Middletown Ballot To Include $5 Million Open Space Bond

MIDDLETOWN, RI—The General Assembly has granted permission for Middletown to finance the acquisition and preservation of open space and restoration and improvement of recreational areas through the issuance of a $5 million bond.

Approval of this bond will be a question for the town's voters in the upcoming November election, which would be the first step in working towards securing the funding. According to a recent article by The Newport Daily News, Communications Officer Matt Sheley has said that even with approval, there is no guarantee the town would secure the funding if a project is not agreed upon.

The Middletown Town Council voted 5-2 last June to put the bond referendum, an initiative of Town Council President Robert Sylvia, on this year's November ballot. It was supported by council members Rick Lombardi, Dennis Rodrigues, Theresa Santos, and Barbara VonVillas and opposed by Terri Flynn and Dennis Turano.

Although Middletown has no specific project lined up as of right now, Middletown residents have voted to approve open space bonds in the past and has often partnered with the Aquidneck Land Trust to protect its open space, which makes up approximately 40 percent, or 3,143 acres, of the town according to the trust's 2019 development impact analysis.

According to the analysis, 56 percent of the 3,143 acres of open space in Middletown, or 1,770 acres, is protected from development through conservation easements or deed restrictions. The remaining 44 percent, or 1,373 acres, is not protected from development.

The study defines open space as "parcels whose land use is classifies as Parks and Recreational Open Space, Agriculture, and Other Non-Built." Parks and recreational open space includes local and state parks, recreational facilities, and other public natural areas. Agricultural open space includes farmland, pastures, vineyards, nurseries, hayfields, and fallow lands. Other non-built open space includes those that are not explicitly public, such as golf courses and cemeteries.

According to a flyer mailed to Middletown property owners, the additional estimated bond project costs include $2.11 million in projected interest and $60,000 in issuance costs, bringing the total cost of the open space bond to $7.17 million.