Gsri 2010 Briefing Book WEB

8/8/2019 Gsri 2010 Briefing Book WEB

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Brieng Bookor Candidates

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

Sustainable Economic Growth& Quality o Place


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Produced by:

Grow Smart Rhode Island

235 Promenade Street, Suite 550Providence, RI 02908

401.273.5711

www.growsmartri.org

Initial printing:September 2010

Layout & Graphics:Jef Nickerson

Printing: The Copy Center at Crossroads

Cover Photos:Clockwise from top right: Nate Lafond; Jef Nickerson; Rhode IslandDivision of Planning; ICON Architects; Rhode Island Division of Planning; Michael

Melford courtesy of the Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Photo credits: p. 3. top Pawtucket Foundation;middle RI Division of Planning;bottomwww.narragansettbayshipping.com; p. 4. RI Division of Planning;p. 6. RI Division ofPlanning; p. 8. top RI Division of Planning;middle by Brian Smith courtesy of the SouthCounty Tourism Council;bottom RI Division of Planning; p. 10. top NuPTA;middleRIDOT;bottom, Nick Palizini; p. 12. top Elizabeth Debs courtesy of Housing Network ofRI;middle HousingWorks RI;bottom Juan Gallo courtesy of HousingWorks RI; p. 14.top Farm Fresh RI;bottom The Nature Conservancy; p. 16. top Adriana Cal from stock.xchng;bottom Darren Shaw from stock.xchng; p. 18.left 2 photos Frank Mullin;rightGates, Leighton & Associates Inc.; p. 19. top Don Powers Architects;bottom RhodeIsland Airport Corporation.

Grow Smart thanks the 2010 summer interns who assisted in researching and writingthe Brieng Book: Laura Flynn, a Providence College graduate and third-year student atState University of New York at Buffalo Law School, and Brown graduate Tanya Bogaty.


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Contents

September 2010

Dear Candidate:

We are pleased to provide you with Grow Smart Rhode Islands 2010 Brieng

Book or Candidates.

You are running or oce at a critical time. Te State and many municipalitieshave been orced to make drastic cuts to balance budgets. Many RhodeIslanders are out o work. In these tough economic times Rhode Island votersare looking or leadership vision and something more dynamic than damagecontrol. Tey want to elect candidates who have specic ideas or improvingeconomic conditions by playing to our strengths strengths such as the vitalitydistinctiveness and charm o our individual communities.

Despite Rhode Islands current diculties we believe our state has tremendousuntapped potential. Te Brieng Book considers seven areas on which we believegovernment should ocus in order to tap that potential. It also oers manyrecommendations or specic policies that can be adopted and implemented atboth the state and local levels with some recommendations or ederal action aswell.

We hope that you will nd the recommendations we oer useul as youormulate your own policy positions and we welcome any questions you mayhave or requests or additional inormation. We look orward to working with

you and other candidates to promote a policy agenda that capitalizes aggressivelyon Rhode Islands underappreciated assets in order to provide more opportunityor all Rhode Islanders.

Sincerely

Scott Wol Executive DirectorGrow Smart Rhode Island

Howard M. KilgussChairman of the Board

Scott WolfExecutive Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Susan ArnoldWilliam BaldwinDaniel A. BaudouinSamuel J. BradnerKenneth BurnettJoseph CaffeyRobert L. CarothersJen CookkeTrudy CoxeKristin A. DeKuiperDennis L. DiPreteStephen DurkeeStephen J. FarrellMichael L. FriedmanWilfrid L. Gates, Jr.John R. Gowell, Jr.Akhil C. GuptaStanley J. KanterJason E. KellyDennis LangleyJames H. LeachBasil LeeStephen M. MaiorisiThomas V. Moses

B. Michael Rauh, Jr.Richard SchartnerLucie G. SearleDeming E. ShermanPamela SherrillJohn C. SimmonsJonathan F. StoneJames F. Twaddell

DIRECTORS EMERITUS:

Arnold Buff ChaceLouise Durfee, Esq.J. Joseph GarrahyMichael S. HudnerMichael F. Ryan

