DATE: Thursday, October 15
TIME: 6:30-8PM
LOCATION: Newport Gateway Visitor’s Center | 23 America's Cup Ave, Newport, RI 02840
WHAT: The Alliance for a Livable Newport is hosting a public forum to review and provide feedback on the RIPTA/City proposal for repairs and resiliency improvement to the exterior of the Newport Gateway and Visitors’ Center. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments to planning@ripta.com
Speakers:
* Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, Mayor, City of Newport
* Evan Smith - Discover Newport CEO
* Lillian Shuey Picchione - RIPTA, Director of Capital Development
General Project Goals:
* Restore overhead passenger protection
* Reduce surface runoff from the site in order to minimize the impact on Newport’s sewer system and also to mitigate flooding in future storms
* Bring the facility up to industry standards for an intermodal hub – including improvements in lighting, signage and other features that will make it easier for the public to make their transit connections
* Respect the facility’s importance to the State’s tourism industry and its local impact by giving special attention to design and aesthetics
Project information available can be found here: www.ripta.com/newport-gateway-center (http://www.ripta.com/newport-gateway-center ) Background - General Project Goals - Funding - Progress to Date
INFRASTRUCTURE
City of Newport – Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update Kick-Off Meeting, October 13th
http://cityofnewport.com/departments/planning-development/comprehensive-land-use-plan
WHEN: Tuesday October 13th 6:30-8:30pm
WHERE: Pell School | 35 Dexter St., Newport RI
The City of Newport and the Planning Board are in process of updating the Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan. This update includes only the updating of data and statistics to keep the document that was adopted in 2004 in compliance with current State requirements.
The State of Rhode Island has issued new requirements for municipalities to include in their next Comprehensive Plan. After the data revisions are complete and adopted, Newport will begin the process of reviewing and revising the entire document to bring it in compliance with the new State regulations that go into effect as of June 1st, 2016.
The following links contain the 2004 Comprehensive Land Use Plan as adopted in 2004 by the City Council. This document forms the legal basis for all land use decisions made by the City as well as Zoning Ordinances and Land Development – Subdivision Regulations. All Zoning and Land Development Amendments enacted must be in compliance with the adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
- Title Page – Table of Contents
- Element 1 – Executive Summary
- Element 2 – Land Use
- Element 2 – Appendices
- Element 3 – Housing
- Element 4 – Economic Development
- Element 5 – Natural & Cultural Resources
- Element 6 – Community Facilities & Services
- Element 7 – Open Space & Recreation
- Element 8 – Circulation
ALN public forum – Newport’s Department of Public Services 10/6 @ 5:30 Newport Public Library
The first in a series of public forums sponsored by The Alliance for a Livable Newport – Please JOIN US!
DATE: Tuesday, October 6
TIME: 5:30-7PM
LOCATION: Newport Public Library Program Room
WHAT: The Alliance for a Livable Newport to present a community forum featuring Newport’s Department of Public Services (http://www.cityofnewport.com/departments/public-services) which is responsible for maintaining the City’s infrastructure and providing essential services. Following a presentation, members of the department will answer questions from the audience.
Just who is responsible for: Potholes? Parking? Tree cutting? Snowplowing? Beach maintenance? Garbage bins? Graffiti? Street sweeping? Sidewalks? Grass mowing? Traffic control? City basketball courts?
Speakers: William Riccio, Director of Public Services along with
* Scott Wheeler: Buildings and Grounds Supervisor
* William Boardman: City Engineer
* Erik Reis: Beach Manager
* Ed Harrigan: Recreation Administrator
* Maureen McManus: Clean City Coordinator
Public Services Include:
* The Operations Administration Division.
* The Clean City Program manages the collection of solid waste, yard waste, recycling and litter.
* Traffic Control Division installs and maintains all traffic control devices and pavement markings.
* The Streets and Sidewalks Division maintains the streets and sidewalks.
* The Engineering Services Division reviews and inspects all work within the City’s rights of way.
* The Trees, Parks & Grounds Maintenance Division maintains all city parks, athletic fields, historic cemeteries and the Cliff Walk.
* The Facilities Management & Maintenance Division.
* The Vehicle Management Division.
Amy Hoag, Newport Resident, expresses her concerns with proposed parking changes.
Proposed_Parking_Changes_Map copy (click to download)
Docket Action Item #5245:14 (click to download)
The city will hold a public parking workshop on Thursday, March 20th at 6:30 pm in the community room at the police station to review the proposed sticker parking changes. If you are not able to attend but would like to make comment, please email the city councilors whose contact information is listed below.
