Raptakis Wants to Exempt East Greenwich, Coventry from RhodeMap RI

The state Planning Commission approved the controversial RhodeMap RI plan yesterday -- a nonbinding planning document that was designed to guide communities in the state towards sustainable growth.

But with fierce opposition being expressed against the plan, including from several Town Councils who have sent letters to state lawmakers questioning its merits, some members of the Rhode Island General Assembly plan to block RhodeMap RI from the start.

Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich) said Thursday that he plans to introduce legislation in January that would exempt the three communities he represents from any of the provisions of the RhodeMap RI plan, should it be adopted and implemented.

“The ruling councils of the three communities have spoken out against the proposed RhodeMap RI plan and passed resolutions formally opposing the plan,” said Senator Raptakis. “I believe we must acknowledge the right of a community to run its own affairs. If other communities favor the provisions of the plan, they are more than welcome to sign on. But the communities in my Senate district, which have spoken out against the plan, should not have it imposed on them.”

Senator Raptakis, who attended the Rhode Island Planning Council meeting this week at which the RhodeMap RI plan was approved, said that, had he been allowed to address that meeting, he would have expressed the displeasure of the officials in his three towns at not being adequately informed by state government officials about the full scope of the plan.

In a letter to the RI Department of Administration, the members of the Town Council of East Greenwich wrote that “we believe that more time should be allowed for cities and towns to study this document in more detail, to understand its impact on municipal government and to provide further comments. In particular, the impact and relationship of existing state mandates, Department of House and Urban Development (HUD) requirements and RhodeMap RI policies to preemption of municipal zoning and planning authority needs to be better understood.”

Resolutions opposing the RhodeMap RI plan adopted by the towns of Coventry and West Greenwich in recent days mirrored those concerns, said Senator Raptakis. “For whatever reason, many communities, including the three that I represent, feel they have not been a part of the process in creating this economic plan and, rather, that they will be facing state and HUD imposition of rules that may not be in the best interest of their residents, As a result, on behalf of Coventry, East Greenwich and West Greenwich, I will introduce a bill in January allowing those municipalities to be exempted from the plan.”

“It is important that a viable economic development plan be adopted in our state,” said Senator Raptakis, “but it is equally important that all parties – including our municipalities – be actively involved in preparing such a plan. Because my three towns believe they have been left out of the process and have not been fully and thoroughly informed about the provisions of the plan, I believe they should have the right to opt out and that is what my legislation will allow them to do.