Newport Planners Eye Navy Surplus Land

The year 2010 could well be remembered as the Great Land Rush of Aquidneck Island, as Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport municipalities, organizations and developers get the opportunity to acquire and develop 225 acres along the island's western shoreline from Navy surplus lands.

"This is such a stellar opportunity, not only to Aquidneck Island, but for the state of Rhode Island with these beautiful waterfront properties," said Tina Dolan, Executive Director of the Aquidneck Island Reuse Planning Authority (AIRPA), an independent group that's coordinating the three communities' planning and proposals during the conveyance and public outreach process. The group will act as the primary public contact as well as the intermediary between the local redevelopment authorities and federal governments. Local elected officials and representatives from the three Aquidneck Island municipalities also serve on the AIRPA.

The AIRPA, U.S. Navy and other federal officials held a public forum and trolley tour Wednesday at CCRI in Newport to officially kick off a six- to nine-month public input and conveyance application process designed to bring the three communities together in deciding how the Navy surplus lands ultimately shall be used. Some of the properties overlap town borders and other properties have the potential to be subdivided for various uses in the planning process.

The U.S Navy had deemed five main parcels in the three communities as surplus in February 2010, so the next step is for local communities to decide how to best use the land and come up with a blue print for development.

"No one town can override the other, so the three towns will be coordinated on a regional level," noted Dolan.

At stake are five main parcels with an as-of-yet undetermined or appraised market value:

• In Newport, a former Naval Hospital at the current Naval base consisting of seven waterfront acres of land with eight buildings, and three submerged acres.

• In Middletown, a former Naval Lodge property on the western corner of West Main Road and Coddington Highway, consisting of a vacant lot with small utility building that will remain on the property under an easement.

• Straddling Middletown and Portsmouth, approximately 67 acres along portions of Defense Highway, Stringham Road, and Midway/Greene Lane.

• In Portsmouth, known as Tank Farm 1, located adjacent to the Melville Fuel Loading Area, made up of 50 acres of land for fuel storage that ceased in 1973 and includes partially buried, underground and above-ground storage tanks and support facilities.

• In Portsmouth, known as Tank Farm 2, made up of 96 acres of land for fuel storage that ceased in 1970 and includes 11 underground fuel storage tanks and three support facilities. This land abuts undeveloped woodlands to the west.

A crowd of nearly 100 interested parties representing government officials and planning staff, community organizations, and private developers from Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport attended the public hearing Wednesday and about half that number joined the hour-long trolley tour and caravan that browsed the vacant Navy properties.

Navy and AIRPA officials said the overall redevelopment blueprint for western Aquidneck Island will need to incorporate two key components: A HUD plan that will work with homeless service providers to create much-needed housing in the area, as well as a redevelopment plan based on the marketability of the area, environmental issues and community needs, as determined throughout the coming months through the public outreach process.

The next steps in the process includes continued public outreach of three to four more public information meetings in coming months. Additionally, the AIRPA is conducting a survey to gain further public input. Click here to download a copy.

Interested parties and municipalities must submit proposals by the following deadlines:

• Notices of Interest must be submitted by November 22, 2010.

• Reuse plans for housing for the homeless must be submitted by August 19, 2011.

The AIRPA will work with the regional redevelopment authorities to determine the best plan to put forward on behalf of Aquidneck Island, officials said. But ultimately, the federal government will have the final say in the vetting process and final approvals in the land conveyance.

Interested parties who were unable to attend Wednesday's information session or tour may arrange for private tours or an advisement meeting with a representative of the AIRPA, said Julie Oakley, AIRPA Public Reuse Coordinator, who will serve as the AIRPA's liaison between local and federal governments, and will serve as primary public contact. Oakley may be reached at joakley@aquidneckislandrpa.org or 401-845-9400.