The Cranston Public Works Committee was told Wednesday that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has stepped back from a plan to take part of the Royal Ridge Condominium property by eminent domain for a shared-use path, according to the committee's published meeting recording.
Eminent domain is the government's power to take private property for public use, with compensation. Council President Wall, who placed the item on the agenda, said condominium owners were told roughly two to three weeks earlier that a portion of their land would be taken for an eight-foot-wide path, and that the next meeting was expected to be about price. He said the plan also included striping a bike lane about a mile and a half along two residential streets to connect with an existing bike path.
Wall said he learned of the plan the previous Thursday, hand-delivered letters to affected households, and contacted state legislators and the mayor. He then read from a letter the city received Monday, in which RIDOT wrote that it understands the community's concerns and that before planning any bike facilities along those roads it will reach out to the city and begin public outreach. Wall described the plan as halted and said the department's execution, not its intent, was the problem.
Local sponsorAffordable photography lessons in Newport, Jamestown, or your town.E.L. Photo RIMoretti, a city administration director, told the committee the mayor had no advance notice of the current proposal, that a version was raised with the administration two or three years ago and opposed, and that he spoke with RIDOT's acting director, who said he would not support it. No vote was taken; the item was a discussion.
Cemetery permit continued again
The committee voted by roll call to continue RIDOT's request for a permit to work within 25 feet of the exterior boundaries of State Farm Cemetery #1 to its next meeting.
David Walsh, RIDOT's assistant director of administrative services, said the work is part of a $143 million project in Cranston and Warwick along the Route 37 corridor and involves milling, paving and replacing guardrail in the existing right-of-way, with a small section falling inside the 25-foot buffer. Mark McHugh of RIDOT said the work is a mill and overlay and does not enter the cemetery itself.
The chair said she wanted to review the plan sheets herself before making a recommendation, and asked RIDOT to provide the archaeological survey completed under the federal environmental review, plus a written construction-phasing and inspection plan showing how crews will know where the boundary line is. Walsh said paving is not expected until roughly 2027, with the overall project running to 2028.
Shriners sign remains partly lit
A city attorney told the committee that the dispute over an LED sign at a Shriners property is now in municipal court, and that the organization has agreed to turn the sign off by 9 p.m. while the case proceeds. He said whether the sign must go dark entirely in the meantime is a decision for the judge.
Councilwoman Graziano, who represents Ward One and requested the update, objected to that arrangement, saying the sign lacks both zoning relief and an electrical permit and that no application has been filed despite requests from the building official. She compared it to allowing construction to continue without a building permit, and asked the administration to issue a cease-and-desist order and pursue all available fines. Councilman Traficante said his concern was that the city was "making side deals" on an active violation. A resident told the committee during public comment that the sign has stood for nearly half a year and that the city looks "either complicit or, more likely, ineffectual." No vote was taken; Graziano said a separate complaint involving the same organization will appear on a future agenda.
Dumpsters, pool rentals and trash barrels
Wall asked that businesses with overflowing, broken or uncovered dumpsters be cited immediately under the city's garbage ordinance, which he said allows fines of up to $300 per day, citing rat complaints.
Councilman Ritz said he and Traficante met with the chief executive of Swimply, the residential pool-rental app, who provided a direct contact for complaints. Ritz and Wall said they still intend to pursue an ordinance, which Wall said would prohibit the rentals outright.
On trash carts, the administration said residents should call Waste Management directly for broken wheels or lids, that repairs are covered under the city's contract at no extra charge, and that Waste Management replaced close to 3,000 wheels and lids and 2,326 carts between July of last year and June of this year. A new vendor will supply 1,800 replacement bins, 900 trash and 900 recycling, at about $42 each for a 65-gallon barrel, down from roughly $50, with delivery expected in four to six weeks. Members asked that repair instructions be posted on the city website.
Ordinance Committee: stop sign advances, stormwater goes to Planning
Meeting immediately afterward, the Ordinance Committee voted by roll call to approve an amendment adding a stop sign at a Ward One intersection near an elementary school, sponsored by Graziano, with two members added as co-sponsors. Two lines of the draft were struck as redundant. A parent who lives at the corner and two children testified that drivers speed through and that one had nearly been struck. Graziano said police assessed the location and found a stop sign reasonable, but that the traffic engineer's response is still outstanding. The measure now goes to the full City Council.
The committee also voted to refer a proposed zoning amendment on stormwater to the Planning Commission. Graziano said the ordinance would apply existing state stormwater standards to developments under an acre, which currently face no on-site management requirement, to reduce runoff into city catch basins. She said the draft was prepared by the Planning Department, that she is open to amendments, and that she expects the Planning Commission to take it up September 1st. Wall raised questions about whether the cost should fall on subdividers or builders and about parking-dimension language.
Residents who want to weigh in on the stormwater proposal can attend the Planning Commission meeting; the stop-sign amendment goes before the full City Council, and the cemetery permit returns to the Public Works Committee at its next meeting. Agendas are posted on the city's calendar page.