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City of Newport, Rhode Island |
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The Rhode Island Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act of 1988 (RI Gen’l Laws § 45-22.2) required every city and town in the State of Rhode Island to develop a new
comprehensive plan and to update existing comprehensive plans every five years. The scope of
the act was broad. Communities were required to address virtually every aspect of community
life including land use, housing, economic development, natural and cultural resources,
community facilities and services, recreation and open space and circulation. The State
mandated that each community encourage citizen involvement in the development of their plans
as an important part of the planning process.
The Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act of 1988 required adoption of a
number of goals and objectives for each of the subject areas. Every community was mandated
to address a specific list of concerns. From these concerns, the communities were to develop
implementation strategies to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the plan.
A community's Comprehensive Plan forms the legal basis for zoning ordinances and subdivision
and land development regulations in the individual cities and towns. It is a powerful tool with
which the community identifies its policies for use of publicly and privately owned land. All zoning and land development ordinances enacted by a community must be consistent with the community’s comprehensive plan. Indeed, a non-conforming zoning or land development
ordinance will be found unenforceable upon challenge in the courts.
The Rhode Island Zoning Enabling Act of 1991 (R.I. Gen’l Laws § 45-24) afforded communities the regulatory tools necessary to achieve the broad-ranging goals, policies and recommendations of the comprehensive plan. Communities must revise their zoning ordinances to bring them into
conformity with the comprehensive plan. Likewise, the Land Development and Subdivision
Review Enabling Act of 1992 (R.I. Gen’l Laws § 45-23), requires a community’s subdivision regulations to conform to the tenets of the comprehensive plan.
Newport has long had a professional planning staff and concerned and conscientious citizens to
serve on its Planning and Zoning Boards. However, their decisions were made in the light of
Newport's Master Plan of 1972, a thoughtful and well-drafted document, but one which could
not have contemplated the relocation of Navy ships in the 1970s, the real estate boom and
development pressures of the 1980s, and the recession and lack of municipal revenue options at
the beginning of the 1990s. Moreover, the zoning ordinances in effect in Newport before the
adoption of the 1991 Comprehensive Plan were drafted under state enabling legislation dating
back to the 1920's. That law, together with a patchwork of court decisions over the ensuing
decades, failed to give Newport's planners and regulatory bodies the tools to structure the
community's growth in an orderly way or to protect scenic, historic and natural resources.
The current Comprehensive Land Use Plan has been updated for 2002 by the Newport Planning
Board. This plan should be considered a road map for the citizens and officials governing
Newport, to lead this special city into the next century. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan
serves as a guide for City officials. In the future, unforeseeable circumstances may alter some of
the details and/or timing of the implementation strategies in this document.
Newport is a unique city. Situated in an incomparably beautiful location on the Atlantic Coast,
Newport has a rich history, extending back some three and one-half centuries. The city's fabric
of neighborhoods is generously sprinkled with parks and green spaces. The quality of life in the
community is one of its greatest attractions. Newport's proximity to the urban centers of Boston,
New York, and Providence make it appealing as a tourist destination, as a business environment,
and as a home.
A. THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF NEWPORT Newport is rich in natural resources to the resident or the casual visitor. Wildlife habitats exist on large tracts of land still intact within the city. For the enjoyment and use of residents and visitors to the city, there are major state parks, city parks, and old estates concentrated within the
southern portion of the city. Scattered parks exist in neighborhoods throughout the city. Fresh
and salt water wetlands act shelter a diversity of animal and plant life. The waters around the city
support a small but vital fishery.
Newport's natural resources have contributed greatly to its recreational resources. The city is
ringed by beaches accessible to the public. Boating is a popular activity for residents and
visitors, alike, and Newport's location contributes to the city’s role as host for major sailing
competitions and events. The city promotes an effective and diverse recreation program
benefiting youth and adults through a variety of activities.
Throughout the city’s history, Newporters have valued and enjoyed the natural environment, and
have regularly expressed a desire to preserve public access to Newport's natural resources and
for the importance of preservation of open space. The survey conducted by the CAC in 1991
found substantial support for the value of Newport's natural resources to present and future
residents and visitors.
Prior to the adoption of the 1991 Comprehensive Land Use Plan large tracts of open-space were
developed for residential purposes, creating concomitant problems for water quality due to storm
water run-off. Despite an extant body of state and local regulations intended to protect open
space and environmentally sensitive ecosystems, litigation under ancient zoning precedents
undermined the city's ability to protect its natural resources. Moreover, an erstwhile lack of tools
to meaningfully measure and evaluate the impact of development hampered the city's efforts to
protect the quality of life for its residents.
The City of Newport has been hindered in its ability to purchase available open space for
protection in perpetuity. During the 1990s the city purchased a number of open space parcels as
well as created the Critical Area Review Commission. The city's tools need to be continually
refined, and new avenues need to be explored and developed to allow the city to protect it's
natural richness.
B. THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF NEWPORT
The citizens of Newport, as well as the city’s numerous visitors, cherish the City's wealth of
history. The city's architectural stock is rich with treasures, ranging from the early and simple
Wanton-Lyman Hazard House, to the more formal and elegant structures of the 18th century,
such as Trinity Church, Touro Synagogue, and Hunter House, to the late 19th and early 20th
century opulent "summer cottages" of the Four Hundred, including the Breakers, Marble House,
and other elegant mansions.
