Providence City Plan Commission, December 12, 2023 meeting

December 13, 2023

Call to Order and Roll Call

00:21 - 03:18

The meeting was called to order, and a roll call of the commissioners and staff was conducted. The commission established a quorum before moving on to the scheduled agenda.

Approval of Minutes

03:18 - 03:43

The commission reviewed and voted on the minutes from the previous meeting held on November 14, 2023. The minutes were approved unanimously following a motion and a second.

2024 Draft Meeting Calendar

03:43 - 04:45

The commission reviewed the proposed meeting calendar for the upcoming 2024 calendar year. A motion was made and approved to adopt the calendar as drafted.

Director's Report and Year-End Roundup

04:45 - 09:19

Staff presented a year-end review of the City Plan Commission's activities and statistics for 2023. The report highlighted the number of cases reviewed, residential units approved, and the status of the development pipeline.

Continuance of 53 Pomona Avenue

09:19 - 11:13

The applicant requested a continuance for the minor subdivision application at 53 Pomona Avenue. The commission voted to continue the matter to the January 16, 2024 meeting.

Comprehensive Plan Update

11:13 - 40:44

Planning staff presented an informational update on the community engagement process and preliminary findings for the comprehensive plan update. Commissioners discussed policy directions regarding housing, transportation, climate resilience, and design standards.

City Council Referral 3561 (15 Farmington Avenue)

40:44 - 55:40

The commission considered a proposed zone change from R-3 to C-3 for 15 Farmington Avenue to legalize existing auto-related uses. The commission voted to recommend approval to the City Council with conditions to improve the site's integration into the neighborhood.

City Council Referral 3564 (355 Thurbers Avenue)

55:40 - 01:12:33

The applicant requested a zone change from C-2 to C-3 to allow for a car wash use at 355 Thurbers Avenue. The commission voted to recommend denial of the request, finding it inconsistent with the future land use map of the comprehensive plan.

Minor Land Development Project (150-158 Pittman Street)

01:12:33 - 02:00:51

The commission reviewed a proposal to construct a five-story, 16-unit residential building with internal parking. After public comment and discussion, the commission approved the requested dimensional adjustment for height and granted preliminary plan approval.

City Council Referral 3562 (748 Atwells Avenue)

02:00:51 - 02:09:08

The commission heard a request to rezone 748 Atwells Avenue from R-3 to R-4 to allow for a basement apartment. The commission voted to recommend approval to the City Council, subject to conditions regarding parking delineation and tree canopy coverage.

City Council Referral 3563 (Scattered Sites)

02:09:08 - 02:44:51

The commission reviewed a petition to rezone multiple scattered vacant lots in Federal Hill from R-3 and MMU-75 to R-4 to facilitate residential development. The commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning to the City Council.

Development Review Regulations Public Hearing and Adjournment

02:44:51 - 03:14:21

The commission held a public hearing on proposed changes to the land development and subdivision review regulations to align with new state laws. After discussing minor amendments and taking public comment, the commission voted to approve the regulations and adjourned the meeting.

Speaker 0

00:21 - 00:27

With the new setup, you can get a new screen. But because of the new screen?

Speaker 1

00:27 - 00:39

No. We're just trying to do something different based on the better visibility. Was it last month we tried this for the first time? I it comes up.

Speaker 2

00:39 - 00:40

It's I

Speaker 0

00:40 - 00:42

liked I liked it. And I think it worked well.

Speaker 3

00:42 - 00:43

Okay. Good.

Speaker 4

00:43 - 00:45

Yeah. I think we were on the other side, though.

Speaker 5

00:45 - 00:45

Yeah.

Speaker 0

01:56 - 01:57

Try now.

Speaker 3

01:57 - 02:04

That's one, two, three. Hold on.

Speaker 4

02:44 - 02:56

Okay. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to call this December regular meeting of the city plan commission to order. It is Tuesday, December 12. It is 04:48PM.

Speaker 4

02:57 - 03:00

Let's start with a roll call. Go around starting with Noel.

Speaker 0

03:00 - 03:02

Noel Sanchez.

Speaker 5

03:05 - 03:06

Charlotte Lipschitz.

Speaker 0

03:07 - 03:08

Dave Caldwell.

Speaker 6

03:11 - 03:13

Sharon Gardner, legal counsel.

Speaker 1

03:14 - 03:18

Properties owner, staff. Troy Yawn, manager, our deputy staff.

Speaker 4

03:18 - 03:32

And I am Michael Gazzako, chair. We'll roll it we're into the approval of the minutes from the 11/14/2023 meeting. You all should have received those in advance of this meeting.

Speaker 0

03:33 - 03:34

I removed it until twenty

Speaker 4

03:35 - 03:36

Do we have

Speaker 0

03:36 - 03:36

a motion?

Speaker 4

03:36 - 03:37

Do we have a second?

Speaker 2

03:37 - 03:37

Second.

Speaker 4

03:37 - 03:43

Alright. We have a second. We'll go around and do a voice vote all in fave well, just all in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye.

Speaker 4

03:43 - 03:55

Aye. All opposed. Any extensions? The minutes passed. You also received in advance of this meeting, the 2024 draft meeting calendar.

