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 Recommendations for Growth Centers |
News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM RELEASES GOVERNOR'S GROWTH PLANNING COUNCIL REPORT The council's work this year focused primarily on developing a strategic investment policy that would draw public investments to locally designated areas that have been prioritized for growth. To that end, the council has recommended the establishment of growth centers as economically and environmentally sound development opportunities. Growth centers are compact, mixed-use areas in which development would be encouraged through incentives and the elimination of unnecessary regulations that discourage compact growth. Such centers, the council noted in its letter of transmittal to Governor Almond, would maintain and enhance the historic cities, traditional town and village centers, beaches, agricultural lands and forests that contribute so much to the quality of life that is Rhode Island's greatest strength. The recommendations do not seek to obstruct development outside of growth centers; rather, they give priority to public investments that will facilitate investment within these areas. The council defines growth centers as dynamic and efficient centers for development that have a core of commercial and community services, residential development, and natural and built landmarks and boundaries that provide a sense of place. Under the proposal, available resources would be targeted to growth centers, and infrastructure would be sized to support designated compact growth. Locations would have a variety of transportation choices, and community design within each center would contribute to a sense of place. The center approach also avoids converting working lands, such as prime farmland and forestland, into development. The report provides specific criteria to guide a community in designating an area as a growth center. The report also calls for the identification of discretionary state agency funding sources and regulatory changes that could be used as incentives, a process for designating state support and incentives, steps to implement the program, and potentials for regional cooperation. The council, in its report, also notes its continued support of restoration and development of Brownfields sites, which are primarily old contaminated industrial sites. The report lists a number of steps that have been taken in the past year on the federal, state and local levels to make investment in such sites more attractive to developers. The council also supported a nine-hour core curriculum in land use training initiated by Grow Smart Rhode Island and a coalition of agencies and organizations that was attended by officials from 14 communities. Training will resume in the fall with addition supplemental courses. The council plans to tackle several issues next year, including regionalism, or how cross-boundary issues can be addressed cooperatively; property tax policy, or the impacts of shifting property wealth on the economic, environmental, and social health of communities; and how to best integrate drinking water supply policy with policies for land use planning. Jan Reitsma, Director of the Department of Environmental Management, and Tom Schumpert, former Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, now with Roger Williams University, chair the 27-member council. Membership is comprised of representatives from both the public and private sector. Members include General Assembly leadership; the Governor's policy director; and heads of state agencies including Statewide Planning and the Department of Transportation; the Economic Policy Council; and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. The council also has members from environmental, private business and advocacy groups with representatives from Grow Smart Rhode Island; the Nature Conservancy; Save the Bay; the Rhode Island Builders Association; the AFL/CIO; New England Electric Systems; and experts in urban and minority issues. The Governor's Growth Planning Council's Annual Report for 2002 can be found on DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Publications". -30- |
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