “tweaked many times to get it better.” Preston questioned the width of the Wickenden intersection, saying it should be downsized to better allow for pedestrian traffic and greater access to the river. He also encouraged more use of two-way traffic streets and on street parking as ways to calm and slow traffic on the two access roads.
Upon questioning, Zerva said that both the city and state would make decisions on the interstate’s impact on the neighborhood because the re-established street pattern will be city streets. He offered “bump-outs,” as a way to slow traffic.
What’s the Cent(s)?
Preston urged more and smaller parcels than the five presented by DOT. “Smaller parcels would mean a streetscape more in keeping with the neighborhood,” Preston pointed out. New street extensions are to include Transit and Dollar streets, but many in the audience thought there should be more than just those two added back to the street grid. Original plans called for the re-addition of Cent Street back to the grid, but it has since been removed.
City and state personnel have said that larger development parcels would be more financially valuable and that adding another street could slow southbound traffic, leading to backups on South Water Street at the Wickenden intersection. In brief break out sessions, audience members said the city should be looking for ways to slow traffic instead of allowing it to become a speedway, especially since it is adjacent to one of the planned parks.
Tanya Kelley of L+A Landscape Architecture, a Providence-based landscape studio, agreed that increasing the number of real estate parcels would extend the “urban footprint,” into the new re-claimed land. Ron Henderson, founding principal of L+A and a Fox Point resident, initiated the review of the intersection with the Providence Foundation last year. Although he was unable to attend the meeting, he said he would attend the follow-up session in July. “This (is a) rare opportunity to design and construct a civic realm that amplifies the integrity of this vibrant street and build upon its proximity to the estuary," Kelley added.
Many persons in the audience requested another public meeting on the street design, but no date has been set by either the city or state. Persons wishing to make further comment were asked to contact Melanie Jewett at 351.4300 ext. 522 or at mjewett@providenceri.com. A meeting on the new parks to be included in the re-claimed land will be scheduled for late summer/early fall to discuss the new parks, Planning Department personnel said.
Councilman Yurdin Pushes Anti-Pollution Initiative
Leadership in the City Council’s Ordinance Committee helped to move the Clean Diesel Ordinance to the full council for a vote in July. About two dozen supporters turned out for the meeting, wearing buttons and holding signs for cleaner air.
The Ordinance Committee legislation would require contractors working on large city project to use the best available technology to filter diesel construction engines, Yurdin said. “Diesel particulate has been tracked to very serious health problems, including cardio and pulmonary disease, asthma, premature death, with children and the elderly most vulnerable to its effects.”
Providence County ranks among the worst six percent of all counties in the United States for health impacts from diesel pollution, Yurdin points out. “The average lifetime cancer risk from diesel soot for Providence County residents is 330 times higher than the acceptable risk level determined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.”
The full council was to vote on the ordinance in July.
Meanwhile a Senate Committee established a fact-finding committee to make an inventory of diesel equipment and analyze the best way for the state to reduce diesel emissions from construction equipment. The study committee, which is composed of health and environmental advocates; the state’s environment, traffic and highway personnel; and labor union and construction industry representatives, will report to the legislature by January 2010.
Beginning in 2007, federal standards will require new diesel engines to be 90% cleaner than they are today. Since these standards only apply to new engines, older, dirtier diesels will be on Rhode Island’s roads and at construction job-sites for years to come, clean-air proponents say.
Corporate Public Service from Simulia
This spring, the East Side was the beneficiary of extremely generous donations of employee time from Dassault Systemes Simulia Corporation, an international company with an office in Providence. Simulia’s Will Anderson organized other employees in the company’s research and development department to help Friends of India Point Park remove weeds that block park views of the Seekonk River. “With the current economic situation, our company’s management chose to allow us to donate our time, instead of the resources involved with the usual company parties,” Anderson explained.
A team of Simulia volunteers also assisted at the Fox Point Girls and Boys Club, scrubbing down and painting the walls of its entryway on Wickenden Street. Other volunteers committed to beautification plantings at Preserve Rhode Island’s Governor Henry Lippitt House at the corner of Hope and Angel Streets. In total over 175 volunteers from SIMULIA contributed their time at various organizations across Providence.
