Forums planned on $15M open space proposal

By ALEX MALM
Posted 12/29/21

The Warwick Land Trust has unanimously endorsed a plan that if successful would place a $15 million bond measure on the ballot next November. The bond measure would ask voters to approve the City …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Forums planned on $15M open space proposal

Posted

The Warwick Land Trust has unanimously endorsed a plan that if successful would place a $15 million bond measure on the ballot next November. The bond measure would ask voters to approve the City raising the funds to acquire 459 acres of open space.

To help answer questions, and to hear feedback about the proposal, the Land Trust has scheduled three different community forums.

“These meetings will be important to provide information to the community about the proposed open space bond and to get feedback from the public on what the bond’s priorities should be,” said Land Trust member Nathan Cornell.

“We will discuss how our remaining large areas of open space are at critical risk of being developed and why protecting these open space areas are in the interests of the residents of Warwick.”

Cornell said the trust endorsed a plan he prepared in September to acquire properties, mostly in Cowesett including the Little Rhody Beagle Club, Valley Country Club, Fisher Property, Met Life Property, Allen Property, and the YMCA & AMCAP.

The bond would also be used for conservation easements on Canyon 1, farmland near Dawley farm, and the old growth forest bordering the Little Rhody Beagle Club.

“The rest of the bond would be allocated for conservation easements which would be legal agreementswith private property owners to keep their land protected as open space so it can never be developed,” Cornell said in his presentation.

Cornell said that the community forums would be held at the Warwick Public Library - Sandy Lane Branch on Monday, Jan. 17, 24, and 31 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. He said that the first forum would be geared towards Wards 7, 8, and 9. The second towards Wards 4, 5, and 6, and the third towards Wards 1, 2, 3.

Following a November story in the Beacon which outlined the proposed project, Ward 2 Councilman Jeremy  Rix said that there were some properties in Ward 2 that are of interest to preserve.

“There are some open space priorities in Ward 2 that I’d like to see included as part of any bond. E.g., part of the Aldrich property; certain lands along the Pawtuxet River and other unbuilt areas; Spring Green Pond; and improvements for existing open space for residents to better enjoy,” said Rix. “All of these combined would likely total about $1 million, which would still be a lesser share for Ward 2 compared to the average across the City.”

Cornell explained that since the 1960s “almost all the open space in Warwick has been developed. Apart from Morris Farm and the few farms left in Potowomut, all the farmland has disappeared, and theforest land has been fragmented andmuch of it destroyed.”

He said that the remaining open space is in the Cowesett area west of route 95 and in the Natick area.

A graduate of Toll Gate and vice chair of the Warwick School Committee, Cornell initiated a drive to identify old growth trees in Warwick that has gained favor with members of the Land Trust and environmentalists. In his pursuit to identify and save old growth trees, Cornell has found several mature American Chestnut trees that arborist Matthew Largess believes could be some of the biggest in the northeast.

Cornell has also been vocal in opposing plans for the development of solar farmsat the Little Rhody Beagle Club, Kent County YMCA property and Valley Country Club and supporting a 6-month moratorium on a city solar ordinance recently approved by the City Council. If the City were to do nothing Cornell said that all of the open space areas not owned by the City would be developed.

He said, “the quality of some neighborhoods will go down due to over developmentand lack of open space for residents to enjoy.”

He also said that “the destruction of the forests found on these open space areaswill lead to Warwick becoming less hospitabledue to heat levels rising from thedestruction of trees.”

Cornell also noted “there will be major issues with animals, such as coyotes,wandering on residential properties because the forests and fields where they lived would be destroyed.”

“As climate change worsens and Rhode Island’s forests continue to fragment and disappear due to development, these open space areas will be contingency land for future forests as needed, and the forestland currently on these properties will serve as important carbon sinks and cool the air in Warwick as global temperatures rise,” Cornell told the Land Trust.

“These open space areas could also one day serve as city parks as sea levels rise leading to Goddard Park and City Park eroding away in the next few hundred years.”

Cornell said that a lot of the properties are in “critical threat” of being developed soon which is why they wanted to act now.

He said that because the City wouldn’t have enough money on its own to purchase it and because the Land Trust has very little money they thought the best option would be to put it up for a vote on the ballot. He said that they looked into applying for funding from the state but it wouldn’t be nearly enough to purchase all the properties even if they received any. Ward 9 Councilman Vincent Gebhart said he has also been seeking informal feedback from community members. He recently sent out an email asking those on the list to give their initial feedback regarding the proposal.

“As your elected representative, I feel it is critical to understand where you stand on this important issue,” Gebhart wrote in the email. “Open space and preservation of forested areas is a key way to help with the impacts of climate change - though it also comes with a cost in lost revenue opportunities, payments on a bond, and maintenance costs.”

Out of the 50 replies so far 32 have said that they were “strongly in favor” after looking at the proposal initially.

Two said that they were “strongly in opposition.”

Mayor Frank Picozzi previously said he is worried about purchasing the land without a proposal on how it would be used, lost tax revenue and costs of maintenance.

“You have to be careful buying parcels of land that are open space, you take them off the tax roll so you lose revenue,” Picozzi said.

He also said he would want any acquisition of land to be beneficial to all residents and not just those whose neighborhoods next to or near the parcels.

“We can’t just buy land where people don’t want anything developed; it doesn’t benefit the whole rest of the city,” Picozzi said.

Cornell said that in order to get the bond measure on the ballot it would have to be approved by the City Council. He said that he thinks the community will rally behind the idea.

“I think there will be a lot of community support for it,” Cornell said.

forums, proposal

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here