CONE Public Hearing April 25th - Meeting Summary

Last night's pubic hearing on CONE lasted over two hours. More neighbors talked about damage they've sustained from flooding. Representatives from the Pawtuxet River Authority and Coventry Conservation Commission expressed their concerns. The developer's attorney provided his own interpretation of our land use ordinances & consent agreements with the developer and suggested that it would be in the best interest of the town that the development proposal not be rejected.

There are open items -- DEM notice of violation to CONE, proposed fine of over $400,000. Flooding continues to occur in the HH neighborhood, siltation events are still happening at Tiogue Lake, safety issues for HH School children from Johnson Blvd. flooding. The developer's attorney said that approving this latest proposal would provide cash flow so that these open items could be addressed. Representatives from Tiogue Lake Assn expressed their concerns about continued damage being done to the lake. I suggested that the Planning Commission may want to hold off on approval or rejection until they've had a chance to consult with their own solicitor and get their own interpretation of our land use ordinances and consent agreements to determine what the PC's rights and responsibilities are. Perhaps the PC may want to go into executive session with the Town Manager, Town Council and the Town Solicitor, who used to be the PC's solicitor.

The Planning Commission decided to continue the public hearing until its next meeting on May 23rd. If you still have not been able to attend these past two meetings, you'll have at least one more chance to do so.