The Fox Point Neighborhood Association would like to thank Simulia for its help and would accept similar volunteer efforts from other corporate citizens.
Fox Point Police Report
FPNA Board member Chris Owens reported meeting with Lt. John Ryan of the Brook Street Substation, who reported a few simple assaults in the neighborhood during the spring. As to the tent city, which has appeared on the Providence River near Wickenden Street, Lt. Ryan said that little could be done, Owens said. Lt. Ryan told Owens that the tent-city residents have secured a permit allowing them to occupy the site. While the board took no action on that issue, it asked Owens to request more enforcement of motorcycle “straight-pipe” violations, which increase noise in the neighborhood beyond illegal levels.
Contacts:
FPNA email: fpna@cox.net
Gateway Committee: info@headofthebaygateway.org
Councilman Seth Yurdin: ward1@providenceri.com, 521-7477
Emergencies: 911
Non-emergency reports of suspicious activity: 272-3121
Brook Street Substation: 243-6990
FPNA meets on the second Monday of each month in the first floor of the Bath House Library in the Vartan Gregorian School. If that date is a holiday, the meeting is held the next day, Tuesday.
July 2009
Library Services
Providence Community Library (PCL) is taking over administrative services for the Providence community libraries. A friends group for the Fox Point branch has adopted by laws and is beginning fund raising efforts to help support the branch. The friends group is applying for non-profit 501 C3 status in order to attract larger donors.
Vartan Gregorian Elementary
Last summer FPNA donated and helped plant several trees at the school to help provide a natural barrier between the school yard and the interstate. The PTO of Vartan Gregorian has requested help with watering the trees over the summer. Please contact FPNA via email if interested in helping out over the summer.
Councilman Update
Ward 1 councilman Seth Yurdin reported that federal funding has been procured to restore lost funding for the Fox Point Senior center.
Upcoming in Summer and Fall
Wickenden, Benefit Intersection – 1-195 changes
RIDOT will be holding a neighborhood meeting in next two months for an open discussion. Details of the meeting will be posted on the FPNA website as soon as its available.
Gano St. Park shoreline
A proposal was made at the last board meeting to explore the possibility of cleaning up the riverside along the Gano St. park and possibly forming a friends group. All present generally agreed that this area needs improvement. FPNA plans to reach out to the Coastal Resources Management Council concerning their jurisdiction for the shoreline.
Fall Yardsale
FPNA is planning on reinstating its annual yard sale. This will be a great way to donate items with proceeds benefiting your neighborhood association. Date and location will be advertised when set.
June 2009
FPNA Spring Membership Report
FPNA held its Spring Neighborhood Meeting on April 23 at the Sheldon St. Church. The meeting was well attended and after opening remarks by president Daisy Schnepel several speakers addressed the audience and answered questions. Highlights of the meeting included:
Councilman Update
Budgetary concerns remain important topics at both the state and local level. Seth Yurdin, Ward 1 councilman, discussed Mayor Cicilline’s recent budget revisions necessary to avert financial crisis related to budget shortfall. Briefly, major concessions including pension reform, immediate wage freeze, and reform to existing health plan from union and non-union city employees are planned. These savings are part of a supplemental budget that will allow the city to meet its financial obligations. Yurdin also provided updates on the Fox Point Library Branch. The Friends group of Fox Point Library is now formed and funding has been obtained for installation of an elevator to make the branch handicap accessible. Also rent paid to the Boys and Girls Club has been re-negotiated to a lower rate, which will be important to reduce expenses for long term operation of the branch.
New concern over proposed down-sizing of the central library
Patricia Raub, of the Providence community library (PCL) group, reported to FPNA that the Providence Public Library (PPL) Board of Trustees recently agreed to turn over operation of the library branches to the city (presumably under the direction of PCL). This is good news for the branches, however PPL is proposing down-sizing the central branch and closing the central branch to the general public. Under this proposal the central branch would provide books to the branches via interlibrary loan services and foot traffic to the special collections would be by appointment only. PCL does not support the down-sizing of the central branch which was already downsized in 2004 despite public opposition. This branch is essentially the library branch for downtown residents. The Mayor is supportive of keeping the operation of the central library and neighborhood branches together and has urged the PPL to consider turning over control of the central branch to the city as well. The board of the PPL has agreed to consider the mayor proposal.
