The town of Narragansett has adopted a new ordinance that has significant implications for property owners and summer vacation renters in the beach town. Under the new rules, property owners will be prohibited from renting out a unit for less than seven nights at a time. The rules were approved in a 3-1 vote, with […]
South County Bureau
Posted inArticle, Housing, Local, South County Bureau
Narragansett Town Council holds off on affordable housing vote after heated exchanges at Monday night’s meeting
The Narragansett Town Council held off on taking action Monday night on a resolution seeking the General Assembly’s authorization to ask voters whether to approve the issuance of $3 million in bonds for affordable housing development in the town. The council failed to take a vote after three councilors, Ewa Dzwierzynski, Jill Lawler, and Steven […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Westerly beach parking bans are being called forms of ‘bigotry’
You could almost call this a tale of two towns, within the confines of one municipality. In downtown Westerly and nearby areas, drivers riding in two-way traffic pass between rows of vehicles parked on both sides of the street. Pedestrians stroll along sidewalks, and trucks make delivery stops in the middle of the road. But […]
Posted inArticle, Housing, Local, South County Bureau
Report finds URI is contributing to Narragansett’s housing crisis
A new report commissioned by the town of Narragansett says University of Rhode Island students living off-campus have significantly altered the town’s housing market, leading to a “symbiotic relationship” between the university and private landlords at the expense of other renters. According to the study by the Burlington, Vermont-based group Crane Associates, URI has benefited […]
Posted inArticle, Local, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
ACLU represents beach access advocate sued by Weekapaug Fire District
The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is defending a Westerly resident and beach access advocate being sued by the Weekapaug Fire District for advocating that the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council designate a public right-of-way to the Quonochontaug Barrier Beach. The ACLU is working with former Rhode Island Assistant Attorney […]
Posted inArticle, Business, Housing, Local, South County Bureau
What can other towns learn from Burrillville’s affordable housing success story?
When the Woonsocket-based non-profit NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley began redeveloping the Clocktower building in Burrillville, the old wool-weaving mill was far from move-in ready. Vegetation on the property had grown wild, once-expansive exterior windows were filled in with cinder blocks, and the inside was being used to store car parts. “These mills had seen their […]
Posted inSouth County Bureau
Feds complete Watch Hill Lighthouse transfer, and public access guarantees aren’t included
The U.S. General Services Administration said this week it has finalized the transfer of the historic Watch Hill Lighthouse to a private nonprofit and officially executed the deed to the property for its new owner, the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association. The planned transfer was first announced last July by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed. It […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
ACLU says fire district letters to shoreline access donors could threaten free speech
The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is asking the Weekapaug Fire District to stop notifying shoreline access advocates that they may be called to testify in an ongoing legal matter because they donated to a GoFundMe campaign meant to support opening up public beach access in that case. In a Dec. […]
Posted inLocal, South County Bureau, Stories
Weekapaug Fire District takes new legal action against Westerly and Rhode Island
The Weekapaug Fire District filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island Superior Court on Dec. 6, arguing the state’s review of the Sand Trail at the Quonochontaug Barrier Beach for potential designation as a public right-of-way to the ocean should be closed by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. Weekapaug’s suit says the review that […]
Posted inHousing, Local, South County Bureau
New RI housing laws go into effect January 1. Will they help fix the affordable housing crisis?
Narragansett resident Rupert Friday wants people to know he’s not a snob, and he’s not a one-percenter who wants to fight affordable housing development. He’s retired from a career in land use planning and the nonprofit sector – a background he draws on as a member of the town planning board. His wife is a […]
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