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Planning Board Approves Several Applications - November 9th 2021
RICHMOND PLANNING BOARD
Planning Board Approves Several Applications
November 9, 2021
By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA
RICHMOND — Members of the Planning Board approved four applications for zoning and comprehensive plan amendments at their Nov. 9 meeting.
A public hearing on a combined master and preliminary plan application by Kevin Gilligan for a three-lot major subdivision concluded with the board’s unanimous approval.
Gilligan requested comprehensive plan and zoning amendments to allow the creation of a three-lot subdivision on the 54-acre property at 334 Church Street, on which there are, currently, a solar array and one single family home.
Town Planner Shaun Lacey explained that the application required a public hearing because it was classified as a major subdivision.
“This subdivision was designed in the spirit of a minor subdivision,” he said. “There’s no new street proposed, however, due to the fact that a formal waiver from the yield plan was requested, that would re-classify the project as a major subdivision, so that leads us to why it was scheduled for public hearing tonight.”
Board member Nancy Hess noted that the presence of a solar array, a non-residential use, was also a factor.
“Under the state enabling law, because there’s a non-residential use on the third lot, it actually kicks it into the major classification,” she said.
Lacey recommended to the board that it accept the waiver and approve both the master and preliminary plans.
The board approved an application by the Coastal Farms medical marijuana cultivation facility to add a warehouse and greenhouse to the five-acre parcel at 66 Kingstown Road.
The proposal calls for the construction of a 2,880-square foot storage building and a 4,032 - square foot greenhouse. The existing growing facility, which opened four years ago, is 14,500 square feet.
Board Chair Philip Damicis and Hess had questions about the exterior lighting and asked co-owner Patrick Kilroy why the lighting on the existing building was not dark sky-compliant.
“Honestly, I’ve seen photos of it and generally, if it’s a wonderfully dark night and you’re up at a higher elevation, you can see the glow from the building,” he said. “It kind of circumvents our whole dark sky compliance.”
“We’re conscious of that,” co-owner Patrick Kilroy said. “We’ll make sure that it’s shut.”
Damicis asked how Coastal Farms controls odors, an issue which has prompted neighboring business owners to oppose a new marijuana-growing proposal on Stilson Road.
Co-owner Steven Rhoner provided an overview of several mitigation measures his company takes to mitigate odors, which include an air scrubber.
“If you have driven by, you’ll see we have roof vents open…That is actually bringing air in through those vents,” he said. "Once it goes through those vents, it gets essentially scrubbed through those air screeners.”
The company, Rhoner said, also uses ultraviolet wipes, charcoal filters and exhaust fans that clean the air using odor mitigation similar to those used in agriculture.
After receiving assurances that the appearances of the two new buildings would blend with the existing structure, the board approved the application.
Mary Fasano and Ronald Fasano received approval of their application for amendments to the comprehensive plan and zoning map at 61 Tefft Hill Road.
The Fasanos want to re-zone a two-acre section in the northwest corner of the 42-acre lot from single-family residential to light industrial and move their family business, the Fasano Corporation, from Cranston to the site, which borders Nooseneck Road. The Fasanos plan to add a light manufacturing building for the fabrication of metals.
Also requesting zoning map and comprehensive plan changes was the fourth applicant, Lawrence Casey, for two properties at 301 and 310 Nooseneck Hill Road. The parcels are both in residential zones which Casey is asking the town to amend to light industrial.
Representing Casey, engineer Christopher Duhamel explained that as the owner of the well water treatment company, Aqua Science, Casey needed more space for his business, so he purchased the 11.9-acre property across the road, where he hopes to build a 40,000-square foot distribution center and warehouse.
“They wanted more indoor storage,” he said. “They rented trailers to hold some of their product, but because they have so much business, they’re constantly looking for more storage…They’re not in the market to subdivide this or to sell it. It’s just for Aqua Science.”
Casey said he did not plan to add employees.
“Our growth, warehouse side, would be administration, purchasing, receiving shipping,” he said. “We do a tremendous amount of social media stuff - do it from that location and keep it out of our service department and let our service department run as a service department, without this other stuff.”
The board approved the zoning and comprehensive plan amendments.
All four applications will now go before the Town Council.
Please follow the link below to access full coverage of October Planning Board and Planning-Town Council meetings.
https://www.brvca.org/news-archives
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Beaver River Valley Community Association
P.O. Box 10, Shannock, RI 02875
Email: beaverrivervalley@gmail.com
Website: https://www.brvca.org