Frederick C. WilliamsonW. Edward Wood 1

About Grow Smart

Rhode Island

2

Brieng Book Overview 3

Keys to Sustainable

Economic Growth

Use Smart Growth toDevelop Sustainably,Build on Assets

4-5

Concentrate Growth inCenters

6-7

Protect Natural Resources 8-9

Expand TransportationChoices

10-11

Increase Housing Optionsand Affordability

12-13

Build Agricultural Viabilityand Protability

14-15

Restructure the TaxSystem

16-17

Smart Growth on the

Ground in Rhode Island

18-19

Resources 20-21


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About Grow Smart Rhode Island

Grow Smart Rhode Island represents a

diverse alliance that includes the business laboracademic environmental housing development andpreservation sectors. Since its establishment in 1Grow Smart has led its allies in calling or sustainable

economic growth that builds upon and strengthensRhode Islands exceptional quality o place.

We work to achieve:

Revitalized walkable urban and town centers

Responsible stewardship o natural resources

Expanded transportation choices

Housing options and aordability

A viable and protable agricultural sector

o accomplish these goals Grow Smart

Conducts research on the impacts o suburbansprawl and urban disinvestment and evaluatespolicies used elsewhere to combat inecient andcostly patterns o development.

Advocates or policies and programs to steeruture growth to revitalized urban town andvillage centers and to reduce developmentpressures on arms and orestland.

Provides training conerences and orums toincrease municipal and state capacity to shapegrowth.

Builds public awareness o issues and resourcesby maintaining an extensive website publishinga monthly e-newsletter and hosting a biennialPower o Place Summit.

Grow Smarts advocacy and public educationwork benets rom close collaboration with many

other Rhode Island organizations and agencies. Ina number o cases to ocus on key issues GrowSmart and its partners have ormed coalitions. Tesecoalitions are listed under Resources on pages 20-21.

Trough involvement in national coalitions GrowSmart brings cutting edge smart growth policy ideasand other resources to Rhode Island. ExecutiveDirector Scott Wol serves on the Board o Directorso Smart Growth America the smart growthmovements national advocacy and communicationsorganization. He is also a representative to theBrookings Institutions national Blueprint orProsperity Initiative which promotes ederal supportor metropolitan wide approaches to issues such as

transportation housing and sustainable economicdevelopment.

A non-partisan 01(c)(3) organization Grow Smartreceives general operating support rom businessesoundations non-prot entities universities andindividuals. We also receive grants or specicprograms including our Power o Place Summit andour Land Use raining Collaborative workshops.

Our work has been honored with awards romthe US EPA American Planning Association/RIChapter Rhode Island Housing Preserve RhodeIsland the Providence Preservation Society theRhode Island Historical Preservation & HeritageCommission and the Environmental BusinessCouncil o New England.

2

We thank Grow Smart RI

or advancing the public

dialogue, or acing toughproblems head-on, or

sharing the results o its

stellar research, and most

o all or believing that

Rhode Islands assets ar

outweigh its liabilities.Te Rhode Island Foundation in the Providence Journal,

May 7, 2008

Grow Smart Rhode Island Staff

Scott Wolf, Executive Director

Sheila Brush, Director of Programs

John Flaherty, Director of Research andCommunications

Lauren Pendergast, Land Use TrainingCoordinator

Leslie Denomme, Executive Assistant forFinance

Dorothy Dauray, Ofce Assistant


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3

How Rhode Island manages and invests in

its physical assets will have a tremendous

impact on future economic development.Te states marketable coastal location within thepopulous Northeast Corridor and the diverse

character and beauty o its built and naturalsurroundings are some o our greatest competitiveadvantages. Limited land area on the other handis a challenge that we must overcome. Our abilityto capitalize on our competitive advantages andto maximize the ecient use o our l imited landwill be just as important to achieving long-termsustainable economic growth as our ability toprovide workorce training and reduce the costs andcomplexity o doing business in Rhode Island.

Some o our states greatest assetsthe things thatdistinguish us rom other placescan be ound inour natural and built surroundings. Tey include:

Compact development patterns that giveus the opportunity to have by ar the mostenergy ecient and walkable communitiesin America at a time when both energyprices and tness are ront burner issues.