Those buildings open for public inspection are complemented by the stock of buildings occupied
by Newport residents. The Point and Hill neighborhoods contain restored specimens of 18th
century architecture. The West Broadway, Broadway, and Fifth Ward neighborhoods preserve
the homes of a later period that reflect working class and emigrant populations. Neighborhoods
throughout Newport continue to reflect the Navy presence in Newport. From Park Holm in the
North End to Fort Adams, housing constructed for members of the United States Navy from the
Civil War period to the present.
Much of the controversy surrounding land use decisions has centered around Newport's harbor
front. The Harbor is a special part of Newport's heritage, with a history of trade, fishing, sailing,
and as a military port. The community continues to express a strong concern for the preservation
of a working waterfront with an emphasis upon traditional maritime uses. Newport finds itself
with significant vacant and underutilized tracts along the harbor. Newporters must balance the
romantic appeal of an historic waterfront with the ever growing presence of hospitality or visitororiented
uses, and plan to preserve the heritage of the waterfront, while allowing for responsible
development that promotes public access and open space opportunities..
C. NEWPORT’S NEIGHBORHOODS
Newport is special, in large part, due to the distinct character of its many neighborhoods. Each
neighborhood has an identifiable essence shaped by its architecture and the diversity of its
residents. These neighborhoods define the social fabric of Newport.
However, many of Newport’s neighborhoods continue to experience significant changes.
Federally funded urban renewal projects in the 1960s radically changed the face of the
downtown area, in some places completely obliterating historic architecture and streetscapes.
The reduction in the local Naval fleet in 1973 was an important factor in the local economy.
Recently, Newport has experienced a renaissance as a visitor destination. While the hospitality
industry brings economic growth to Newport, it is not without inherent consequences of
increased traffic, noise, pollution, parking congestion, and strain on physical infrastructure .
Neighborhood associations, city administration, and elected officials have allied to address these
problems.
Additionally, Newport is an attractive community to people seeking a second residence or a
locale to retire. The resultant "gentrification" of certain neighborhoods, most notably, the
Historic Hill and West Broadway-Kerry Hill neighborhoods, historically home for black
families. A booming real estate market and condominium conversions drives upward the price of
available homes in the city so as to price out housing affordability.
The city's elementary schools were always central to neighborhood life, and a part of the family's
identification with the neighborhood. Neighborhood schools continue as an important quality of
life issue for Newport’s citizens..
D. NEWPORT’S ECONOMY
Diversification is an important component in the local and regional economy. In 1998, there
were 11,975 private sector jobs in Newport. The major employer in the community for the last
century has been the United States Navy. The Navy is the largest employer on Aquidneck Island
with 7,552 employees in 2001. Approximately 60% of the employees are civilian staff and
nearly 20 % are enrolled in various education and training programs. In 2001 Payroll for Naval
Station Newport was nearly $238 million for civilian personnel, $97 million for permanent
active duty military personnel, and $115 million for students. Total payroll was $450 million.
An important element in Newport’s economy during the last three decades has been the tourism
industry. With the growth of tourism has come a list of problems related to the industry,
including traffic, noise and burdens on municipal services. Most of the employment
opportunities generated by the tourism industry are low-paying service-sector jobs, and do not
offer many opportunities for advancement to local residents. Newport must restructure its
involvement with that industry to meet the community's needs on a year-round basis. The City
can cooperate with the tourist industry to minimize the burdens on the municipal infrastructure,
and can also seek to develop the means to divert the cost of tourist related services to the
recipient of the services.
The community must identify methods of diversifying it’s the local economy, in order to provide
meaningful employment opportunities for Newport residents. City officials should focus on
economic development opportunities and the requirements of a skilled pool of labor . Economic
development would preferably be integrated with neighboring communities, and may require a
careful restructuring of our vocational educational resources to meet those needs.
Rhode Island communities are generally dependent on the local property tax, generally
burdening taxpayers. Citizens are reluctant to accept a reduction in those services we have come
to expect from our government. We must, therefore, diversify our municipal revenue devices, in
order to maintain a high quality of life in Newport, that which makes the city appealing to
residents, visitors, and businesses.
Newport, like many older cities, has a deteriorating infrastructure. Federal and state revenues
once so readily accessible to municipal government are virtually non-existent. Growth and
development must be commensurate with the ability of Newport’s infrastructure and municipal
services to meet new demands. Management techniques must be refined to address the
infrastructure needs, while the community vigorously pursues responsible growth within the
allowable limits of the provision and enhancement of municipal services.
E. COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Newport has an abundance of vital and concerned community organizations that share their
resources with the city's residents. These organizations include health care providers, social
service agencies, fraternal organizations, educational institutions, cultural institutions, and
concerned religious institutions. These organizations, individually and collectively, provide
cultural, social, physical and educational resources to the Newport’s citizens.
Newport’s tax base continues to decline (33.2% of the land area, and 35.8% of the assessed
value of real property in the city is exempt from property taxation, Newport Assessor’s Office
1992).
F. AQUIDNECK ISLAND
Transportation, water quality, economic growth, educational resources, affordable housing, are
all concerns Newport shares with neighboring communities. The greatest challenges Aquidneck
Island communities face are discovering shared strengths and forming strong bonds between the
other island communities and the United States Naval Facility.
Newporters are justifiably proud of their heritage. However, Newport must develop a framework
for looking at the larger community of Aquidneck Island, while preserving the special identity
of Newport. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan identifies subject areas for island-wide
cooperation, including economic development, transportation planning, and water quality
protection. By supporting organizations such as the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission and
the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Newport and Aquidneck Island
communities will create a self-sustaining partnership.
