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jencoleslaw

By jencoleslaw
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jencoleslaw Town

jencoleslaw

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just got the agenda for next week's CPC:

NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2006 5:00 P.M.

Providence Public Safety Complex

1st Floor Auditorium

325 Washington Street

Providence, Rhode Island 02903

OPENING SESSION

Call to Order at 5:00 p.m.

Roll Call

Approval of Minutes: Regular Meetings of July 24, 2006 and July 25, 2006

DIRECTOR

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JimmyGreaves Hamlet

JimmyGreaves

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Jen,

How many street abandonment requests does CPC receive each year, and, if you know, how does this compare to other cities? Not knowing the situations which form the basis of each request, it just seems counterintuitive to abandon streets unless the justification is overwhelming. Why interupt the structure of a neighborhood and eliminate any opportunity for community development by erasing streets from a city map? I'll admit ignorance on any justified reason, but that's just my gut feel.

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jencoleslaw Town

jencoleslaw

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Jen,

How many street abandonment requests does CPC receive each year, and, if you know, how does this compare to other cities? Not knowing the situations which form the basis of each request, it just seems counterintuitive to abandon streets unless the justification is overwhelming. Why interupt the structure of a neighborhood and eliminate any opportunity for community development by erasing streets from a city map? I'll admit ignorance on any justified reason, but that's just my gut feel.

i do not know how many we get a year --maybe 20? maybe more...but what it doesn't usually say on the agenda is which is some of these streets are paper streets, meaning they are on paper only, never turned into city streets...I have no idea how many more or fewer of these that we do compared to other cities. There is a set of criteria, as laid out in the comp plan about what makes a street "abandonable," and what does not. But like any other important yet vague document, it is sometimes open to creative interpretation...

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brick Burg

brick

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6. Case No. 06-035MA 131-133 Pitman Street (Public Hearing)

Request for Preliminary Plan stage approval for the construction of a 20,000 square foot retail development. The subject property is located on the south side of Pitman Street near the intersection of Butler Avenue. (AP 15, Lot 591). The master plan for this project was approved at the May 16, 2006 meeting. (Fox Point)

I missed this before. I assume this is an addition to the already standing plaza (with East side marketplace)? Or is this another standalong building, a la the Brooks that sits there?

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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Why interupt the structure of a neighborhood and eliminate any opportunity for community development by erasing streets from a city map?

The Smith Hill abandonedment sounds like people are sick of it being used as a dump. Some good code enforcement could fix that (not being familiar with the street in question though I can't completely speak to the necessity of it).

Lyman and Stewart are for Metrolofts. Stewart currently sits too close to the Service Road to make the land between the two useful for much, Metrolofts will move Stewart away from the Service Road increasing the lot size to allow for their project to move forward. Lyman Street is currently a dead end, it no longer connects to the Service Road, it will be truncated at the relocated Stewart Street.

Barclay Street is for the (so-called) Atwells Parcel development between Federal and Broadway at the Service Road. It's a one block street that only runs between Broadway and Federal. Neighboring Bradford Street is a suitable replacement. In fact, I'd like to see Bradford Street improved (well I'd like to see every street improved), with better lighting signage and a sense of place to connect Broadway, Atwells, and West Exchange. Installing a traffic signal at Atwells and Bradford should be considered in light of the heavy pedestrian traffic around Dunkin Donuts and Dominica Manor.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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i do not know how many we get a year --maybe 20? maybe more...but what it doesn't usually say on the agenda is which of these streets are paper streets, meaning they are on paper only, never turned into city streets...

Not all 'abandoned streets' actually go away either. RISD had the alleys between ISB, the Design Center, and the Auditorium abandoned after the river relocation project when Canal Street at that location ceased to be a street (rather a walkway). The alleys are still there, but they now belong to RISD (and are being used for parking <_< ). I'd like to see a mechanism/policy whereby streets can be abandoned, but remain open to pedestrian and foot traffic. Some of the alleys on Federal Hill off Atwells could certainly go away, but keeping them open to foot traffic would be preferable in some cases.

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Garris Town

Garris

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I missed this before. I assume this is an addition to the already standing plaza (with East side marketplace)? Or is this another standalong building, a la the Brooks that sits there?