Cities towns and villages eaturing historicneighborhoods and buildings excellenthousing and work spaces as well as worldclass cultural and culinary oerings.

Te abundant natural resources naturalbeauty and recreational opportunities to beound in our shorelines and rivers armlandsand orests which can be easily reachedand enjoyed rom anywhere in the state

Some o the most highly productive

agricultural land in America.A competitively positioned airport and seaports.

Rhode Islands small size however gives us verylittle margin or error. We must use our land areaand existing buildings careully and creatively iwe want to improve commercial and industrialgrowth housing and transportation inrastructure

community and cultural acilities while at thesame time ensuring that uture generations willcontinue to enjoy the many benets oered bygreen undeveloped spaces and working armland.

Grow Smart and its allies believe that the smartgrowth approach to development is the best way tomake the most o our limited land area and protectand capitalize on our numerous natural and builtassets. Tis Brieng Book details seven areas that

we believe are key to sustainable economic growth.For each topic area we oer specic policyrecommendations or candidates to consider. Anumber o our recommendations require little orno public investment. We do however also call ortargeted investments which we believe are necessaryto tap the States ull potential and generate sucientlong term economic growth to make a major dentin our persistent structural budget decit. And we

urge close monitoring o returns on investment sothat we can retain eective strategies and eliminatethose that dont produce intended benets.

Our Smart Growth on the Ground section (pp.1-1) illustrates what we can achieve. With theright smart growth strategy and ull appreciationo Rhode Islands strengths we are convincedthat Rhode Islands best days are still ahead.

Brieng Book Overview


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4

Use Smart Growth to Develop Sustainably, Build on Assets

Economic growth is essential for our

states future, and there is broad consensus inRhode Island that growth must be sustainable.In other words economic development shouldavoid consuming or damaging the resources and

community livability that uture generations willneed or their own economic prosperity and qualityo lie.

Sustainable economic growth requires that we(1) provide sucient space or new and expandingbusinesses housing and economic activity aroundour seaports and airports and (2) avoid developmenton environmentally critical lands in order to protectnatural resources and our quality o place. Our

challenge is to achieve both those goals within a totalland area o just over 1000 square milesar smallerthan many counties in other states.

Smart growth is an approach to land use planningand development that oers a way to developsustainably within Rhode Islands limited landarea. Smart growth gives balanced consideration toeconomic needs environmental needs and socialneeds and changes the terms o the development

debate away rom the traditional growth/nogrowth question to how and where should newdevelopment be accommodated?

Smart growth recommends concentrating newcommercial and residential development in andadjacent to traditional urban town and villagecenters and along already built-up corridorsconnecting those centers. It emphasizes re-development o existing vacant or underused

properties and inll construction on vacant lots. Itcalls or continuing the compact mix o residential

commercial and government uses traditionallyound in downtowns. Tis compact mix o usesenables people to walk and bike more and drive lessresulting in signicant health and environmentalbenets.

By prioritizing public and private investment inexisting centers smart growth helps to make ulluse o existing roads sewers water mains andutility lines rather than incurring the costs o newinrastructure in undeveloped areas.

Concentrating growth in centers lessens developmentpressure on undeveloped open spaces and workingagricultural lands. It enables us to reserve orests and

coastal eatures in their natural state and therebyprotect our drinking water provide wildlie habitatand create wetland buers and open spaces to helpprevent fooding. It preserves the places where RhodeIslanders like to hike camp swim sh and hunt.

Perhaps most importantly smart growth can giveRhode Islands economic development initiativesa competitive edge. It creates walkable livabledowntowns and residential neighborhoods that are

particularly attractive to knowledge economy start-up businesses young workers and older workersseeking urban amenities. It reinorces our statesenergy-ecient development patterns as concernsincrease about rising energy costs. And it retainsour highly accessible recreational and natural placesthat are a strong attraction to business executivesemployees and tourists.

Rhode Island state and municipal planning

guidelines already lay out a smart growth approachto development. With broad-based stakeholder

Land Use 2025s Future Land Use Map

shows how we can maintain Rhode

Islands urban-rural balance byconcentrating growth within an urban

services boundary, where sewer and/or

public water systems are already in place

(pink areas of map) and in compact village

centers outside the urban services

boundary. As much as possible,

undeveloped land outside the urban

services boundary should remain in a

natural state or as working farmland.