The development of Newport's comprehensive plan was evidence of the strong commitment on
the part of the citizens of Newport to shape the destiny of the city. The Comprehensive Planing
and Land Use Regulation Act of 1988 designated the Planning Board as the chief agent
responsible for the preparation of a comprehensive plan for the City, and required the
incorporation of a citizen participation component in the plan's development. When the Comp
Plan was first drafted in 1991 that the City ensured broad community input in all steps of the
planning process, the Planning Board elected to appoint a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)
to be responsible for the formulation of a plan for the City. The Comp Plan was revised in 1995
and again in 2000 in order to adhere to the state’s five-year update process.
A. Citizens Advisory Commission – 1990
In 1989 the Planning Board encouraged broad-based public participation in the process and
distributed Citizens Advisory Commission (CAC) application forms that would enable the Board
to select a diverse group, broadly representative of the residents of the city. Out of 101
applications received, a CAC consisting of 36 members and 12 alternates was selected.
The Planning Board designated seven of its own members to serve on the CAC, to ensure that
the Board would be active in the formulation of the Comprehensive Plan. The staff of the
Department of Planning, Zoning, and Development provided technical support for the project.
In the spring of 1991, an editorial staff was hired by the CAC to ready the draft document for
publication.
B. Comprehensive Plan Update – 2002
A subcommittee of the Planning Board was formed in order to review each functional element of
the Comprehensive Plan: Land Use, Housing, Economic Development, Natural and Cultural
Resources, Community Facilities and Services, Open Space and Recreation, and Circulation.
Each element review underwent a research phase, including: conducting interviews, evaluating
available documents and data, reviewing maps and reports, and analyses of materials. A
consultant developed maps and pertinent demographic data.
C. Citizen Participation
Public Meetings & Hearings
In concomitance with regular meetings of the Planning Board and its subcommittee, open to the
public, the Comprehensive Plan update was reviewed in public workshops.
The public hearings were conducted by the Newport Planning Board and the Newport City
Council, prior to the final adoption of the update and submission to the State of Rhode Island for
review and acceptance.
To ensure that the Newport Comprehensive Plan remains consistent with state goals, policies,
and plans, as per the requirements of the Amendment to Handbook #16, Handbook on the Local
Comprehensive Plan Part VII: Local Maintenance of the Comprehensive Plan, the Planning
Board reviewed relevant State plans, laws, and regulations . In the analysis of State projects
either current or impending, appropriate state personnel met with the CAC to provide up-to date
information and to address issues and concerns.
E. Regional Collaboration
The importance of a regional outlook is emphasized in the Newport Comprehensive Plan, and
the planning process has sparked increased regional collaboration in several ways. Each element
of the plan makes reference to regional concerns in a variety of functional areas.
Each Aquidneck Island community references shared regional goals and implementation
strategies as echoed in the individual comprehensive plan. The efforts of the Aquidneck Island
Planning Commission and the Westside Taskforce reflect the practice of regional collaboration.
Newport's interrelationship with the Naval Base especially in relation to issues of community
facilities, housing, and economic development, continues a policy of long-term land use
planning. The Navy's long-range planning documents reflect planning elements from the
Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
The Citizen’s Advisory Committee identified key components to guide the creation of the
Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The components formulate the basis for the core goals
of the Comprehensive Plan.
The City of Newport’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan addresses the issues facing Newport and
recommends creative and cost effective strategies to maintain and improve the quality of life for
the citizens of Newport and Aquidneck Island. Within the framework of the Plan are seven Core
Goals, goals which reflect themes unifying the elements of the Comprehensive Plan. These are
long-term over-all goals, to serve to guide the city .
Goal 1: Preserve the Newport's History and Natural Resources and Enhance the
City:
Newport continues to attract visitors and new residents because of its rich history and tradition of
cultural and ethnic diversity. Visitors and residents alike have found its physical beauty
unsurpassed. Newport’s citizens cannot take these resources for granted. The Community must
take an active role by:
Newport's several distinct and unique neighborhoods are the key to the character of the City.
Each neighborhood is equally deserving of municipal services, consistency of infrastructure
maintenance, and orderly application of a cohesive land use policy. We can preserve our
neighborhoods by:
Goal 3: Celebrate Newport’s Historic, and Cultural Diversity
Newport offers a variety of historic resources, beautiful vistas, and a wealth of cultural activities.
Throughout history, Newport has been a home to artists and crafts people from a variety of
disciplines; they have made their mark on the beauty of our city and the quality of life in it. In
order to preserve and enhance Newport’s diversity, the citizens must:
Goal 4: Create a Cooperative Partnership between Newport’s Citizens and
Government
Newport is a small city, both in size and in numbers of residents. Newport's government can
benefit from the extensive skills and resources of its citizenry by:
Goal 5: Shared Resources and Responsibilities with Other Communities on
Aquidneck Island Community
In recent years, communities across the nation have begun to look at inter-governmental avenues
for cooperation, to increase the efficiency, quality and cost-effectiveness of municipal services,
and to better manage our limited resources, by cooperative management in appropriate areas not
under the sole control of a single community.
