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News & Notes

gcpvd —  April 17, 2013 — Leave a comment
OneFund-2Mayor Menino and Governor Patrick announced The One Fund Boston, to raise money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during Monday’s Boston Marathon. To contribute to The One Fund Boston, go to theonefundboston.org.

→ The Atlantic Cities: How President Obama’s Budget Proposal Would Affect Cities

President Obama’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2014, released [last week], focuses on economic growth and a strong middle class. Better urban development isn’t the first item on that agenda, but it’s an important part of the administration’s priorities for the coming year.

Three agencies in particular are at the core of that work, with offices dedicated to making sure community development contributes to regional and national economic growth. The president’s 2014 budget would change how each of these agencies invest in community development.


→ The Atlantic Cities: New Chicago Plan: Pedestrians Come First

[I]n the Second City – as in just about every American metro – autos have long dominated city streets and how we think about who uses them, why they exist and what defines them as successful. This summer, though, Chicago is planning to roll out a small-sounding but seismic policy shift: From now on, in the design guidelines for every effort from major streetscape projects to minor roadside electrical work, transportation work must defer to a new “default modal hierarchy.” The pedestrian comes first.

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Mayor Angel Taveras

2013 State of the City Address

Providence Is Recovering

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 • (as prepared for delivery)

Photo of the Mayor delivering the State of the City from the Mayor's Office.

Photo of the Mayor delivering the State of the City from the Mayor’s Office.

Governor, Mr. President, honorable members of the Providence City Council, distinguished guests, and my fellow residents of our great Capital City –

One year ago I stood before you in this Chamber with an urgent message for our City and the entire State of Rhode Island. Providence was in peril. Despite many difficult decisions and painful sacrifices made to pull Providence back from the brink, we were still $22 million short of closing a $110 million structural deficit.

Crucial steps necessary to navigate our City safely through our Category 5 fiscal hurricane had not yet come to pass. We still needed to reform our unsustainable pensions. And we needed Providence’s large, tax-exempt institutions to contribute more.

As I stood before you on February 13, 2012, Providence was running out of cash, and running out of time. In the months that followed, there were some who said Providence could not avoid filing for bankruptcy.

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Today it is my privilege to deliver a much more hopeful report on the State of our City: Providence is recovering.

Through collaborative efforts and shared sacrifice, we have all but eliminated our City’s $110 million structural deficit, and we expect to end this year with a balanced budget. Working together, we have accomplished what few believed possible.

We were determined to address the root causes of Providence’s fiscal emergency and prepared to act unilaterally if necessary. And we knew our City would never achieve a lasting recovery without addressing our unsustainable and spiraling pension costs.

In April, following months of actuarial analysis and public testimony, this City Council unanimously approved a pension reform ordinance that put Providence’s pension system on a sustainable path.

We recognized that passing the ordinance would likely lead to a high-stakes lawsuit with no real winners – because a decision in favor of the status quo would push our City over the brink. However, faced with the challenge of negotiating pension changes with more than 2,000 retirees who were not represented by a single entity, we saw no alternative.

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Notice of Regular Meeting
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 – 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 November 20th 2012 meeting – for action
  • Approval of minutes from December 18th 2012 meeting – for action
  • Director’s Report

Major Land Development Project

1. Case No. 12-011 MA – 257 Thayer Street (Final Plan Approval) The CPC approved the preliminary plan to construct a four story mixed use building with 95 dwelling units, underground parking and a landscaped courtyard in December 2012. The applicant is seeking final plan approval subject to fulfillment of preliminary plan conditions – for action (AP 13 Lots 42, 48, 104, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238 and 241, College Hill)

See also: UPDATED: Graduate student housing apartment building proposed on Thayer Street

Institutional Master Plan

2. Amendment of Providence College’s Institutional Master Plan (IMP) The applicant is seeking to amend the IMP to reflect the institution’s requests for street abandonments and changes to the Institutional Overlay Zone – for action (Elmhurst)

See also: Letter to the campus from P.C.’s President regarding their PILOT agreement

City Council Referral

3. Referral 3359 – Abandonment of portions of Huxley Avenue, Wardlaw Avenue and Cumberland Street Petition by Providence College to abandon Huxley Avenue between AP 119 lot 8 and lot 229 and Cumberland Street between AP 81 lot 189 and lot 195 and Wardlaw Avenue from AP 81 lot 186 to lot 189 – for action (Elmhurst)