Police update & Parks Department
Numerous noise complaints from the recent outdoor concert during Brown’s spring weekend prompted a meeting with PPD and the university. It was agreed that future outdoor concerts will have continual monitoring and adjustment (if necessary) of the volume of the concert.
The problem of graffiti was discussed and Lt. Ryan of the Brook St. substation noted that several arrests have been made in 2009, and one recently arrested multiple time offender was sentenced to 90 days in jail. Documentation of common signatures has allowed the PPD to retrospectively charge offenders for old vandalism once caught.
Later in the meeting Bob McMahon, Parks Dept. Supervisor, reported landscaping in India Point Park adjacent to the I-way will be strategically placed to deter graffiti and that cameras will be installed in the park. Also responsibility of clean-up of graffiti will be assigned (Parks Dept. south of India St. & RIDOT will be responsible for I-way) to promote prompt removal which will also act as a deterrent.
McMahon also discussed plans to expand responsible use of city parks by dog owners. Dogs are technically not allowed in India Point Park; however this law dating back to the 1920’s is largely ignored and currently not enforced. Plans include officially allowing leashed dogs in India Point Park and expanding off-leash areas at Roger Williams Park.
Wickenden & Benefit Intersection – 195 re-location
Head of the Bay
The next phase of the I-195 relocation will be the opening of the westbound lanes of I-195 on the new bridge to connect to 95 southbound set for this May or June. The lanes connecting to I-95 northbound will course over the current bridge spanning Wickenden and the exit to S. Main will not change in the short term. Click here for the RIDOT website for a map of the change coming this summer.
The eventual completion of the I-way will lead to drastic changes as the I-195 infrastructure is removed and the new intersection is created. Lambri Zerva, supervising engineer with the DOT, discussed the changes. Once all of the change are made the exit from 195 that will enter the city (essentially replace the current exit to S Main St) will cross Wickenden Street very close to the Wickenden / Benefit intersection and continue to become S Main St. This change will create a major intersection that will have to accommodate the passage of pedestrian foot traffic as well as a bike path in addition to the car traffic.
Zerva detailed DOT’s plan for this important intersection and described it as a Boulevard type of intersection with a wide median between the 4 lanes of Wickenden. A series of controlled crosswalks would allow foot traffic and the bike path to cross the lanes of traffic to get to the Point St. Bridge and the new green space on the Providence River. Also 5 foot paved shoulders on Wickenden will be large enough to accommodate commuter bikers crossing between the East Side and the jewelry district. It was not clear if these shoulders will be official bike lanes or not.
One attendee questioned why the bike path should be routed through this intersection, noting that it would require multiple stops thru the series of crosswalks and that a route from India Point Park coursing by the Shooters property toward the hurricane barrier may be a better route (longer time in the park and along the water). Another question came up about the difficulty of crossing Point Street (at the east side of the Point Street Bridge) if a pedestrian walkway is created on the east bank of the Providence River once 195 is removed.
Dan Baudouin addressed the attendees immediately following Zerva’s presentation. He has requested that RIDOT consider alternate plans for the intersection. Two alternate plans for the intersection (details not given at the meeting) have been drafted. Baudouin noted how critical the planning of this busy intersection is for optimal function and aesthetics for the neighborhood.
FPNA would certainly agree that the planning of the intersection is of high importance and the association has been and will continue to keep a close eye on this issue. A charrette to discuss the intersection is being plan. At the time of this writing the time and date have not been set but will be posted on the FPNA website.
The relocation of 195 also is important to the efforts of the Head of Bay Committee who also addressed the audience. David Riley, co-chair of the committee noted the overwhelming public support that the Shooters property become a public waterfront access space rather than developed into a high rise residential property. Riley also reported that the State senate has passed legislature insuring the burial of the power lines along the waterfront as part of the 195 relocation. This ends a multiyear saga for Riley and Friends of India Point Park who had the foresight to use the 195 relocation project as a way to hide the unsightly power lines which had to be moved anyway during the highway relocation. FPNA applauds this effort and looks forward to the permanent beautification of India Point Park.