Newport is inextricably linked to the communities of Middletown, Portsmouth, and the United
States Navy; sharing a common destiny, common pool of natural resources, and some
infrastructure. The communities complement one another through:
Newport's history of development has been largely a reactive one, responding to factors and
influences from outside the community, rather than being driven by the desires of residents to
shape the pattern of growth. With the tools of the new Comprehensive Plan and the 1991 zoning
enabling legislation, Newport has new avenues to shape her future growth by:
The quality of life for residents of the city of Newport is at the heart of the recommendations for
the future of the city. Key to the quality of life is the quality of municipal services, maintain
public buildings, streets, and streetscapes. efforts to strengthen the economy to attract new
corporate and individual citizens,. to control growth to the ability of the infrastructure to service
those demands., Therefore, Newport strive to provide for the general welfare by:
The Comprehensive Land Use Plan vision to guide development in the City of Newport, and a
road map of policies and strategies to support Newport's efforts.
The goals and policies articulated in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan support the community’s
vision for the future. The recommendations suggest ways of achieving those goals. Finally, the
implementation strategies are the procedural framework, to ensure that the goals for the future,
supported by public policy, are achievable.
A timetable recommends when to undertake the action items outlined in the implementation
sections. Items are categorized as follows:
Implementation can best be accomplished through a partnership between citizens and
government, a theme that underlies the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and unites its elements.
The 2000 Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update Committee made a number of changes to the
text, policies and implementation steps within each Element. Simple changes were made to the
grammar and wording of the major Goals of each Element.
The following section is a brief synopsis of each of the seven substantive elements of the
Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The seven elements provide a template in order to govern land
use planning and policy decisions..
Issues in Housing
Newport has historically played a prominent role in developing and augmenting housing
opportunities for residents of the City. With partnerships existing between the city and state
governments and a number of non-profit providers in the city, Newport has provided a model
nationally, most notably in the development of 50 Washington Square, a transitional housing
facility that offers shelter, supportive social services, job development, and long range housing
opportunities for the homeless, disabled and persons of low income. Church Community
Housing Corporation is an example of the non-profit sector’s integral role in ensuring affordable
housing. Church Community Housing Corporation has, in cooperation with the City of Newport,
administered a loan and grant program for housing rehabilitation and has developed housing for
the elderly and families county-wide.
The city is location to a significant number of housing units which are subsidized by the federal
or state government in order to assure the affordability of rental units. In the private sector, the
condition of the city's housing stock has steadily improved over the last decade. Yet,
affordability continues to decline as property values grow exponentially.
The current real estate market does not promote affordability. has . However, the market tends
not to address adequately the needs of the first time home-buyer, the elderly, young adults, and
persons of low and moderate income.
The Comprehensive Land Use Plan reflects the community’s vision that Newport should be a
peaceful, quiet, law-abiding city with safe, sound and sanitary housing—whether owner
occupied or rental—for citizens of all socioeconomic categories, to benefit from a quality public
education system, to breathe unpolluted air, and to have free access to an unpolluted shoreline.
Consistent with that vision, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan elucidates the following goals:
Implementation
The Newport Comprehensive Land use Plan adopted a number of policies and a detailed list of
implementation recommendations, in furtherance of the goals of providing every citizen of
Newport with safe and sanitary housing and a high quality of life. The critical issues.
Secondly, affordable housing must be integrated throughout the city. Development of affordable
housing should be on a small scattered site basis, a policy promoted at the federal and state level.
Construction of large scale housing developments should be discouraged. Creation of affordable
housing on a small scale multi-unit or an individual unit basis will allow the integration of
affordable housing in all of the city's neighborhoods and will avoid the clearly documented
social and economic problems, that accompany a large project.
Thirdly, Newport must protect against loss of affordable low and moderate income units from
the rental market. Newport is location to a large number of units developed through federally
assisted housing programs in the 1960's and 1970's. The rental market is at risk of losing those
affordable units as the original subsidized mortgages are paid off, and as the legal commitment
to maintain the affordability of the units expires.
Fourthly, Newport must continue to promote preservation and rehabilitation of housing stock.
Historic preservation and rehabilitation are mistakenly viewed as incompatible with a goal of
affordable housing for low and moderate income families. Measures to assist in and encourage
rehabilitation provide incentives to the property owner to retain the affordable character of the
housing stock.
Finally, an improved relationship with Aquidneck Island communities and the State can help
Newport to meet housing goals and objectives. A close partnership with the State will allow
Newport to take full advantage of federal programs and assist in the development of priorities in
housing programs. A dialogue with other Aquidneck Island communities will Newport to
encourage a regional and statewide approach to providing affordable housing.
1. Immediate and Short Term Priorities
Many of these recommendations serve to reinforce existing programs and policies. Suggestions
to strengthen such programs, such as enforcement of Fair Housing laws, should receive priority
treatment.
Recommendations in the Housing Element calling for the amendment or creation of city
ordinances are a priority under the Plan.
Strengthening cooperation between the municipal administration and organizations in the
community such as CCHC will enhance the resources available to the city. Private non-profit
organizations have the capability to handle specific recommendations or implementations.
Moreover, the development of educational programs is critical to many of the recommendations
and implementation strategies in the Comprehensive Plan. Wherever possible, the yeoman
efforts local housing corporations and non-profit groups should be supported. Support for and
promotion of historic preservation can benefit from a cooperative link with the Newport
Historical Society, The Preservation Society, and other historical societies.
2. Long Term
Regional collaboration is essential to providing affordable housing for all residents of Aquidneck
Island. A dialogue between municipal governments and private organizations to begin that
regional collaboration should start to lay the groundwork for a more effective network of
affordable housing resources.