Odd address. That should be near the intersection of Wayland and Pitman, the building on the South side of the street West of the sales center for East Side Commons. The Brooks market fits most of the area of Pitman fronting East Side Market, and the Salvation Army is at the interesection of Butler and Pitman.

Strange...

i will be excited to see so many of you at the CPC meeting next week!

A tad early, but I should be able to make it!

- Garris

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oak Unincorporated Area

oak

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Odd address. That should be near the intersection of Wayland and Pitman, the building on the South side of the street West of the sales center for East Side Commons. The Brooks market fits most of the area of Pitman fronting East Side Market, and the Salvation Army is at the interesection of Butler and Pitman.

Strange...

A tad early, but I should be able to make it!

- Garris

If this Wayland/Pitman project is the same one that came before the ZBR (and I think it is), the developer wants to build a a new strip mall in the parking lot. The model home/sales office will come down eventually. There was a lot of discussion about whether one main large tenant would occupy the space or if several small merchants would occupy it. Apparently, the owner of Wayland Wine is worried that a large package store in this location would put him out of businees. The applicant wouldn't indicate who the tenant(s) were going to be. The developer testified that the proposed building will mimic the look of the existing strip with Blockbuster/Bank RI etc.

For those of you who are interested, the next ZBR meeting is the same night as this CPC meeting. Capitol Cove and the Masonic Temple signage are on the agenda.

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Garris Town

Garris

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Apparently, the owner of Wayland Wine is worried that a large package store in this location would put him out of businees.

Why would a package store put a wine place out of business? Apparently the Wayland Wine folks believe in the danger, as I heard they sold out and the people doing the Wayland Wine renovation right now are new owners.

I always wondered if they were going to put another strip plaza there, as the parking lot is clearly configured for it.

For those of you who are interested, the next ZBR meeting is the same night as this CPC meeting. Capitol Cove and the Masonic Temple signage are on the agenda.

Ack, what time and where is that again? Must... See... If... Capitol... Cove... Is... For... Real...

- Garris

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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Ack, what time and where is that again? Must... See... If... Capitol... Cove... Is... For... Real...

ZBR is 5:30pm at City Hall link [pdf]

Want to split the meetings between us and meet-up after to compare notes?

CAPITOL PROPERTIES, INC., OWNER AND CAPITOL COVE, LLC,

APPLICANT: 80 Smith Street (bounded by Canal Street, Park Row

West & the Railroad), Lot 261 & 262 on the Tax Assessor’s Plat 4

located in a Downcity D-1 Zone and the Capital Center District (Parcel

6); filed an application to be relieved from Section 306.1.2 in the

proposed construction of two buildings totaling 300,000 square of

floor area containing commercial space, 260 residential dwelling units

and structured parking. The proposed uses are permitted within this

D-1 district. The applicant requesting a dimensional variance,

whereby, D-1 regulations require that new structures be built to the

property line at the street level. The applicant proposes a setback for

the struture at the Smith Street property line and requests to taper the

setback of the building face from the property line along Park Row

West. The lots in question contain approximately 211,474 square feet

of land area.

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gregw Hamlet

gregw

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Obviously I didn't... Why is it called a package store?

- Garris

Good question. Probably a Temperance Movement-inspired euphemism of some sort. You don't buy the booze but the "package" that contains it. You hear the term in Mass and probably other parts of New England as well.

Now you'll know what people mean when they say they have to make a "packy run," i.e go to the liquor store!

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Garris Town

Garris

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Want to split the meetings between us and meet-up after to compare notes?

Sounds good. I wouldn't mind taking the Zoning Board Meeting at 5:30, as that would be a safer time for me to reliably make the meeting.

- Garris

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JimmyGreaves Hamlet

JimmyGreaves

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Do we have a count as to how many from UP Providence will be showing up at either CPC or ZBR meetings? I was planning on going to CPC, but I am flexible to attend ZBR in case we already have CPC covered.

Jen - You probably can't speak for ZBR, but is there some way for me or any of us to further research the items on CPC's agenda before the meeting in order to better understand what CPC is being asked to approve? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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I think Garris is planning to go to zoning, and I'm going to CPC. But I think Garris might not have been sure if he'd be called into work. Send him a PM and if he's got it covered, then you can go to whichever you want. I think Garris and I are going to meet up after the meetings.

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