May 2009
Head of the Bay Gateway Update
The Fox Point Neighborhood association (FPNA) continues to work closely with and support Head of the Bay Gateway Committee (HBGC), a group formed to promote the public use of the Shooters property on Narragansett Bay. Most recently Michael Sullivan of the Department of Environmental Quality has voiced his support for this purpose noting that this property would be ‘phenomenal for public use’. Sullivan is a proponent of the use of the property as a ferry landing to continue ferry service between Providence and Newport. This use is one that HBGC would certainly support and currently HBGC is focusing on a feasibility study. It was also pointed out at the FPNA meeting that the Shooters property would be a good spot to land the ferry because it is walking distance to waterfire and other downtown destinations and may attract increased use from Newport residents.
Immediate goals of the HBGC include clean up of the property with demolition of the building’s main structure to the foundation. The site could then be used for bicycle and kayak rentals until a long term use is determined.
Library Services
The Board of trustees of the Providence Public Library (PPL) voted to explore the possibility of transferring operations of the citywide branch libraries to the newly formed Providence Community Library (PCL), as announced in a press release on April 3. PCL was formed by concerned citizens when PPL announced that closure of some of the smaller neighborhood library branches would be necessary to remain solvent.
The efforts of PCL have been well documented in the ESM and the group has garnered tremendous public and political support and proposed a plan to maintain operation of all city branches with out running a deficit.
Although the recent vote by the PPL trustees is a good first step toward bringing the library branches under PCL, Patricia Raub noted in recent communication with FPNA that there are more issues to resolve to accomplish the transfer of control of the branches to PCL. A recent meeting at the Fox Point Library, one of the branches targeted for closure, for the purpose of forming a friends group was well attended and follow-up meetings and drafting of bylaws is in progress.
Police Report
FPNA continues to meet monthly with Lt. John Ryan of the Brook Street substation to discuss recent crime statistics and trends. The majority of crime continues to be nonviolent. Lt. Ryan would like to remind Fox Point and East Side residents that there have been numerous car break-ins in 2009. Many of these targeted cars with visible GPS devises. Lt. Ryan advised removing these items overnight and if at all possible to avoid suction cups when mounting the devises, which leave a visible ring on your windshield. This could trigger a car break-in, in the hope of finding a GPS devise stashed in the glove box. Finally, Lt. Ryan reminded FPNA to always report a break in or any other crime, even if the matter seems trivial or even if capturing the offender seems unlikely. The PPD uses these data for staffing and directed patrol efforts.
April 2009
‘The Worm Turns’ for the City’s Library System
Now that the Mayor’s Office has rejected a tentative four-year agreement with the Providence Public Library, (PPL), to operate the city’s library system, there appears tangible hope that its branches will remain open beyond July. In a late-February press release, Mayor David N. Cicilline said that besides closing branches, the PPL plan “would lead to insolvency within the next two years.”
The Fox Point Branch is one of the five facilities targeted by PPL for closing or for conversion to “Neighborhood Learning Centers,” which would require additional funding from the city besides the $7.5 million PPL request.
The rift between the Mayor’s Office and PPL has strengthened the viability of the Providence Community Library, (PCL), a new “community-based branch library system,” which has devised a plan to take over the management of all but the main location of PPL’s system. After its formation—as a spin-off of the Library Reform Group—in January, PCL began holding forums at library branches throughout the city to explain how their plan would work.
At a February 25th meeting with the mayor, PCL presented a petition with over 1,000 signatures of library patrons urging he save the branches. (PCL also has garnered widespread support from city council members.) In the news release, which followed the meeting, the mayor firmly said, “I will not allow branch library services to be eliminated.”
The board of the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, (FPNA), agreed to sponsor the February library forum at the Fox Point Branch at which representatives of PPL and PCL presented their cases. Prior to that meeting, Marcus Mitchell, president of PCL, explained to the board their proposed offer to the city to operate all branches of the library system for $4.8 million.
