Three meetings of the Charlestown Town Council are scheduled for this week:
Monday, August 28, Executive Session at 6:15 pm,
Monday public meeting at 7:00 pm,
Tuesday, August 29, Special Meeting at 6:00 pm.
The Executive Session at 6:15 on Monday, August 28, at 6:15 pm is to discuss the possible land acquisition of the lot at the corner of South County Trail and New Biscuit City Road (Lot 43-1 pictured below). On May 22, the Council referred to the idea of purchasing that property for the purpose of installing a kayak/canoe launch facility and parking. After an Executive Session meeting on July 10, the Council voted to take next steps that could eventually lead toward public use of the property: survey the property to determine the boundaries, hire an environmental engineering company to evaluate the property for possible uses, have the property appraised, and form a coalition to propose uses for the property including but not limited to RI DEM, RI DOT, Wood-Pawcatuck Scenic Rivers, and the Army Corps of Engineers. It is unclear if all the items on that list could be completed this soon.
The agenda and supporting documents for the August 28 7:00 pm meeting can be read here.
It seems like the meeting could be fairly short:
An October 22, 2023 Food Truck event at Ninigret Park, similar to recent ones that drew significant crowds and rave reviews, will be considered for approval.
Correct and clarification to the July 24, 2023 Town Council Minutes will be discussed.
There will be a discussion of a change in ownership of the Shannock Falls affordable housing development, which requires some agreement by the Town because of the Town's contribution to the project. The Consent Certificate needing the Town's approval can be seen here.
On Tuesday, August 29, starting at 6:00 pm, the Town Council will hold a special meeting Concerning Potential Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to Allow Subdivision Options Regarding Cluster and Conservation Development. This has been a topic of some discussion for months (see here, here, here, and here) and this meeting will be a chance for the Council to discuss it. Any proposed changes will require more steps, including a public hearing, but a framework for changes could be proposed in this discussion. Some ideas are included in the agenda packet.
As usual, people may attend in person or online through WebEx, as described in the agenda. People watching online will not be able to comment or ask questions. The video of the session should be available for viewing in the morning after the meeting on the meetings page. It will be down the page in the Past Meetings section.