The Smithfield Planning Board held the first of multiple public workshops this week to begin updating the town's comprehensive plan, according to the Smithfield Planning's published meeting recording. No votes were taken and no specific development projects or applications were discussed.
Rhode Island law requires municipalities to update their comprehensive plans roughly every 10 years. The town's current plan is set to expire in October, according to the director of planning and economic development, who opened the session by explaining that the town must go through a formal update process before that deadline. He told attendees the meeting was not meant to advocate for any particular outcome, but to "create conditions for a good conversation" as the town begins the multi-meeting update process.
What happened at the meeting
The session was structured in three parts: a presentation on long-term planning concepts, a question-and-answer period to clarify that framework, and small-group table discussions where residents worked through worksheets on their values and priorities for the town.
The planning director emphasized that this early meeting was intentionally not about zoning changes, specific parcels, or project approvals. He said those discussions would come later in the process, with "plenty of space" for that debate at future board meetings.
Guest presentation from Strong Towns
The board brought in a chief technical advisor from Strong Towns, a member-supported advocacy organization, to give a presentation on land-use and municipal finance concepts. The speaker is not a paid consultant to the town; he described his organization's role as educational rather than advisory on specific decisions.
The presentation argued that traditional, incrementally built downtowns tend to generate more property tax value per acre than newer suburban-style development, while requiring less long-term infrastructure to maintain. He cited examples from other communities, including Lafayette, Louisiana, and Buffalo, New York, where consultants found that historic downtown blocks produced significantly higher tax revenue relative to city services consumed than newer subdivisions or shopping centers built on the same land area. He also described a "finance decoder" tool that Strong Towns offers to help municipalities compare their long-term financial obligations, such as road and pipe maintenance, against the tax value those areas generate.
The presenter also discussed methods some towns have used to allow gradual, small-scale change, including accessory dwelling units, "starter home" infill, temporary street-design experiments using paint or cones, and simplifying local codes such as parking requirements. These were offered as examples from other communities, not as recommendations specific to Smithfield.
Audience questions
During the question period, residents asked how the presenter's model would apply to a small state and a town of Smithfield's size, whether the property valuation data cited was drawn from tax assessments, how the approach might affect open space and farmland, and what the presenter observed about the town's roads and infrastructure during a visit before the meeting. The presenter said the general framework applies to communities of any size, that most of the data referenced in his slides came from municipal property tax assessments, and that decisions about balancing growth against open-space preservation would be up to residents and town officials to work through as part of the planning process. He said he was not in a position to identify Smithfield's specific weaknesses but encouraged residents to raise both concerns and things they value about the town at future public meetings.
What's next
Board officials said comments and worksheet responses gathered at the table discussions will be compiled and reported to the planning board at an upcoming meeting, becoming part of the comprehensive plan update process. Residents who did not attend can complete an online survey, made available the night of the meeting, covering similar questions raised in the workshop. The planning director said additional public workshops on the comprehensive plan will follow, though no specific dates were announced during this session.