PPL Fundraising and Foundation Funds Questioned
Mitchell noted that PPL has not engaged in significant fundraising in recent years, which has resulted in deteriorating community support. He said part of PCL’s approach would be a “robust fundraising initiative,” to augment city and state funding. Past fundraising efforts over many years have generated a large trust, which remains under the total control of PPL’s Foundation, Mitchell said.
The foundation, whose trustees include only PPL members plus one representative each of the mayor’s and governor’s offices, needs more community representation, Mitchell pointed out. “The community, who uses the branches, has no representation on the foundation’s board.” These funds in the foundation’s endowment, many of which were raised to support the branch system, are not being directed in a fair way to the branches, Mitchell charged.
The economic downturn may have affected the foundation’s investments, but no one outside of the foundation knows exactly how much money remains in it, he said. Some estimate a figure between $25 million to $40 million, he added. So far, PPL has denied transparency of not only the foundation’s funds, but also information on top administrative salaries and pension fund figures, he added. “We get a sense that they view staff as 60% percent of the expenditures but deny access to information on salaries of top administrative personnel.”
Board member Arria Bilodeau asked if jettisoning some of the heavy administrative costs would mean a loss of necessary library expertise. Mitchell answered that a professional library director, fundraising professionals and existing levels of branch staff personnel would be maintained within PCL’s proposed budget. Should the city decide to divert some PPL funds to PCL, then the maintenance needs of each branch would be evaluated and prioritized, he continued. Mitchell hopes the city will allocate $3.5 million for PCL’s operation of the branches. That amount, along with $750,000 in state aid and renewed fundraising initiatives would be enough to save all branches in the system, he added.
Mitchell noted that library branches in major cities across the country are threatened with closures, despite growing attendance figures and the communities’ need of libraries during the growing recession.
Now, the city’s decision on operation of the library system is expected before July 1st, according to an agreement signed by PPL and the city last fall. According to the terms of the agreement, should the city decide against PPL, then PPL agrees to “convey to the city such facilities, together with all of the equipment, books and materials therein, as expeditiously as is practicable.”
Councilman Yurdin on Branch & Pollution Initiative
Meanwhile, Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin said he has been working with the Boys & Girls Club, the current landlord to the Fox Point Library Branch, to consider a reduction of its current rent. He also said he is encouraging the organization to repair the broken library elevator, which makes the facility in noncompliance with federal handicap access laws.
Also at FPNA’s board meeting, Yurdin relayed information on the Rhode Island Diesel Pollution Initiative in Fox Point. The environmental effort is designed to encourage the drivers of delivery trucks and other diesel vehicles to turn off their engines when making deliveries, instead of allowing them to idle. While all idling vehicles produce pollution, diesel trucks are the biggest environmental threat because of the fine black particles and carcinogenic air toxins they produce, Yurdin said.
He then passed out literature on the initiative and requested the merchants on Wickenden and other commercial streets to take the lead by encouraging their suppliers’ cooperation. The effort already appears to be “fairly successful in Newport,” he added.
FPNA Supports Gas Meter Legislation
FPNA Board Member Arria Bilodeau represented the association before a Rhode Island State Senate Hearing to support Senate Bill 107, to protect Rhode Island homes and property owners against exterior gas meter installations. The legislation, which was introduced by Senator Rhoda Perry, is in response to National Grid’s repeated attempts across the city and state to arbitrarily move meters from residences’ basements to the front of their exteriors.
“Not only are these installations visually and physically intrusive, particularly for historic homes, but we in Fox Point feel that the meters could potentially be a hazard if placed in tight-fitting side drives and on the front of houses that are set so closely to the street—as they are in the densely populated historic Fox Point area,” the FPNA statement read.
“Please support this legislation that is important for all of Rhode Island and particularly for densely populated urban areas,” Bilodeau said.
Fox Point Crime Report
FPNA Board member Chris Owens reported meeting with Lt. John Ryan of the Brook Street Substation on recent crime statistics in the neighborhood during January. Most disturbing was a house invasion on Gano Street near Wickenden Street. The invaders were armed, but fortunately no one was injured, Owens reported. No arrests have been made in this case as of our press deadline of March 2, 2009.