4. Referral 3360 – Extension of I-2 overlay zone Petition by Providence College to extend the I-2[1] overlay district to include certain lots on Wardlaw Avenue and Cumberland Street – for action (Elmhurst, AP 81 Lots 186, 188 and 189-196)

See also: Presumed Parking Lot-ification

CPC Administration

5. Election of Officers Election of CPC officers – for discussion and action

Adjournment



[1] I-2 Educational Institutions – This zone is intended to permit higher education institutions and their expansion in a planned manner while protecting the surrounding neighborhoods. (Providence Zoning Ordinance)

It is that time of year for us to take a look back and What Cheer the good and What Jeer the bad.

whatcheerWork commences on the Washington Bridge Linear Park

It has been in the works for years, but finally RIDOT has started work on the Washington Bridge Linear Park.

Through a $22 million contract, RIDOT will rebuild the remaining section of the original Washington Bridge that carries the existing bikeway and a section of the original highway bridge. In the same footprint will be a much wider bikeway and linear park. It will feature a separate bikeway and walking path, scenic overlooks, park benches, flag poles, decorative lighting and landscaped planters. The project also calls for restoration of the historic, multi-arch granite façade of the Washington Bridge and two operator’s houses from which an original drawbridge was controlled.

When opened, the new linear park will be named the George Redman Linear Park, after the East Providence resident who was instrumental in making the East Bay Bike Path a reality 25 years ago. Redman continues to advocate for bike path development across the state.

whatcheerWind Turbines at Fields Point

While they were installed in January, the whole City was speculating when the would finally start spinning. Turns out they wouldn’t start up until October. But now they are finally spinning and adding some environmental goodness to the Providence skyline. Hope we’ll some more.

whatcheerOvernight parking expansion

While it has been studied endlessly for years (even as the rest of the world seemed to be able to embrace it and not devolve into chaos), in April, overnight parking has finally started spreading throughout the City.

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Notice of Regular Meeting
Tuesday, November 20, 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 October 16th 2012 meeting – for action
  • Director’s Report

Minor Subdivision

View Brown Streets in a larger map

1. Case No. 12-047MI – Preliminary Plan Approval for creation of new lots from the abandoned portions of Brown and Benevolent Street The applicant, Brown University, received approval for abandonment of the portion of Benevolent Street between Brown Street and Magee Street and abandonment of Brown Street between Charlesfield and George Streets. The applicant is requesting that new lots be created for both abandonment areas – for action (College Hill)

2. Case No. 12–048MI – Preliminary Plan Approval for creation of new lot from the abandoned portion of Olive Street The applicant, Brown University, received approval for abandonment of the portion of Olive Street between Brown and Thayer Street. The applicant is requesting that a new lot be created for the abandonment area – for action (College Hill)

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News & Notes

gcpvd —  October 26, 2012 — 4 Comments

Dunsmuir Separated Bike Lanes 462

Protected bike lane in Vancouver, Canada. Photo (cc) Paul Krueger

→ USA Today: More small towns thinking big

These small but growing towns are applying some of the most forward-thinking planning tenets to create true downtowns, arts districts and new traffic patterns that alleviate congestion and encourage walking. They’re changing zoning to build city-style condos and apartments above stores. And they’re getting away from big parking lots and strip malls by putting parking underground and behind stores. Often, the downtowns are created around a new city hall, transit stations, arts center — or all three.

“We’ve got to start designing our cities for people first and automobiles second,” says Carmel Mayor James Brainard, a lawyer who picked up some European design sensibilities while studying in England.


→ American Planning Association: Milwaukee’s transit debate: Streetcar desire vs. disaster

Mayor Tom Barrett is the prime mover behind Milwaukee’s plan to build a brand-new streetcar system. Bright, modern vehicles would traverse a two-mile route through the city’s East Side, downtown and historic Third Ward, a former warehouse area now popular for its shops and restaurants.

Barrett believes flashy streetcars can revitalize Milwaukee’s city front and points to the popularity of the 10-year-old system in Portland, Ore. Today’s streetcars, Barrett says, are more about attracting attention than providing transportation.

“I look at this as an economic development tool,” Barrett told the Tribune. “Look at Portland. That system has aided in spurring development and growth, which is what all communities are looking for now.”