Speaker 4

03:55 - 04:12

Have you all had a chance to review that? It's it's not a normal circumstance where it actually ends up that it's the third Tuesday of every month every month of next year, which is kind of kind of fun. You don't have to think about it.

Speaker 3

04:12 - 04:15

It's hard. Mhmm. But it works out.

Speaker 4

04:17 - 04:27

Anyone have any comments? Works for me. Let me take a motion to approve the, the meeting calendar as drafted.

Speaker 0

04:29 - 04:32

I make a motion to approve the meeting calendar as drafted.

Speaker 4

04:32 - 04:38

We have a we have a motion. Do have a second? Second. I would just do, all in favor, say aye. Aye.

Speaker 4

04:38 - 04:44

Aye. All opposed? Any extensions? The meeting calendar is approved.

Speaker 3

04:45 - 05:11

Mister Azar. Yes. I'm gonna actually turn it over to our planning tech, Lev Simon, to give a little update of a little year end roundup of city plan commission activities, and then, an overview of, the development, status and outlook within the city. Thank you, Bob.

Speaker 7

05:12 - 06:05

As this is the final meeting of the twenty twenty three calendar year for the city plan commission, I would like to just do some year end review stats. This year, the city plan commission has received 60 new cases of which 33 are administrative subdivisions. Of the non 33 administrative subdivisions, 22 were minor applications of which 16 were minor subdivisions and four were minor land development projects. In addition, there were five major applications, all of which were major land development projects, two of which were were, UDR. The CPC reviewed this year 16 minor subdivisions and four, minor LDPs and reviewed eight major LDPs, three of which were received in the final and the final months of 2022.

Speaker 7

06:06 - 06:46

As for city council referrals, the CPC reviewed 31 throughout various points of this year, 25 of which were zone change requests, three of which were changes or proposed changes to the text of the zoning ordinance, and another three of which were street abandonments in the city. There were four institutional master plans reviewed. Those for Johnson and Wales, Brown, PC, and RISD. In addition, there were two updates to the to the development regulations, one of which will be tonight. There was one update to the comprehensive plan, one update to the campus development plan, and one update to an existing project, a major change.

Speaker 7

06:48 - 07:36

In your packet of stuff, there is a copy of a document containing a little bit more information on all of the residential projects that the CPC has approved this year. I'm not gonna read them out in order, but you can peruse that if you so desire. At the master plan stage throughout the entire calendar year, the CPC has approved a 190 residential dwelling units. For the preliminary stage, again, throughout this entire calendar year, the CPC has reviewed and approved a 183 residential dwelling units. That is in total, getting rid of the the projects that went for both master and preliminary approval, 286 units, which also includes two from, that major change that I mentioned earlier.

Speaker 7

07:37 - 08:15

There have also been a few nonresidential projects, including a self storage facility, a charter school, and a Montessori school. In addition, I want to speak just quickly on the general development pipeline for the city. These are projects that, by and large, the CPC has approved either this year or in prior years that are now under construction or awaiting, the start of construction. As it stands, there are 67 such projects totaling well over 3,000 units, 3,318. Of those, 703 of those units or 21.2% are deed restricted affordable.

Speaker 7

08:15 - 08:52

In addition, there have been 607 179,726 square feet of commercial, a lot of which is self storage, but a lot of which isn't. In addition, you can go down, further into that appendix, that document I mentioned before. You can see a complete listing of all the projects that are in the pipeline. If you want to see those projects rendered graphically, you can check out the city's development mapper, which is present in our GIS services online, and you can scroll around and look at all the projects and see them rendered online. Thank you for listening.

Speaker 7

08:52 - 08:53

That's all I have.

Speaker 4

08:55 - 09:16

Thank you, Liz. That that was that was, that was absolutely wonderful. I always appreciate the year end wrap up. I think we did that last year for the first time, and it's really, quite remarkable to see it in in totality, what what comes before us because we we kinda see it on a month by month basis, and that's a really nice, wrap up for the year.

Speaker 3

09:19 - 09:22

That's all that's all for the directors report. Okay. Wonderful.

Speaker 4

09:24 - 09:34

So this evening, we're, we're going to take a few things out of order. Just hang on one second.

Speaker 8

09:38 - 09:38

Okay.

Speaker 4

09:47 - 10:06

First of all, item number seven, minor subdivision, 53 Pomona Avenue, case number 23Dash054UDR, is being continued to the January 16.

Speaker 3

10:06 - 10:09

Yeah. January 16. Yeah. You should take a vote on that.

Speaker 4

10:12 - 10:14

At the request of the applicant?

Speaker 3

10:14 - 10:18

That's right. We received a written request from the applicant. Perfect. That's good.

Speaker 4

10:18 - 10:30

So let's just do some housekeeping, and let's take a vote on the continuing of this matter to the January 16 meeting, if anyone would be so kind to make a motion.

Speaker 0

10:30 - 10:31

Make a motion to continue.

Speaker 5

10:33 - 10:34

I'll second.

Speaker 4

10:34 - 10:38

Date specific. To January 16. Perfect.

Speaker 5

10:38 - 10:39

I'll second.