Current plans to develop a port and commerce park at Quonset Point-Davisville contain major gaps that need to be filled, according to a new study released by Grow Smart Rhode Island, a group which promotes responsible growth statewide.
The group, which includes business leaders, college presidents, nonprofits, and governmental agencies, released the study last week which identified six major holes in the state’s current plans for development at the 3,002-acre site.
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Problems range from road access and traffic projection issues to water supply questions, according to James H. Dodge, Grow Smart’s chairman.
“Making the best use of this major facility calls for thorough, integrated planning that considers not only economic development goals but also other important values such as social equity and environmental protection,” Dodge said in a statement. “It requires collaboration among diverse groups, systematic sharing of information by key policy-makers and agencies, and a commitment to anticipating long-term development consequences and not just short-term gains.”
The absence of any comprehensive study of how the development would impact local communities and an unresolved conflict between the state Department of Environmental Management and the state Coastal Resources Management Council over classifications of water quality and water use are two other examples of problems the state must resolve before it proceeds, the report says.
Given that the development will create 23,000 new jobs, the towns in the area most likely to be hit with increased housing demand should develop effective strategies to provide a range of housing choices and to conserve open land. But the coalition advises against attempting to preserve land increasing land requirements for new construction.
“Many towns at this time are responding to housing demand by increasing the minimum lot size to two to five acres,” the group said in a statement. “In Grow Smart’s view, this approach consumes open land, increases housing costs, and reduces housing options for people of modest means, while simultaneously discouraging public transportation.”
State government must develop ways to form comprehensive, integrated planning of major economic development projects, according to Dodge.
“It is critical that this approach be grounded in a broadly accepted, long-range economic and land use plan for the state,” he said. He added that Grow Smart could help the state develop such a plan. “Those who point out problems must be ready to be part of the solution,” he said.
Grow Smart’s report was prepared by Dan Varin, the former head of Statewide Planning for Rhode Island. Varin examined the major features of development plans, including the commerce park, the port, and required off-site infrastructure for the site.
