Our town of Johnston is becoming more and more developed.
With the construction of the new Amazon warehouse and the steady progression of small housing developments, the town is losing its rural nature and its natural forested areas.
Recently, Green Development, a Cranston-based developer of solar and wind power sites, has proposed five large solar fields in western Johnston. Two of the proposed areas are east of Greenville Avenue near the Smithfield town line. The other three are south of Winsor Avenue, east of Hopkins Avenue, and nearly surrounding the Rollingwood development.
The town lacks effective regulation for these types of projects. Companies like Green Development know they can propose projects and get them built without any large roadblocks from the town.
There are no published restrictions on where commercial solar developments can go and how they are laid down and constructed, so our large undeveloped residential areas (zoned R-20 and R-40) provide the space needed for large solar projects. These projects require Special Use Permits, but the standard for the Zoning Board to issue Special Use Permits is not very high.
A recent study by URI, analyzing 400,000 property transactions, concludes that houses within 0.1 miles (528 feet) of commercial solar developments see an average reduction in property value of 7% and houses within a mile can see an average reduction of 1.7%.
There are nearly 100 abutters adjacent to these solar field lots, so the town could see a broad depreciation of housing values as a direct result of these projects. Johnston owes it to us residents to protect our investments. Special Use Permit ordinances require "that granting of the special use permit will be environmentally compatible with neighboring properties and the protection of property values." These projects do not meet this requirement.
One of the functions of the town's Planning Board is to prepare and adopt the Comprehensive Development Plan, which is a lengthy document establishing standards and expectations for land use and development. When projects are proposed to the Board, the Board makes a ruling as to the project's alignment with the Plan. Johnston's Comprehensive Plan was last published in January 2007.
Solar development is not addressed in the plan — there is not guidance for or against such projects — but the Board concluded that the project is in alignment with the Plan. One of the key themes in the Plan is the importance of maintaining the town's rural nature and natural areas for the enjoyment of the residents. These projects would clear over 150 acres of largely wooded land, with installation of the panels inside chain-link fences. The Planning Board determined that these projects are in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, but they are not. In fact, the 2007 Comprehensive Plan identifies the area south of Winsor as land that the town should purchase to preclude development. The town never made this purchase, which is why the land is still available for development.
The Planning Board assures the town that a new Comprehensive Plan is in development. These projects should not be permitted to proceed until the new Plan is approved and they can be confirmed to be in compliance or not.
The town owes its Boards, and its residents, clear regulations for major development projects. it is not fair to the residents that because of an outdated Comprehensive Plan and lax land use regulations, their property values and quality of life may suffer. Johnston is a special town in rapidly-developing Rhode Island. These solar projects do not need to be built in residential areas. Put them elsewhere, on rooftops or in areas zoned for commercial and industrial uses.
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