Last week at the city council meeting, the council received a report recommending expanding the Residential Parking Program (sticker parking) to include high density areas, areas with little to no off-street parking, and residential areas in mixed use or near major tourist sections of Newport; this change would eliminate the petition process for the proposed streets. The streets proposed for inclusion in the Residential Parking Program include:
All roads west of Broadway up to A-1 Pizza and west to Van Zandt Ave. Southern end is Farewell Street and Thames down to Bucci’s liquor.
Everything north of Touro street between Kay and Broadway all the way up to Rhode Island Ave.
Warner, Broadway, and Marcus Wheatland are not restricted.
This directly impacts our neighborhood and has been a topic of discussion in our meetings regularly. Congdon Ave petitioned for and received sticker parking last year and neighboring streets have shown an interest in doing so. Rather than having a domino effect and dealing with petitions on a street by street basis, the report recommends extending the residential parking program (sticker parking) to our neighborhood as parking has become difficult for residents with the influx of traffic to the Broadway businesses.
The report also recommends metered parking on Broadway from Washington Square to the police station. One question that has been posed to me directly is whether or not meters should go further north and stop at Dunkin Donuts.
Please do take the time to provide your thoughts and comments either directly to our city councilors, through the workshop or through OBNA.
Please see attached for the report and a map.
Thanks, Amy
Public Workshop -Thursday, March 20, 6:30 – Assembly Room – Newport Police Station – City Manager’s City Parking Programs Report
This impacts the whole of Newport. You are encouraged to get this information out to your constituents and friends. Please see below the details I copied from the City Council docket last Wednesday when the issue was introduced.
If you can’t open this link, go to the City website and check out the Council docket from last week – March 12 – under Communications from the City Manager, click on number 14.
http://clerkshq.com/content/Attachments/newport-ri/140312_33.pdf?clientSite=newport-ri
City of Newport seeks public input on capital improvement program planning document.
http://opinionnewport.mindmixer.com/category/five-year-capital-improvement-program
Five-Year Capital Improvement Program
The City has a rolling five-year plan for capital improvements. Capital improvements include facilities, infrastructure (road, water, sewer and bridge), major equipment replacement, land purchase or large asset acquisition.This initiative is in the planning phase. Any documents that are included within this project are planning documents only, not financial documents.
For more information about how your input will be used, please click here.
-
1200241 Days RemainingAdd your Ideas -
92059 Days RemainingAdd your Ideas -
680241 Days RemainingAdd your Ideas
November 14th @ 6pm Free Public Forum – City of Newport Commissions
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Related articles
ALN public forum – Newport Daily News article Oct. 31, page 1
Neighbors air concerns over plan for marina
By Sean Flynn Staff writer Newport Daily News http://www.newportdailynews.com/
NEWPORT — A new 25-slip marina the Hyatt Regency Newport hotel is proposing to build northeast of Goat Island would have floating docks 100 to 150 feet offshore so as not to interfere with the eelgrass beds along the shoreline, according to the marina’s designer. SEE the FORUM VIDEO HERE
Gus Kreuzkamp, owner and master engineer of Harbor Engineering LLC of Barrington, presented the marina plans to more than two dozen people who gathered at the Newport Public Library Wednesday night for a forum sponsored by the Alliance for a Livable Newport. Most of those who attended are residents of the Point, the neighborhood just opposite the proposed marina site. Bart Dunbar, who lives on Bridge Street, brought up the eelgrass buffer zone because he believes the marina would “stick out egregiously into public waters.”
The state Coastal Resources Management Council “could allow the marina closer to shore above the eelgrass,” Dunbar said. It depends on how many people on the council are “eelgrass supporters,” he said.
Kreuzkamp disagreed. The project requires both federal and state approval, he said. In his discussions with a representative of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it was clear “there is no way to get floats over an eelgrass area,” he said. “It’s a non-starter to do anything over or near eelgrass. The National Marine and Fisheries Service is very protective of these fields.”
Eelgrass beds serve as nurseries for many species of economically important fish and shellfish.
Kreuzkamp and Bob Lacasse, the Hyatt’s general manager, heard neighborhood concerns and fielded questions for close to two hours at the forum. They met privately two weeks ago with residents of the Point to make sure they knew the hotel will not permit Jet Skis, cigar boats, parasailing or loud parties at the marina because they would disturb hotel guests as well as nearby residents.
Lacasse emphasized that point during the forum.
“Our clients want to get out of New York and enjoy the tranquility of Newport,” he said. “They do not want to run into cigar boats here.”