Long term attempts to achieve our goals for housing will require careful monitoring of zoning
ordinances and regulations and an evaluation of the need for enabling legislation to achieve the
objectives of the Plan. Continued involvement of citizens in the monitoring and evaluation will
assist the government in this monitoring and legislative process.
Issues in Economic Development Policy
Newport's economic life has always revolved around its character as a seaport. The United States
Navy has long been an important presence here, and continues to be so today with the
sophisticated weapons research carried on at NUWC and by a variety of private contractors in
the region. The tourist industry is drawn in large measure by the attractions of our coastline. Key
to planning for the future economic life of the community must be the careful stewardship of
these important resources.
The Department of Planning, Zoning, and Development is currently responsible for most of the
City's economic development programming. In the past, the City was primarily a responder to
incoming projects and proposals. The City has now become an initiator in economic
development, with the Department of Planning, Zoning, and Development playing a major role.
This helps to ensure that the City attracts and retains the most desirable kinds of businesses and
development and that human resources needs are being met.
Perhaps more in the economic development arena than in any other element of the
comprehensive plan is it critical that we look ahead to cooperation with our partner communities
on Aquidneck Island. Newport is a mature community. Little space remains in our city for new
construction. We offer many physical attractions and significant resources, but we cannot expand
our city limits. Our neighbors have the space, but lack some of our city's attributes. Together, we
can revitalize our economy and lead our citizens into a stable economic future.
The goals defined for the Economic Development element are:
Implementation
In analyzing its recommendations, the Economic Development Subcommittee of 1990 and the
Comp Plan Update Committee of 2000 stressed five recommendations as priorities. Key to the
city's functioning is the need to explore alternative areas of revenue enhancement to lessen the
city's dependence on the property tax and the burden on the individual property taxpayer.
Paralleling that need is the need to maximize revenues returned to the City of Newport from the
State of Rhode Island. Our infrastructure is strained by the demands of our greatly increased
population during the busy tourist season. Newport must strive to have the benefits which the
State derives from our attractiveness to tourists applied to reduce that strain.
Any economic and/or physical development and growth must be balanced against the need to
keep intact our natural resources. Many of our resources are irreplaceable; others, such as our
fresh water supply, may be renewable resources, but the quality of those resources could be
destroyed through negligent stewardship.
We must improve the working relationships now existing between the City of Newport, the other
communities in Newport County, the United States Naval Facility, the State of Rhode Island,
other local and regional entities like the Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau and
the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, Salve Regina University, Newport Hospital, and
local cultural organizations. Networking is important, and Newport must be a major player in
that network, in order to keep our economy vital.
Newport should emphasize "cultural tourism". We must consciously market our many cultural
attractions and our rich heritage; the tourist industry will always be an important one in
Newport's economy, but it cannot be allowed to destroy the quality of life for the city's residents.
We must seek out and draw the tourists who respect and appreciate the beauty of our city and
who respect the rights of its residents.
The City must play a higher profile role in economic development activities and must not allow
the city to continue to deal with growth and economic development issues on a reactive basis. A
Strategic Economic Development Plan would allow the city to target markets for the future and
to develop a plan of action. Such a plan should be subject to constant scrutiny as markets and
conditions change, to preserve vital jobs and stability for our residents along with the beauty of
our city's resources. The North End Redevelopment is an example of the City promoting
economic development that improves the quality of life for residents and is flexible with
changing market conditions.
1. Immediate Priorities
The Citizens Advisory Committee and the Comp Plan Update Committee of 2000
identified as priority programs the following initiatives:
As noted above, there are currently a number of organizations working on behalf of economic
development. The key first step in implementation would be to facilitate cooperation and
communication among these organizations and other business, social services, education, and
community leaders. The Newport County Chamber of Commerce has played a large role in
promoting economic development not only for Newport but also for the County and state. This
increased role has directed attention to Aquidneck Island as a quality home for businesses and
residents to relocate..
2. Short Term Priorities
Long term priorities are reflected in the goals and policies of this element. Expanding the
tourism season, stabilizing the local tax base with more economic development, promoting
cultural and historic attractions, and supporting the use and access to coastal features of the City
and Island especially the boating and marine trades industries.
Issues in Natural and Cultural Resources Policy
The Natural and Cultural Resources element describes in detail the components making up this
uniquely beautiful city and which discusses the many risks faced by our fragile natural
environment.
In its analysis of the cultural resources of Newport, this element looks not only to our rich
tradition in music, arts, architecture, but also to the very nature of our neighborhoods. The Plan
views preservation as a social planning tool as well as a land use planning tool, to ensure that our
community retains its social diversity and quality of life for every resident.
Most importantly, this element characterizes our collective responsibility as the stewards of
Newport. We must integrate the goals of preserving the natural environment, creating a nurturing
climate for the arts, protecting the city's neighborhoods, and improving the quality of life for
every resident of the city. We must pass these values on to future generations.
The goals of the Natural and Cultural Resources Element are:
Implementation
Creative partnerships between the City, businesses, non-profits, citizen groups and talented
individuals are encouraged in the implementation of the recommendations of this element of the
Comprehensive Plan. This will assist in the rapid start-up of programs and will help to ensure the
continued success of these programs.