Also in January, there were two muggings near the Point Street Bridge and 21 non-violent break-ins of residences and cars. Lt. Ryan also reported the arrest of three juvenile graffiti vandals. These arrests, like most arrests for graffiti vandalism, resulted from resident tips, Ryan said. Lt. Ryan asks that residents immediately call the police if they see anything suspicious. The location of the incident and the color of the exterior layer of clothing of the suspects are extremely helpful to the police,” Ryan said.
Spring Membership Meeting Set for April 23rd
FPNA has scheduled its Spring Membership Meeting for Thursday, April 23rd from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Sheldon Street Church, 51 Sheldon Street. Elected officials including Mayor David N. Cicilline, State Senator Rhoda Perry, Representative David Segal and Ward I Councilman Seth Yudin have been invited to address the membership. The FPNA Board seeks to inform the membership and hear of their opinions on neighborhood issues at these bi-annual events. Look for FPNA flyers with agenda and finalized guest information to be distributed in the neighborhood in April.
March 2009
Library Issue Comes to a Head
This month, the Providence Public Library, (PPL), is expected to present its final plan for operating the library system within the proposed city budget for the new fiscal year, that starts in July. Most recently, PPL’s plan called for a scaled-back Central Library, four branches and the conversion of the remaining five smaller facilities to community-owned “Neighborhood Learning Centers.” The Fox Point Branch, which would be one of those learning centers, would require additional funding from the city.
Not so fast, says the Providence Community Library, (PCL), a new “community-based branch library system,” which has devised a plan to take over the management of all but the main location of PPL’s system. After its formation—as a spin-off of the Library Reform Group—in January, PCL began holding forums throughout the city to explain how their plans would work. An initial $4.8 million budget was presented, based on PCL receiving $3.5 million in city funds, $750,000 in state funding and the remaining $1/2 million through aggressive fundraising.
However, it’s difficult to compare the two options because of an apparent lack of transparency when it comes to PPL’s administrative salaries and pension fund structure. Despite the lack of those figures, PCL has provided a comparison on its web site of PCL’s projected budget for next year, PPL’s actual branch budget for last year and PPL’s projected budget for operating the central location plus four branches. To check it out, go to http://providencecommunitylibrary.org/budget.pdf
Now, the decision to continue with PPL or transfer city funding (and therefore the linked State grant-in-aid) to PCL will occur before July 1st, according to an agreement signed by PPL and the city last fall. According to the terms of the agreement, should the city to decide against PPL, then PPL agrees to “convey to the city such facilities, together with all of the equipment, books and materials therein, as expeditiously as is practicable.”
Speaking at a Fox Point Neighborhood Association board meeting, Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin urged residents to write the Mayor’s Office to help “untangle the budgetary shortfall.” Because of state cutbacks to cities, Yurdin said, “this is a challenging time for the city because there are no new revenue sources.”
Most big city libraries are municipal agencies, but in Providence, the PPL has operated as a private library system on the city's behalf since 1878.
Heavy Winter Snow Prompts Complaints
Over 35 inches of snow through January has tempers in Fox Point flaring over the lack of the city’s enforcement of an ordinance requiring the snow removal from neighborhood sidewalks. According to Lt. John Ryan of the Brook Street Substation, there has been a spike in complaints from residents, who are upset at widespread violation of the ordinance. The issue was a topic of a recent FPNA board meeting because of the safety issues it presents for pedestrians, particularly dog walkers and the elderly.
Councilman Seth Yudin said the main responsibility of snow removal was with property owners for clearing snow from their adjacent sidewalks. “I'm supporting an ordinance to increase enforcement—possibly giving DPW the power to cite as well (as city police), but we need to hear from the departments on the feasibility of this (plan).”
In case you don’t know, the current ordinance requires “all owners, occupants or persons having care of any building or lot bordering upon any street, highway or public place within the city,” to remove the snow “within the first four (4) hours of daylight after the end of any snowfall.” They are also required to provide a three-foot wide path on the sidewalk, as well as remove all snow from around any fire hydrant on the sidewalk, any catch basin in the sidewalk and from pedestrian-access ramps cut into street curbs bordering said building or lot.
As for the penalties, there seems to be a wide discretion in fines for persons found guilty—“from not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than three hundred dollars ($300.00).”
