ENVISIONED: W. Aquidneck Island Naval Land

[Cotuit]

A new view from Aquidneck Island. A study released yesterday envisions a waterfront drive, bike path, marina village, housing and the opening for development of 350 acres that may be relinquished by the Navy.

[glassandsteel]

I'm a little wary of exactly what kind of development we'll be seeing in this area, I like the mentioning of rail use though. I'm glad that lately we've been hearing more and more about neglected sites being redeveloped, if only we could focus solely on land like this and otherwise try to stay out of our dwindling natural land.

[Recchia]

I hope this won't be like Quonset and sit for decades as a big waste. Is there potential for this to be contiguous to urban development in Newport, cause then there's much more potential for good development.

[Frankie811]

Does anyone here actually use Burma Rd? I prefer it to the congestion of West Main Rd, plus you get a great view of the bay and naval ships.

[ruchele]

Does anyone here actually use Burma Rd? I prefer it to the congestion of West Main Rd, plus you get a great view of the bay and naval ships.

Teenagers use it for smoking up, driving fast and making out- does that count? I only know that from heresay, of course.

One of my big hopes for this area is a bike connection from the Mt. Hope bridge to Newport. I'd love to be able to ride the East Bay Bikepath all the way from Providence. As it now stands, there's no practical way to get into or out of Newport on a bike- East and West Main Rds have no shoulders and way too much traffic. How great would it be to get on the bikepath on India Point and go to the beach in Newport?

[brick]

Does anyone here actually use Burma Rd? I prefer it to the congestion of West Main Rd, plus you get a great view of the bay and naval ships.

I used to work at NUWC so I use the Burma Rd. all the time if I go that way. It was even better when I had my Navy creds as I could go from Portsmouth right through to Jai-alai without using a main road by cutting through the base. It actually used to take me less time to go through Fall river and down than through the East Bay and across the bridge to get to Newport harbor.

ruchele, I agree with you although I have to say that crossing the Mount Hope bridge is one of the most harrowing things I've done on a bike. It is very narrow now matter how you slice it and both times I did it it was damn windy up there! Beyond that, I used the burma rd to bike in.

[MikeR]

Does anyone here actually use Burma Rd? I prefer it to the congestion of West Main Rd, plus you get a great view of the bay and naval ships.

I use the road daily as my commute into/out of work (I work on the base). It's a great two-way street, with no traffic lights and almost no curb cuts.

I'll believe this proposal when I see it. Right now I think its' just a bunch of ideas from years ago all cobbled together in one package.

There was a serious proposal a few years ago to turn Tank Farms 2, 3, and 4 into a golf course. I don't know what happened with that.

[markOne]

I also commute on this road since I work just up the street from the Navy base. It's a nice way to avoid West Main traffic while enjoying a MUCH nicer view.

I'm still dreaming about efficently using RIPTA and leaving my car at home. I can do it now and save a bunch of money, but with the KP transfers I would add 40 min each way to my commute. Oh well, for now it's Burma Rd or bust.

[Frankie811]

http://www.pbn.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/117990

[MapmanNo1]

CRMC aims to guide coastal development [1/27/07 NDN] [CRMC Press Release]

The Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) just announced that it will begin work on a Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) for the West Side of Aquidneck Island.

NDN:

The plan will address, among other things: smart growth requirements set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; buffers and setbacks to accommodate the expected mixed-use developments on the west side; and the transfer of federal land from the Navy. It also will promote public access where appropriate and encourage the use of low-impact development techniques for redevelopment areas. Once completed, the SAMP can be amended to reflect new developments or priorities.

The SAMP will complement the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission's West Side Master Plan, a comprehensive plan released in November 2005. The SAMPs are part of the CRMC's effort to become less focused on issuing permits and more intent on creating coastline policies. "We were asked by the legislature to re-examine our role in environmental management, to look at how we need to change with the times," a CRMC spokesperson said. "We really want to be more of a policy-driven body with out-of-the-box ideas for the coast."

[Lone Ranger]

Am I the only one who shudders a little bit every time someone mentions O'Neill and "his vision for Aquidneck Island"?

Maybe it's just me. It's not even a case of me disliking the vision. I just hate the way the phrase sounds -- totalitarian or something. What if we decide we don't like HIS vision?

Anyway, do we know how those 4,500 marina jobs would be broken down? Specifically, I'm wondering, would that be 4,500 new jobs solely at the marina, or would they be split between the marina and the growth of existing maritime industries in the state?