The marina would provide potential clients with docking space for their yachts, he said.
“All we are looking for is an on opportunity to increase our business,” he said.
The marina plans were presented this month to the city’s Waterfront Commission and the Planning Board. The City Council plans to hold a public hearing on the plans at its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Isabel Griffith, president of the Alliance for a Livable Newport, said the Planning Board has recommended the number of slips be reduced from 25 to 15 and that there be a public dinghy dock at the marina.
“The two boards approved the plan with reservations, limitations and recommendations,” she said. Councilman Justin S. McLaughlin said the council would receive the reports of the Waterfront Commission and the Planning Board, and make its own recommendations on what requirements and conditions should be imposed on the proposed marina.
“It is unlikely the council would vote against the proposal,” he said. Ward 1 Councilman Marco T. Camacho, who represents the area that would be impacted by the marina, also was present at the forum and responded to residents’ concerns. While the Coastal Resources Management Council will take the city’s recommendations into consideration, it is CRMC that will make the final decision, the council members said.
The council and City Manager Jane Howington will be requesting that CRMC hold a public hearing on the proposal in Newport, McLaughlin said.
The earliest the marina would be open for business would be the boating season of 2015, Kreuzkamp said.
Some residents of the Point were concerned about the size of the boats that would be docked at the marina. The Hyatt’s plan showed the outline of two 100-foot-long boats at the outer dock. The Planning Board is recommending boat lengths be limited to 50 feet, Griffith said.
The city maintains a mooring field offshore of Goat Island, and four of the moorings will be relocated, as agreed to by Newport Harbor master Tim Mills, Kreuzkamp said, so there is at least a 150-foot channel between the docked boats and the mooring field. From the edge of the easternmost dock to the mooring field would be 194 feet. Boats would be tied parallel to the dock so they would not interfere with the channel, he said.
Some residents were concerned about fueling operations at the marina. Lacasse said no fueling would be allowed.
Others were concerned about possible sewage spills from the boats, since people swim, kayak and paddleboard from the piers along the Point shoreline. Kreuzkamp said there would be an efficient pump-out station at the marina and modern boats are designed to avoid such spills.
Not all Point residents present were opposed to the marina plan.
John Shea, president of the Driftwood Condominium Association, said “most of the condo owners are in favor of the marina.” The condominiums are on the waterfront near the Elm Street Pier and face the Hyatt.
“We’d love to see the company make that shoreline more appealing,” he said.
Lauren Carson, a resident of the Point and a member of the city’s Energy and Environment Commission, said the marina should be a “green.”
“I’d love to see this become a sustainable marina,” she said.
Lacasse and Kreuzkamp said that is their goal as well.
“Absolutely,” Kreuzkamp said.
Related articles
Video of Public Forum proposed Hyatt Marina + Detailed Engineering Plans
20131010_Hyatt Dock_Presentation Set < click to download Hyatt Marina Engineering Drawings, design, plans
Hyatt Marina Proposal from Alliance for Livable Newport on Vimeo.
Proposed Goat Island Hyatt Hotel Marina October 2013
Preliminary Design, Details, Drawings for your review
The images shown below illustrate the plans for a new marina filed by the Hyatt Hotel on Goat Island. These development plans and proposals have been or will be shared with various officials, groups, organizations, departments and individuals including:
- The Waterfront Commission
- The Planning Board
- Newport Harbormaster
- The Point Association of Newport, Rhode Island
At those meetings, questions are answered and comments offered about the appropriateness of the facility.
The ALN Public Forum on October 30 – 6:00 to 7:30pm at the Newport Public Library will provide an opportunity for the public to see these plans, drawings, designs and images, make comments, and have their questions answered by members of the Hyatt Hotel administration and staff.
2 Important new websites – Engage Newport + Mind Mixer are live! What does this mean for Newport?
Engage Newport is an evolving forum for opinions and ideas about our city’s major initiatives. Alongside elected representatives, local media and community organizations, Engage Newport is another channel of communication between city government and the people of Newport.
Opinion Newport is home to an ongoing series of surveys about major city issues and initiatives affecting Newport’s future. Starting with community resilience in the face of rising sea levels, you are invited to join the conversation about what matters to you.
This section shares select information and opinion from a City government perspective. Be sure to visit the city’s home page at www.cityofnewport.com to navigate the full spectrum of city services, city calendars and more.
This series of articles will highlight and explain opportunities for public engagement in shaping the future of our community. Learn more about your elected representatives , boards and commissions , & community organizations
Related articles