In Boston, enforcement personnel provide photo tickets, which are difficult to dispute. To see how our neighbor to the northeast handles the problem, click here.
Let There Be Light
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation completed its lighting efforts on India Street in January following recent complaints by Sarah Gleason, a steering committee member of Friends of India Point Park.
In communications with Lambri Zerva, supervising engineer, Gleason stressed, “adequate lighting is necessary to prevent the possibility of an accident or crime.” Zerva tracked the delay to National Grid’s failure to install a meter and then the installation of the incorrect ballasts in the lights themselves. Gleason said the lighting, hopefully, would also help discourage graffiti defacement, which is becoming “pretty horrifying.”
FPNA would like to thank Gleason and Zerva for correcting the lighting problem in a relatively short period of time.
Spring Membership Meeting Being Planned
At press time, FPNA had not yet scheduled its Spring Membership Meeting, which will be held sometime in April. Membership notices are scheduled to get into the mail in March with suggested annual dues of $15 per household. Checks should be made and mailed to FPNA, P.O. Box 693177, Providence, RI 02906, or brought to the membership meeting. Look for fliers about the meeting along with information on guests and topics to be discussed.
February 2009
State Properties Committee Ignores Pleas
The Rhode Island State Properties Committee ignored pleas of elected officials, civic leaders and neighborhood association representatives and approved a request by the Department of Transportation, (DOT), to sell the Shooter’s Property for $3.5 million.
The committee gave the okay for DOT to initiate a request for proposals, (RFP), but with some conditions. These included the submission of a written request for the funding re-imbursement from the Federal Highway Administration; a letter from the city regarding existing and future zoning of the site; a report on the site’s value as a marine terminal, and the results of the Krieger Report. (Alex Krieger, a development consultant for the city and the state, will soon release an evaluation plan for land use after the I-195 Highway is removed.
DOT is “under obligation to sell the property,” which it purchased for $4.7 million from its owner, Michael Kent, back in 2000, according to Daniel Clarke, principal property manager for DOT. (One-third of the property was included in the I-195 construction, leaving the remaining 1.7 acres with a deteriorating building and water rights at issue.) “We no longer need the property and must return the money to the federal government to help complete the I-195 project,” Clarke told the committee.
Under the eminent domain statute, Kent has the right of first refusal, or the option to match the offer of the highest bidder. The city would have the second right of refusal to purchase the property.
Upon questioning, Chairman Kevin M. Flynn, admitted that there is no requirement for DOT to turn down any offers below the asking price of $3.5 million. Should the property be auctioned to the highest bidder, it could result in a potential loss. Arria Bilodeau, co-chair of Head of the Bay Gateway, also pointed out that DOT’s appraisals were made in April of last year when real estate prices in general were appreciably higher.
Elected officials also presented reasons to delay the sale, which were also overlooked. State Senator Rhoda Perry asked the committee to take a “broader view,” because of the site’s location and significance to the entire state--especially related to tourism. “This issue deals with the most beautiful and important view of Narragansett Bay that we have,” she added. “This is a now-or-never issue for public access.”
State Representative David Segal urged the committee to wait a few months until there was some idea of what President Barach Obama’s Stimulus Plan might include. The new president’s proposed plan calls for massive federal infrastructure improvements, Segal said. “We need a structure there that allows for broad public use—robust public uses.”
Ward I Councilman Seth Yurdin reminded the committee of the site’s adjacency to India Point Park, which has recently undergone significant improvements. “Public use is increasing,” Yurdin said because of greater visibility and greater access by pedestrians and the traffic on I-195.
“What is done with the Shooter’s site dramatically affects the park and the public’s use of it,” he added.
Noticeably absent at the meeting were any representatives of the Mayor’s Office or the Department of Planning and Development. But, the sale--with resulting tax revenue--has the approval of the planning department. Flynn reported conversations with city planner Linda Painter, who said a 25-foot public access along the waterfront would be included in any sale agreement.
Also speaking were representatives of neighborhood associations on the East Side, who unanimously opposed the sale. After first considering a motion to deny the sale, the committee voted three-to-two to allow DOT to initiate the RFP.
