Town’s economic development looks to plan commercial growth
It’s a town perhaps best known for its apple orchards. But Smithfield is trying to cultivate a reputation as a community that encourages economic growth while retaining the small-town character that has defined its 370 years.
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Scenic open spaces and generous zoning guidelines have created green space that allows the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council to offer riverboat and walking tours of the town. But just as important to Smithfield’s image is its proximity to Providence (10 minutes), Boston (50 minutes) and T.F. Green Airport (less than 30 minutes).
Now the town is looking to use a large tract of developable land to attract businesses to the area and continue its measured but strong growth. Specifically, the town’s Economic Development Commission is working with the R.I. Economic Development Corporation on a plan for the Route 7 and Route 116 corridor, in which 1,300 acres of land was recently re-zoned for corporate and commercial use.
“There is great opportunity for expansion,” said Frederick J. Presley, the town’s director of planning and economic development, while not disturbing the town’s character completely.
Transportation is a key to economic growth – and it is an area in which Smithfield is strong. The town is easily accessible by Routes 295, 116, 7 and 44, all of which offer prime locations for development. In fact, it was Route 44 that led to the creation of Apple Valley Mall in the late 1960s and the subsequent Smithfield Commons. Still, as recently as the early 1980s the town was primarily farmland, said Daniel R. DiSantis, chairman of the town’s Economic Development Commission.
That’s changing. Within the last decade, Fidelity Investments moved in, the Crossings at Smithfield Commons opened and Citizens Bank and Credit Union Central Falls expanded to the area. About 18 percent of the town’s land is zoned for commercial or corporate space, compared with about 10 percent in 1975.
There are now more than 800 businesses in the town – double the number of businesses 20 years ago. The 2000 census counted 20,613 residents, up 22 percent from 1980, compared with a statewide rise of 10 percent for the period.
But more than residents, the growth has brought shoppers. People are coming from Foster, Burrillville and Johnston because it is the most accessible retail outlet for them, said Presley. In the past, these shoppers would take their business out of state to Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro.
These shoppers add income to the town through tax revenue from the businesses in the town. Also the people who work at the companies spend their money in the town, and town residents shop at these new stores, said DiSantis.
But the growth, especially in retail, has not been greeted unquestioningly by the town’s business community.
Ron Depault, owner of Greenville Hardware on Route 44 since 1987, said his business was initially down about 12 percent when big-box retailers like Home Depot moved into the area in the mid 1990s. He said he has been able to recoup lost business by keeping prices consistently about 2 to 3 percent lower than the hardware giant.
Continued development should shy away from retail expansion and focus on professional expansion, he said.
“Retail development is really bad for a town,” he said, disputing the claims that the costs associated with increased traffic are covered by increased tax revenue.
Future growth should focus on professional establishments like insurers, doctors and banks that bring good-paying jobs to the area, increases property values and pumps property tax dollars into the town, he said.
Presley knows that the town is riding a tiger of development. Suburban areas with good transportation links like Smithfield are growing because families want to be in these areas, he said, and residents bring retailers. The 2000 census showed there were 7,396 housing units in town, up from 5,117 in 1980, and with Northern Rhode Island viewed as a less expensive alternative to Massachusetts, growth is not abating any time soon.
So, two years ago, Smithfield’s Economic Development Commission began to craft an economic development plan with a more proactive approach to corporate growth in the area. Smithfield has an opportunity to alleviate some of the tax burden on homeowners by adding companies to the tax rolls, an advantage that primarily residential towns would not be afforded, said DiSantis.
“[The goal] is to plan the growth so we have a balance of residential and commercial growth,” said DiSantis, while also researching which companies fit into what Smithfield can offer. Zoning laws are in place to retain the rural feel in the town while capitalizing on prime commercial space. Still, the largest percentage of zoned land is dedicated to low-density residential areas covering nearly 50 percent of the town’s land.
“We want to make sure the business is right for us and we want to sell the business on the town,” he said.
It is expected that a draft of the town’s economic development plan will go to the town council by the middle of the year and that it will include a fiscal impact, land suitability and infrastructure analysis.
Michael McMahon, executive director of the RIEDC, said the goal of developing plans for economic development in cities and towns is to help streamline the process to complete the necessary permitting, construction and relocation activities for a company that ultimately affects how quickly it can get into a location and what it will cost.
On the Boston side of the 495 corridor there are a significant number of vacant buildings that can be turned into usable space within six months to a year. In Rhode Island there are not a lot of vacant buildings – which is a good thing – but it can take upward of 24 to 36 months to get a company into their space, said McMahon.
To this end, McMahon is encouraging the General Assembly to empower the EDC to work with towns and private developers to set programs for planning and zoning, while establishing infrastructure that could expedite an expansion or relocation process.
