Archives For Parking
STATE HOUSE, Providence – A vacant house adjacent to the Salvatore Mancini Resource & Activity Center will be demolished tomorrow thanks to the efforts of Senate Majority Leader Dominick J. Ruggerio (D – Dist. 4, North Providence, Providence). After the town’s purchase of the property and transfer to the Mancini Center, the Majority Leader worked to find a construction company to demolish the house at no charge. Manafort Brothers, Inc. is volunteering to demolish the house. The Mancini Center will use the property for additional parking.
Wednesday, October 10 – 12:00 NOON
Department of Planning and Development, 444 Westminster Street, 1st Floor Conference Room Providence, RI 02903
Agenda
- Roll Call
- Minutes
- Approval of Commission Meeting Minutes of August 8, 2012
- Acceptance of DRC Meeting Minutes of August 7, 2012
- Parcels 3E, 3W, 4E and 4W: Parking Lots
Request for an extension of the approval for interim parking on Parcels 3E, 3W, 4E and 4W. Presenter: Todd Turcotte, Capital Properties - Adjournment
Parcels 3E, 3W, 4E, and 4W are the parking lots behind the Citizens Buidling.
For the past week or so, there has been a string of caution tape between two cones in front of a house on Cumberland St. Next door: a vacant lot, and next to that, a house that has had the same tape and some chain link propped against it for about a year.
A few days ago, I noticed the property behind the cones had its electrical meter and wires disconnected.
Last night, while walking my dog, I happened to catch a Providence College security guard tidying up the caution tape. I asked if he had any news what’s happening with this property. He told me they were being torn down for parking.
“That’s unfortunate,” I said.
He shrugged.
We’ve walked past them off Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, on Market Street in Philadelphia, on Washington Street in Boston just one block from the Common. They edge crowded sidewalks beneath skyscrapers and atop subway stations. They cover some of the most valuable real estate in the nation, in apparent contradiction of the natural laws of development. They are surface parking lots. In most American downtowns they are so widespread that the voided lot, not the solid building, is the base condition. They are constructions of essential minimums: A sheet of asphalt, an attendant’s booth, floodlights for nighttime. Nothing more than what is required to store cars and collect money.
This essay and review is written by Rhode Island resident Ian Baldwin and references our Parking Crisis map. It is a good, somewhat lengthy read on parking at a review of Eran Ben-Joseph ReThinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking. Worth a read.
Notice of Regular Meeting
Tuesday, June 19, 2012 – 4:45pm
Department of Planning and Development
1st Floor Meeting Room 444 Westminster Street, Providence
Opening Session
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Approval of minutes from May 15th 2012 meeting – for action
- Director’s Report
Minor Subdivision
1. Case No. 12-021MI – 54 Locust Street The applicant is seeking preliminary plan approval to subdivide the existing lot measuring Approximately 15,000 SF into two lots measuring approximately 7,500 SF (Mt. Hope, AP 6 Lot 105)
2. Case No. 12-022MI – 41 Edendale Avenue The applicant is seeking preliminary plan approval to subdivide the existing lot measuring approximately 17,488 SF into two lots measuring 11,200 SF and 6,288 SF (Manton, AP 80 Lot 12)
Public Hearing/City Council Referral
3. Referral 3351 – Petition to amend the Future Land Use Map of the Comprehensive Plan The petitioner is requesting that Map 11.2 of the Comprehensive Plan 
entitled “Future Land Use” be amended so that the Downtown/Mixed Use designation and Jobs District overlay encompasses the area bounded by Bradford Street, Cedar Street, Brayton Ave., Spruce Street, Jones Street and a portion of Bond Street. Public comment will be taken. (Federal Hill) – for discussion and action
City Council Referral
4. Referral 3352 – Petition to amend the Zoning Ordinance The petitioner is requesting that the zoning map be amended to change the zoning of lots 67, 166, 167, 171, 176, 178 and a portion of lot 375 on Plat 26 from R-G to D-2. (Federal Hill) – for discussion
R-G General Residence District: This zone is intended for medium density residential areas comprised of structures containing single family dwelling inits, two family dwelling units, three family dwelling units and four of more family dwelling units located on lots with a minimum land area of 5,000 sq. feet and a minimum area of 2,000 sq. feet per dwelling unit.
D-2 Downtown – Mill District: This zone is intended to foster expansion of the downtown uses into former manufactoring areas in which commercial, retail, residential, and office uses are being introduced. A variety of business, financial, institutional, public, quasi-public, cultural, residential, light manufacturing and other related uses are encouraged to provide the mix of activities necessary to accomodate the growth of Downtown Providence.