New Library Group Takes Life
The Providence Community Library, (PCL), announced its formation in January as an alternative to the Providence Public Library, (PPL), and its forecast of closing all but four library locations this summer. The Fox Point Branch, which currently has no friends group, is one of the locations scheduled for closing.
The new “community-based branch library system” is opposed to closing any branches and has devised a plan to take over the management of all but the main location of PPL’s system. An initial $4.8 million budget was presented, based on PCL receiving $3.5 million in city funds, $750,000 in state funding and the remaining $1/2 million through aggressive fundraising. Nine city councilmen attended the meeting in city hall and pledged their support to keep all branch locations open.
Their proposed budget can be achieved through cutting administrative costs and waste and through aggressive fundraisings, according to Patricia Raub of PCL. To learn more about their plans go to www.providencecommunitylibrary.org.
FPNA Finds a New Home
In January, the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, (FPNA), began holding its monthly board meetings on the first floor of the Bath House Library in the Vartan Gregorian School, 455 Wickenden Street.
FPNA President Daisy Schnepel expressed gratitude to Principal Colin Grimsey and his staff for their generous cooperation. “We’d also like to thank our Councilman, Seth Yurdin, and former Councilman David Segal, now a state representative, who pushed the project along and secured us a meeting place there,” Schnepel said.
FPNA Board meetings are open to the public and held at 6:45 p.m., on the second Monday of each month.
January 2009
National Grid Issue Resurfaces
National Grid’s public image in Providence took another hit this fall when it attempted to install a gas meter to the outside of a house on Dove Street. The existing meter at the residence was located in the basement.
The issue was discussed at length at the Fox Point Neighborhood Association’s November board meeting, when member Ian Barnacle detailed his personal experience. Barnacle said he returned home one day in late October to find National Grid “tearing up the sidewalk in order to put exterior gas meters on the house.” Barnacle, who took immediate action by notifying the association, set off e-mail links to other neighborhood associations, city officials and finally the news media.
“I learned a lot about the issue in a small amount of time,” Barnacle said. Most importantly, he learned that National Grid’s assertion that higher-pressure lines require exterior meter placement was not true. “The meter can still be in the basement, it only requires that a small exterior regulator be placed outside,” he said. The gas meter placement issue began early in 2008 with similar instances in College Hill and West Broadway neighborhoods. Eventually, a city council ordinance was proposed to require owner notification and approval.
Also, along the way a “College Hill waiver” was created, that allows gas meters to remain in the basement if the owner agrees to provide later access. FPNA sent out a PDF file of the waiver to its membership; interested persons can request a copy at the e-mail address below.
State Rep. David Segal assured the board that “National Grid has agreed that all of Fox Point will be allowed to keep their meters inside.”
The Proposed Boat Ramp Takes Life
In mid-November, the Providence Park Department filed an application for a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), to clean up the soil on a lot at the base of East Transit Street. If the EPA grant is provided, then 2,200 cubic yards of soil will be removed, allowing for further development of the proposed “East Transit Street Boat Ramp”.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, (DEM), mandated further testing after reviewing initial soil borings taken along the shore in 2006, according to Robert McMahon, deputy superintendent of the parks department. “Those findings indicated moderate levels of lead and semi-volatile organic compounds,” which were above accepted residential exposure criteria, McMahon explained. The cause of the contamination was related to ash and asphalt—common ingredients of early 20th century landfill, McMahon said.
In a letter of support from FPNA, President Daisy Schnepel wrote that the boat ramp would “restore access to the water for our residents.” The proposed site, in earlier days was referred to as “the beach," a point at which residents were allowed waterfront access. The City of Providence acquired a portion of the site from the American Oyster Company in 1948 and another portion from the New York, New Hampshire & Hartford Railroad Company a year later.
FPNA Volunteers Plant Trees
Volunteers from the Fox Point Neighborhood Association turned out on a rainy Saturday in November to help plant 24 trees at the Vartan Gregorian School on Wickenden Street. The new grove of trees, which is between the school’s auditorium and Interstate 195, is designed to reduce harmful levels of automobile carbon emissions. The trees also will provide a shady walkway in the summer for persons approaching the new pedestrian bridge from the east.