Town creates four districts

If a homeowner or business owner in one of Narragansett’s four neighborhoods that are part of the National Register of Historic Places wants to put up vinyl siding on their building now, the town won’t have a say in it.
But by the end of the summer, it’s likely that the town will have the ability to rule against any exterior renovations that don’t fit the historic character of the neighborhoods.
By a 3-2 vote, town councilors last month approved creation of a commission that will regulate renovations in what would become four town historic districts. As an amendment to town ordinances, the creation of the Historic District Commission now requires two public hearings, though no other votes are needed. Those hearings will be held later this month or in early August, Narragansett Community Development Director Michael DeLuca said recently.
The commission, he said, will help the town retain its historic character – an important asset for a community that’s so dependent on tourism.
“There’s the … aesthetic value of retaining the beautiful houses of our past – the living remnants of the golden years of Narragansett,” DeLuca said. “And, in the current day, one of Narragansett’s primary industries is tourism. There’s no way around that.”
And many of those tourists want to travel to a place that still retains the idyllic beach-community feel, he added.
“I think that the authenticity of place is the primary motivator of most visitors” to South County, said Myrna George, president of the South County Tourism Council. “I think that the original and authentic architecture that exists at the towers – the heyday of coming over from Newport to participate in casinos and go to the beaches – is” very important for tourism.
Along with the more than 100 homes that will be included in the planned town historic districts, there are several businesses – such as the Coast Guard House and Lila Delman Real Estate – and Town Hall.
DeLuca traced the origin of the regulations to the late 1970s, when the state started a push toward identifying all historic districts. Led by the R.I. Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, the effort was solidified when the U.S. Department of Parks later placed four Narragansett districts on the National Register of Historic Places. The four districts added were: Central Street Historic District, a five-block area near Town Hall; the Narragansett Pier area, including the towers and the nearby restaurants; the Ocean Road Historic District, a residential section of Ocean Road between Narragansett Town Beach and Scarborough State Beach; and the Earlscourt Historic District, an area between Ocean Road and Gibson Avenue.
Being included on the National Register, however, didn’t allow the local government to regulate and preserve those areas, DeLuca said.
“The only restriction that the federal government puts on these buildings that they’ve designated is that if [the owners] are using any federal funding for alterations, then they must comply with federal regulations on the alteration of the building,” DeLuca said. “I don’t believe … even the large residences use federal funds” when renovating their houses.
He added, “Now, [an owner] could demolish their house.”
The plan that was approved by the town council – a plan that came out of four public workshops and a series of public meetings. It also includes creating “voluntary” districts surrounding the official districts. In those areas, homeowners can ask the commission for help in remodeling but won’t be bound by their recommendations. That expanded area triples the amount of homes the commission could deal with. Both Pawtucket and Warren have similar “voluntary” historic districts, DeLuca said.
After the public hearings on the new ordinances, a commission will be set up in the town. The town council could appoint commission members – applications are now being accepted – as soon as August.
And the commission is not intended to curb all renovations to historic homes, DeLuca said. It’s only for the architectural touches that are important – such as the type of shingles or historical detailing.
“[If] you want to tear up your kitchen and put in marble-tile floors, go to it, have a blast,” DeLuca said. “We don’t care, anything indoors doesn’t matter. Painting it pink doesn’t matter. What does matter, what’s of most concern, is the lasting and permanent components of the house.” •