Through new zoning ordinances, City Council resolutions and the activities of the Planning
Board and Historic District Commission, the city's accomplishments have included
establishment of a Newport Tree Commission, establishment of the Critical Area Review
Commission, adoption of a demolition delay ordinance, and revision of the noise ordinance. The
Planning Department has continued to be involved in acquiring properties to be preserved as
open space for both conservation and recreation.
In those instances where the City or community organizations have already taken steps that are
consistent with recommendations made by this Plan, the recommendations should be viewed as
strong support and encouragement for continuation of those activities.
1. Immediate and Short Term Priorities
First, perhaps in importance because it gives us additional manpower in our efforts to preserve
that which is beautiful in Newport, is the need to educate. In the role of steward for the natural
environment, the city must inform its citizenry. Development of a public information program is
critical.
Development of a management plan for the harbor area is an important recommendation. We
can revitalize this important area, but must do so with sensitivity to the social fabric,
environmental vulnerability and historic tradition of the area. The City is currently reviewing
the draft Harbor Management Plan that will address these and other issues.
Vigorous efforts must be made to protect the City's drinking water. Our most important natural
resource, the public water supply is also our most direct link to other county communities, since
virtually all of Newport's watershed is situated outside of the city limits. We must work closely
with other communities to share the concept of stewardship of this resource.
Finally, we must protect and preserve the current scale and size of the city. Our scenic and
historic heritage in every corner of the city must be cherished. The "walkability" of our city and
the ability of our citizens to obtain access to its many resources must be nurtured. We must, as
we value our neighborhoods and the quality of life in our city, strive to improve it for every
resident, by continually working to ensure that we do not carelessly destroy the very resources
that make our city so special.
Broader topics meriting attention in the short term include:
State zoning enabling legislation gives the city powerful tools to preserve its cultural and natural
assets. The effort to protect our open space, scenic vistas, public access to the waterfront and our
recreational and drinking water resources may never be as financially feasible as it is now; it has
never been as legally defensible as it is now.
2. Long Term Priorities
Over the long term, it is hoped that as people communicate about their common concerns--
locally, regionally and state-wide-- new recommendations will emerge and be incorporated into
the over-all scheme that has its foundation in this Plan.
Issues in Community Facilities and Services Policy
The Comprehensive Plan Update Committee 2000 reviewed this element and examined virtually
all aspects of municipal government as well as quasi-public health and social service providers,
identified inadequacies in facilities and services, and recommended correction of those
deficiencies.
Like many cities, Newport is facing the problems of a deteriorating infrastructure and a
dwindling revenue base. The city's efforts to address infrastructure needs through the Capital
Improvement Program have been far-sighted, but lack of sufficient funding and an inadequate
information base have hindered the development of a comprehensive approach to infrastructure
maintenance. Newport can not afford to postpone a truly comprehensive look at the
infrastructure needs. The city should work aggressively to develop new revenue tools to allow
adequate funding of this comprehensive approach without pricing the property taxpayer out of
town.
For past generations, citizens have expected government to meet all of the service needs of the
city dweller, and citizens have distanced themselves from active participation in their own
governance. Citizens and government will both be enriched by the development of a cooperative
partnership, a partnership which will enhance the public perception of government, will improve
the quality of services delivered, and will increase the residents' pride in their city.
Newport cannot regard itself as a separate enclave on Aquidneck Island, nor can Middletown,
Portsmouth and the Navy. Each of these four communities is bound by a shared infrastructure, a
common watershed, and a limitation of resources, fiscal and natural. None of those communities
can plan and develop in a vacuum, without close communication with the others. We must foster
a network of communications crossing disciplinary lines, to develop consistency, efficiency, cost
effectiveness, and improved levels of services for all.
The overall goals for the Element on Community Facilities and Services are:
There are several priority areas for attention within the area of community facilities and services.
First and foremost is water policy.
It is imperative that Newport play a leadership role in adequately protecting the quality and
quantity of our water, for human consumption and public safety purposes. A significant portion
of the water supply and virtually all of the watershed is situated outside of the city limits. There
are some mechanisms for cooperation, but Newport and other county communities have
heretofore lacked the tools to effectively cooperate in protecting the watershed, dealing with
emergency contamination of supply, and ensuring that flow is sufficient for fire safety.
It is urged that the city evaluate a comprehensive communications network for city public safety
departments, with particular attention to the needs of the Newport Fire Department for more
effective equipment for communications within the department and with other departments
The city should immediately begin to develop the standards for adoption of an adequate public
facilities ordinance. Such an ordinance is designed to establish levels of municipal service which
are acceptable to the community, and to ensure that future growth does not cause services to fall
below the prescribed levels. This is of most significance in looking at water supply and sewage
treatment facilities. We must also set up the mechanisms for communication with our
neighboring communities served by our infrastructure, to ensure that growth decisions in those
communities do not overtax those portions of our infrastructure required to serve them.
Education is key to the future of this city. Economic development cannot take place without
resources to deliver a trained and capable workforce. Our quality of life is measured by our
ability to educate our youth, and this is often an index for businesses and individuals seeking to
situate in a community. City Council, State legislators, and School Committee members must
initiate constructive dialogue concerning the issues troubling our schools: facilities maintenance
and construction, finance for education, regional initiatives in education, these are key questions
which no one group can answer alone. Citizens groups must be involved in this dialogue.
Most critical, perhaps, is a hard look at revenue initiatives which the city may wish to undertake.