5. Referral 3349 – Abandonment of a portion of Bond Street The applicant is seeking to abandon a portion of Bond Street approximately 100 feet in length, to provide access to a proposed parking lot. (Federal Hill) – for discussion
6. Referral 3350 – Abandonment of a portion of Cedar Street The applicant is seeking to abandon a portion of Cedar Street approximately 660 feet in length, to provide access to a proposed parking structure. (Federal Hill) – for discussion
Major Land Development Project
7. Case No. 12-014MA – Cedar Street Parking Structure The applicant is seeking Master Plan Approval to construct a two level parking structure with a total of 317 parking spaces. The structure will occupy the area between Brayton Street and 50 Cedar Street. A portion of Cedar Street and Bond Street is proposed for abandonment to provide access to the parking area. The applicant has proposed Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendments to accommodate the development. (Federal Hill AP 26 Lots 67, 166, 167, 171, 176, 178, 182, R-G and D-2) – for action
City Council Referral
8. Referral 3353 – Petition to abandon portions of Olive, Brown and Benevolent Streets The petitioner, Brown University, is seeking to abandon a portion of Olive Street measuring 25,092 SF, a portion of Brown Street measuring 26,675 SF and a portion of Benevolent Street measuring 12,573 SF. (College Hill) – for action
Institutional Master Plan
9. Amendment to Brown University’s Institutional Master Plan Amendment to the Brown Institutional Master Plan (IMP) for the purposes of including portions of abandoned streets within the campus and outlining development plans for those areas. (College Hill) – for action
Adjournment
Related Posts:
Meeting Notice
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 • 12:00 noon
Department of Planning and Development
444 Westminster Street, 1st Floor Meeting Room • Providence, RI 02903
Agenda
- Roll Call
- Minutes
- Approval of Commission Meeting Minutes of April 11, 2012
- Acceptance of DRC Meeting Minutes of April 3, 2012 and Special Meeting of April 10, 2012
- Parcel 1: Union Station Parking Lot – Request for Extension of Parking Attendant Booth and Pylon Sign Approvals
- Parcel 15: RI Credit Union – Request for Extension of Parking Approval – Presenter: David Suvall, President/CEO RI Credit Union
- Appointment of DRC Members
- FY 2013 Budget
- Adjournment
Among the many items on the this week’s City Plan Commission agenda are items 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 all related to a proposed parking deck on Cedar Street on Federal Hill.
This proposal is by the Omni Group, who also proposed, and were approved for a 6-story office building and parking structure at the corner of Cedar and Bradford Streets. As you’ll see here, the previous proposal is included in these plans.
Click image to enlarge.
If you look at the CPC agenda, you’ll see that Omni Group is requesting some zoning revisions, which aren’t really an issue as far as I can see, bringing Downtown zoning over to Federal Hill is fine in my opinion. The highway is a false barrier between Federal Hill and Downtown. What they also seek however is the abandonment of a portion of Bond Street, and most of the remaining portions of Cedar Street. This, I’m not feeling.
It has been over 80 years in coming, but the day is finally here. Providence’s overnight parking program moves from the Pilot stage to actually rolling out citywide.
Starting tonight, residents who have recieved their $100 permit can park on the street (at marked spaces) all night in Ward 13 (Federal Hill and West End). Throughout the spring and early summer the program will roll out to the rest of the city.
Details from the city below and maps, applications, and further information on the City’s website.
Johnson & Wales owned surface lot at the corner of Richmond and Pine Streets
Word about a new parking garage being built by Johnson & Wales University came out of this morning’s Economic Outlook Breakfast:
JWU will start construction on an 800-car parking garage by Sept. Also will start RI’s 1st physician assistant MA program in 2014. #proveob
— Ted Nesi (@tednesi) March 6, 2012
I contacted the University for more details but there aren’t too many yet. What we do know now is the plan is for an 800-car parking garage to be built this fall on university owned land at the corner of Richmond and Pine Streets. That parcel is currently home to a surface parking lot which serves Johnson & Wales as well as a 3 story building which houses the Mirabar nightclub. The Providence Assessors Database lists that building as owned by JJD Realty, Inc. I asked, but I don’t know if Johnson & Wales seeks to buy that building for their garage or to build around it.
In reading this month’s Zoning Board of Review agenda , I came across this:
APPELLANT: GP Arcade Garage, LLC
PROPERTY OWNER: 110 Providence Owner, LLC
SUBJECT PROPERTY: Vacant land located at 90 Westminster Street, a/k/a Lot 123 on the Tax Assessor’s Plat 20
ZONING DISTRICTS: D-1 Downtown Central Business District and DD Downcity Overlay District (A Street) The Appellant is appealing the Director’s decision to issue a building permit (No. B2011-3886, dated November 29, 2011) contending that the proposed construction of a surface parking lot is in violation of Sections 502 and 502.2(F)(3) of the Zoning Ordinance
So that would be the owners for the Arcade Garage on Weybosset Street arguing that the owners of the lot at 35 Weybosset Street/110 (90) Westminster Street, should not be allowed to have a surface parking lot at that location because it goes against the Zoning Ordinance.
Here’s the sections cited[1]:
Section 502 – Downcity District
The purpose of the Downcity District is to encourage and direct development in the downtown to ensure that: new development is compatible with the existing historic building fabric and the historic character of downtown; historic structures are preserved, and design alterations are in keeping with historic character; development encourages day and nighttime activities that relate to the pedestrian and promote the arts, entertainment and housing; and that the goals of the Comprehensive Plan are achieved. The design of the exterior of all buildings, open spaces and all exterior physical improvements in the Downcity District shall be regulated and approved through development plan review in accordance with the provisions of this section.
and