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195-land-aerial-ridot

195 Land aerial. Photo © RIDOT.

First in the Journal; “A step forward for vacant land – Former Route 195 land less polluted than anticipated, reducing one of many hurdles

The prime real estate in the heart of the capital city now available for development after the Route 195 relocation project got an environmental green light on Monday night from an engineering team.

Environmental studies by the firm Fuss & O’Neill show the former highway land is in far better shape than its past use might have suggested, engineer John A. Chambers told the Route 195 Redevelopment District Commission at its monthly meeting.

“This is fantastic news,” said Chambers, a vice president with the firm hired by the commission to conduct civil, environmental and transportation engineering. “I felt like Chicken Little telling you at previous meetings what we might find. I’m ecstatic we didn’t find it.”

Then, from the Providence Business News; “I-195 Commission worries over budget

The commission managing the former Interstate-195 lands considered the $900,000 in this year’s state budget the minimum needed each year to redevelop and maintain the downtown properties. But I-195 Commission Chairman Colin Kane said Monday that state budget officials have told him they expect that money to last three years.

“It was a surprise,” Kane said about learning from budget officials representing the governor, House and Senate leadership last Wednesday that they did not expect to repeat the fiscal 2013 appropriation in the budget for next year. “There is surely a minimum standard that clearly I didn’t [previously] articulate strongly enough.”

I have to assume it never occurred to anyone at the State House to set a budget for this Commission before creating it.

ripta

This scandal at RIPTA is just what the agency doesn’t need. Although, maybe if a thorough cleaning of the house results, it will turn out to be exactly what it does need. Let’s hope politics can keep out of the way of truth and sanity.

From the Governor’s Office:

Governor Chafee Asks State Police to Secure RIPTA Records, Launch Investigation to Ensure Proper Handling of State Resources

State Police Second-in-Command to Assist with Management of Agency

Need for Intervention Discovered as Result of Governor Chafee’s

Request for Performance and Accountability Review

Providence, RI – Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Steven G. O’Donnell, and Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) Board Chairman Mayor Scott Avedisian today announced that they have asked the State Police to look into the possible mishandling of public resources at RIPTA. Thursday night, Governor Chafee asked the Rhode Island State Police to secure RIPTA’s internal records in an effort to protect potential evidence of wrongdoing within that agency.

Colonel O’Donnell has assigned Lieutenant Colonel Raymond B. Studley, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Field Operations for the State Police, to coordinate the investigation and assist with the management of the agency.

“Serious allegations of wrongdoing have been made in the course of RIPTA’s top-to-bottom review,” Governor Chafee said. “Mayor Avedisian and I believe that these allegations are serious and that in order to preserve the public trust an investigation by the State Police is warranted.”

“I want to make clear, though, that these allegations involve only a small, small portion of the total population employed by the State of Rhode Island, and should in no way reflect on the vast majority of hardworking, honest state employees,” Governor Chafee continued.

“Mayor Avedisian and I have asked Lieutenant Colonel Studley to work with RIPTA to coordinate the investigation and assist with operations, identify process improvements, and generally assist the organization. He is a proven leader and manager and a man of unwavering honesty and integrity. He is there to be a resource and an asset,” Governor Chafee concluded.

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ProJo: RI transportation officials shelve plans to install tolls on Route 95

State transportation officials have suspended plans to install tolls on Route 95 by the Connecticut border.

State Transportation Director Michael P. Lewis told The Journal state officials are not scrapping the project but recognizing that the federal government would not approve the project now.

Providence Community Library Olneyville

Providence Community Library System to Close September 10 Through 15 Due to Cut in City Funding

Sacrifice by PCL Staff Minimizes Extenet of Closures

The Providence Community Library system will close Monday, September 10 through Saturday, September 15 due to a cut of $205,000 in funding from the City of Providence. Regular library operations will resume Monday, September 17.

To address the bulk of this devastating cut in City funding, the employees of Providence Community Library (90% of whom are members of United Service and Allied Workers of RI) have agreed to forego the 401(k) contribution made by the Library during the current fiscal year. PCL and its employees hope that this great financial sacrifice by all of PCL’s employees, together with the closing of the libraries for one week, will be sufficient to address this budget shortfall.

PCL’s employees have agreed to forego this year’s contributions to their only pension plan in the hope that this sacrifice will allow PCL to continue providing full library services at all nine of its libraries and with the expectation that the City of Providence will show its support for continuing library services in the City’s neighborhoods by committing to increased funding for the libraries from this point forward.