A careful examination must be made of prior studies recommending revenue devices to the
Council, a study should be made of new revenue devices, and a high priority should be made of
meeting with state legislators and representatives of the executive branch to implement
initiatives. The property taxpayer can no longer meet the burdens of operating the city and state
and federal revenues are dwindling; it is therefore critical to develop all the tools we can to
alleviate this burden.
1. Immediate and Short Term Priorities
2. Long Term
Perhaps the two most important long term recommendations of the Subcommittee on
Community Facilities and Services relate to communications.
First, municipal government must rely on its citizenry in order to continue to provide a high level
and quality of services. Communications between citizens and government can be improved to
better the citizens' understanding of the job government must do. Conversely, our citizenry has a
great wealth of talent and expertise, and city government must tap this reservoir of talent.
Throughout the Implementation recommendations of the Community Facilities Element appear
recommendations concerning the development of cooperative ventures between citizens and
municipal government.
The second important area of communication concerns communications between local
governments on Aquidneck island and throughout Newport County. While water supply and
quality is perhaps the most pressing area for dialogue, there are numerous other areas that will
benefit from study and cooperation on a regional basis. Options will run the full gamut of from
conversation and study to collective purchasing of equipment to possible merger of certain
services. Benefits may include cost savings, greater efficiency in delivery of services, and
improved quality of services. It is clear that the citizens of our larger island community will be
benefited by the active participation of our governments in this kind of constructive dialogue.
Issues in Open Space and Recreation Policy
The Open Space and Recreation Element includes an inventory of open space areas and
recreational facilities existing within the City of Newport. These are major resources: significant
in their number and diversity for a small city, significant from the standpoint of their natural
beauty and environmental significance, significant for their ability to improve the quality of life
for resident and visitor alike.
Like the Natural and Cultural Resources and Economic Development elements, this element
recognizes the seminal importance of the harbor to Newport. The focus is slightly different here.
From a recreational standpoint, the facilities of Newport Harbor are examined.. In addition,
concerns about access to the waterfront and protected public rights of access to the harbor front
are a source of concern.
The Recreation and Open Space element has been defined by a set of goals that reflect the above
concerns. The city should strive to:
Implementation
The most critical implementation steps under this element involve maintenance of existing
recreational facilities, increased cooperation between private and public operators/owners of
such facilities (particularly in increasing access to youth), and ensuring, through regulatory
mechanisms and other means, the protection and conservation of the City's open space areas.
1. Immediate Priorities (ACCOMPLISHED)
The development of a program for the city's School and Recreation Departments to share the use
and maintenance of their facilities, to provide better recreational opportunities for all is an
important action to be taken by the city.
2. Short Term Priorities
Again, the short-term emphasis for this element is on preservation of open space, increased
public access to the waterfront and recreational opportunities, and maintenance of existing
recreational facilities. Key activities to be implemented during this period include the following:
3. Long Term Priorities
The Subcommittee's recommendations over the long term are intended to sustain the City's
commitment to provision of a variety of recreational opportunities and open space areas. Among
these:
Newport’s development as an 18th century seaport town is most readily apparent in its narrow
streets. The city must not only move residents on its streets, who, like most Americans, are
married to their cars, but must also accommodate an enormous seasonal jump in traffic, with a
tourist population estimated at 100,000 per day during peak periods.
We must accommodate this flow on aging streets and in parking facilities which are small and
few in number, and our current revenue crisis places additional burdens on our ability to improve
or replace that infrastructure.
The circulation plan seeks to better manage, maintain and improve our existing roadway system;
in a fully built city with limited resources, we can scarcely look at a new roadway system.
However, we can, as a matter of policy, encourage and develop avenues for alternative methods
of transportation, while we strive for better management of our existing circulation system.
The goals of the circulation element are:
The first and most important recommendation of the circulation element involves the creation of
the position of City Traffic Engineer. This position, once filled but now abandoned should be
filled by an individual with the education and experience necessary to bring a professional
perspective to traffic management within the city. The individual filling this position will have
the centralized responsibility for traffic and parking planning and development, as well as the
responsibility for coordination of enforcement of all circulation and parking regulations.
It will further be the responsibility of the Traffic Engineer to coordinate the development of an
integrated system and implementation approach to circulation. This will involve coordination not
only with the various city public safety departments but also with the state and with other local
governments in the region. Clearly we cannot plan management of our own traffic and
circulation problems without coordination with the communities on our perimeters.
We must emphasize alternative modes of transportation, including public transportation, and
including the fostering of a safe and supportive environment that encourages pedestrian travel
and bicycle transportation. In addition, we must encourage the better use and development of
water transportation to meet the needs of waterfront recreation, business, city residents and
visitors, particularly during the peak tourist season.
The development of new roadways cannot be a priority for the City of Newport. We must
address the improvement of our existing roadways and related facilities. The City relies on the
state’s Pavement Management Program, but this program has limited funds to distribute statewide..
We must commit the resources under this program to adequately maintain our city's
streets, sidewalks and cross walks. This is an important capital development recommendation.
Finally, we must implement a comprehensive parking program. This may include a
comprehensive satellite or off-street parking program for visitors, and will also address the
landscaping and screening of parking lots in new developments. It will also consider the
extension of sticker parking or the development of other alternatives to ensure that the parking
needs of the city's residents can be met. This recommendation must of course be followed in
conjunction with the development of plans for better public transportation.
