Testing? Testing. All set. All good. Alright.
It is 04:47 on Tuesday, April 19, and we are going to start the regular meeting of the Providence City Plan Commission. Start with a, roll call. Start with Miguel.
Present. Shayan Mandarin, Bob present.
Harry Belodeau. Robert Azar, staff.
And I'm Michael Gasdaco, chair. I believe we also have someone, joining us remotely. We have city solicitor Lisa Dinerman as well. Okay. Remote.
We don't have any, minutes. Let the record show that, Noel Sanchez just joined us. We don't have any minutes to approve because we approved them last week at our special meeting. So we'll go directly to the director's report.
You shouldn't have minutes from last week
at this meeting and the main meeting. So I have two sets of meeting minutes to approve next month.
I think I think given the the expected length of this agenda, we won't have a director's report. Great.
In in seeing that we are going to be there seems to be a lot of interest in the items that we're presenting tonight. So we'll we'll we'll discuss this again going into public comment, but we're going to set some rules about the length of public comment just so that we keep on track and we could hear from everyone who wants to speak on each matter. There's a lot of interest in in a few of our our agenda items, we wanna make sure we give everyone the opportunity to be heard. Alright. With that, we'll move into the first project.
It's a minor land development project. It's a request for extension. We've seen this one before. It's case number 21Dash018MI, 18 Marcello Street and 25 Piedmont Street. I believe we have
Good afternoon. Attorney Nicole Martucci on behalf of the applicants.
Before the board this evening, is a request for a one year extension of a preliminary plan approval that we received for this project back in June of last summer. That preliminary plan approval was conditioned on a zoning ordinance amendment. We had submitted for that amendment back in May of last year due to some delays that was just granted, in February. We also have, in the works an administrative subdivision that is necessary for this project. And so we're just here asking for an extension of the preliminary plan approval, for one year just to allow, ample time to be able to submit the final plan submission.
We're hopeful that we won't need that much time, but out of an abundance of caution, that's that's
Okay. Thank you. Commissioners, do you have any questions for the applicant's representative?
Nope. No questions. This seems pretty pro form a, and so I'll make a motion to extend the one year preliminary plan for 18 Marcelo Street and 25 Piedmont Street.
Great. Do have a motion? Do we have a second?
Thank you. We have a second. I'll go around in the order that you're seated. Yay or nay? I or nay?
Harrison Billadome? Yes. Noel Sanchez? Aye. Miguel Cazeta?
Aye. And I vote aye. So the extension is approved.
For one year. Correct? For one year.
move right into agenda item number two. This is a minor land development project at 94 Summer Street. The applicant is Crossroads, Rhode Island.
And commissioners, while the applicants get set up, I could provide a quick introduction.
I'm I'm I'm I'm deeply sorry. I I didn't realize that we were on mute. So, we merely had an introduction of of the project. Choi An gave an overview, simply, reciting from the application, and then we had a request for, mister Garahi to to take it take it away.
Thank you, Bob. Mister chairman, there are a couple of other people that are gonna be on the presentation. I think it might be appropriate. Bob, I don't know whether you've let in Karen Santilli, Michelle Wilcox, and Neil Hinkarini.
And Eric Cordis as well, if he's there. If he's there on his own or with Neil, I'm not sure.
If if Eric is in, I see Eric. Yep. And I see, Etienne Cote as well. Is that, is that a part of your team, Karen? No?
Okay. So Etienne, if you're a member of the public, sit tight. We're gonna allow the, applicants to present their matter.
Is is Eric I don't see Eric on the on the screen.
I'm bring I'm bringing him in.
Thank you. So I'll I'll proceed. Bob, if you could let Karen share her screen, that's the presentation that we're gonna start with, and we're gonna move as quickly as we can. We know you have a lengthy agenda. So we're gonna move quickly, hopefully, not too quickly.
Hopefully, we'll give a comprehensive analysis of the project. And if you have any questions, you can answer them. Quickly is is not an indication that the project isn't worthy. It's just we we know you have a lengthy agenda item tonight. So if Karen can share her screen, I'll I'll get started.
Are we in that process of doing that? Okay. Thank you. So, mister chairman, members of the commission, John Garahee, on behalf of Crossroads Rhode Island. So I've told my team to be as quick as possible with respect to it, and I've also told myself the same thing.
So I'm gonna proceed and let let you know that this is a transformational project. This contains a 101 a hundred and seventy six one bedroom apartments to replace the existing a 176 single room occupancy units in the tower at 160 Broad Street. And as you can see from this the screen, the the slide, this is very close to 160 Broad Street, but to give you a perspective as to exactly where it is right across the parking lot on Summer Street. So and the the fact that we're replacing 176 units is not coincidental. We're gonna re relocate, sorry about that, the existing tenants within the tower into the new apartment.
The project will be truly life changing for the residents who now reside in the tower and for the city. A brand new apartment building providing safe, affordable housing for those most in need of it. A rising tide lift all boats, and this is a truly a welcoming high tide. So remarkably remarkably emphasis on remarkably, the project does not require any variances, waivers, or adjusters adjustments from the CPC or the zoning board. It's a fully compliant use and structure in the C 2 Zone and the transit oriented development overlay district.
So it's a fully compliant project. Many of the projects that you see before the CPC require adjustments or variances or some adjustments to the to the regulations. This one does not. So at this point, I'm gonna have Karen Santilli, the chief executive officer of Crossroads Rhode Island, give you a bro brief overview of Crossroads and of the project. Karen?