Immediate Priorities
The successful hiring and support of the position of Traffic Engineer is seen as the most critical
implementation step. A coordinated, professional approach to all circulation issues in Newport
is much needed. It is anticipated that this person will be a strong advocate, within the region and
the State, for alternative transportation systems. The development of a coordinated signage
system in conjunction with representatives of the tourist industry is extremely important in
ensuring safe and smooth traffic flow through the City.
2. Short Term Priorities
The development of a data base and transportation model that can then be used to evaluate
development impacts on the circulation system and to evaluate various circulation management
techniques is one of the most important within this short-term implementation schedule.
Eliminating all barriers to the handicapped is seen as critical to making our City accessible to all.
The development of alternative transportation modes (water, bicycling, walking, and rail) are
important to reducing automobile traffic within the City. In order to be used effectively,
however, these alternate modes must be accessible, convenient, as well as efficient, affordable,
and attractive.
The Pavement Management Plan should be supported in order to have a systematic method for
planning for the repair and replacement work and financing for our City's streets and sidewalks.
3. Long Term Priorities
Issues in Land Use Policy
Finally, but by far the most important is the land use element. Each of the other elements is
important in the development of the land use recommendations for the city of Newport, since the
other elements define the way the residents of Newport want to see their city work in the coming
decades, and since they set the character of the city and the quality of life that the residents will
strive to achieve as we move into the twenty-first century.
While the land use tools in effect now, the current zoning ordinance and the structure of
volunteer boards and commissions overseeing that ordinance, are fundamentally sound,
significant changes can be made to better achieve the objectives of the citizens of Newport. With
the Comprehensive Plan and with the tools available to us under the Rhode Island Zoning
Enabling Act of 1991, we can move forward with a plan to better meet the needs of Newport's
citizens and to respond to changes in economic conditions in the coming years.
Particular attention has been given, in this element, to the need for safeguards, enforcement
mechanisms and public disclosure requirements. Public confidence in the effectiveness of our
land use controls is essential to public support for the city's governance.
The goals of the Land Use Element cover a wide range of values shaped in other elements of the
Comprehensive plan:
1. Immediate and Short Term
First, through our zoning regulations and administration, we must ensure that commitments to
preserving open space and land use policies are binding. Our tools must be enforceable, to be
sure that the vision of the volunteer commissions hearing development proposals does not die
when those proposals become reality.
Under current zoning, lots which are substandard as to square footage in each zone may be legal
non-conforming; that is, they are buildable in the same way that a full sized lot would be. The
Comp Plan recommends that these substandard size lots, which are contiguous to another lot
owned by the same owner, be merged with the adjacent lot.
Certain other recommendations for new zoning rules require studies before the final wording for
regulations can be developed and presented for adoption. Recommendations related to changes
in State regulations and policy require working with the Newport and Aquidneck Island
legislative representatives and the State's administrative bodies. These activities should start at
once and continue until the desired changes have been made.
Changes involving the Historic District and that require detailed study should be made within a
period of less than five years and should immediately follow the revision of the zoning
ordinance. The implementation of the policies that affect planning, review, and permitting of the
appropriateness of proposed land uses should begin immediately after the adoption of the
Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
The drafting and adoption of an Adequate Public Facilities ordinance is important to the
implementation of many of the recommendations in the overall Plan and should be completed
within five years.
The community must, through the tools of flexible zoning and cluster zoning, create an envelope
of regulations that will encourage the developer to provide design and economic benefits to the
city, while allowing a more effective use of land. It is a means to obtain a quid pro quo for
development, a benefit which will assist the city in improving the quality of life for all of its
residents, and to ensure that any development is within carefully proscribed limits. This should
form a part of the new zoning ordinance.
Within the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, the City of Newport has outlined specific goals and
policies that emphasize responsible growth and development, yet safeguard the character that
attracts visitors and preserve the unique qualities that make Newport a special place to live.
Newport is an historical city, and thereby desires to protect and enhance that irreplaceable
character. Newport is a diverse city and thereby desires to promote affordable housing for all
citizens. Newport is a visitor’s mecca and thereby desires to promote economic development.
Newport is a seafaring city and thereby seeks to protect traditional maritime uses. Newport is
endowed with singular natural beauty and thereby seeks to protect dunes, beaches, and water
features. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan elucidates the vision that Newport’s citizens have
collectively expressed for their community.
Aquidneck Island Planning Commission;
Aquidneck Island Today;
Church Community Housing Corporation;
City of Newport Department of Public Works;
City of Newport Draft Harbor Management Plan;
City of Newport Finance Department, Fiscal Year 2002 and 2003
Adopted Budgets;
City of Newport Historic District Commission;
City of Newport Office of the Tax Assessor;
City of Newport Zoning Ordinance;
Cliff Walk Commission;
Dr. Tim Tyrell, University of Rhode Island;
National Marine Fisheries Service;
National Parks Service, Register of Historic Places;
Naval Station Newport;
New Visions for Newport County;
Newport County Chamber of Commerce;
Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau;
Newport Historical Society;
R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council;
R.I. Department of Administration, Division of Planning,;
R.I. Department of Education;
R.I. Department of Environmental Management;
R.I. Department of Labor, Labor Statistics;
R.I. Department of Transportation;
R.I. Economic Development Corporation;
R.I. Historical and Cultural Preservation Commission,;
R.I. Housing and Finance Corporation;
R.I. Public Transit Authority;
State of Rhode Island General Laws;
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990 Census;
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000 Census;
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Crime Statistics;
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
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