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input the RI Division o Planning developeda orward-looking comprehensive statewideblueprint or smart growth called Land-Use 2025.Municipal local comprehensive plans also embodysmart growth principles. And some excellent

examples o smart growth development canalready be ound throughout Rhode Island.

However urther reversing the sprawling patterno development that has prevailed in RhodeIsland or most o the last six decades will not beeasy. It will require strong leadership rom theStates executive and legislative branches and rommayors and councils.

Public inrastructure unding state aid tomunicipalities or school and library constructionstate and local economic development incentivesstate and local regulations and permittingtaxation and public acilities siting all infuenceprivate development decisions. State andmunicipal ocials must take the lead in revisingpolicies to encourage compact mixed-usedevelopment and discourage sprawl.

It is also up to our elected ocials to ensurethe necessary cooperation among ederal statemunicipal and private entities. Finally since manydevelopment decisions are made at the local levelit is critical that municipal planning sta have theresources needed to crat eective ordinances andthat boards and commissions receive the trainingthey need to perorm their duties eectively.

At the State Level

Establish a sub-cabinet in theExecutive Branch that includes all stateagency directors whose capital

spending has an impact on landdevelopment. Task the sub-cabinetwith coordinating capital spending andaligning state agency investments withsmart growth strategies.

Provide coordinated state permittingfor development projects located indesignated growth centers.

Ensure planning coordination betweenstate agencies and municipalgovernments.

Provide technical assistance tomunicipalities in the areas of planningand ordinance development onapproaches ranging from TaxIncrement Financing and establishmentof village zoning to Transfer ofDevelopment Rights and ConservationDevelopment.

Support public/private initiatives toprovide capacity-building training formunicipal boards and commissions.

Support regional planning efforts bymunicipalities.

At the Municipal Level

Encourage exploration and publicdiscussion of innovative planningapproaches that have been used

successfully to spur redevelopmentand well-designed new mixed-usedevelopment in existing centers and tolessen development pressures on openspace and working agricultural lands.

Participate in regional planninginitiatives.

Provide resources for board and

commission members to attendcapacity-building workshops.

Provide resources for planning staff toattend professional developmentactivities.

Policy Recommendations

5


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6

Rhode Islands urban and town centers are

vitally important to our states uture well-being.Economic environmental and demographic changesas well as shiting liestyle preerencesare all alteringthe denition o todays American dream. Tere is

mounting evidence that people are increasingly beingdrawn back to live in more traditional and walkableneighborhoods with easier and more ecient access toall o lies essentials.

Businesses too have begun to recognize that the highly-valued cadre o younger talent puts a much greatervalue on workplaces located in vibrant transit-riendlymixed-use centers and transit corridors. By contrastmore isolated modern oce parks while still animportant part o a diversied economy have relativelylittle appeal to these young workers. In addition thecontinued growth o such parks contributes to theragmenting o our landscape and increased publicexpenditures or costly extensions o inrastructure toserve them.

Indeed it has become increasingly clear that 0years o sprawl-style development has exacted aconsiderable toll on America that it can no longeraord economically environmentally or culturally.

A recent report by Reuters suggests that the currentnational economic downturn has in act spurredsmart growth projects in centers and transit corridorsaround the country. For developers homeowners andgovernments there are dollars to be saved and dollarsto be made in revitalizing our centers and corridors.

Rhode Islands town centers and many o its more than30 villages have capacity or additional growth orredevelopment. Its important to emphasize that smart

growth does not suggest a one size ts all solution.

Rather we need to work within the varied scales oexisting cities town centers and villages. Compactdevelopment in Peace Dale or example will look verydierent rom compact development in Providence orPawtucket.

Te continued revitalization o our centers andcorridors will require public leadership and privatepartnerships. Many investment policies at the state andlocal level have yet to catch up to or adapt to strategiesrecommended in Land-Use 2025 Rhode Islandsorward-thinking state land use plan. Even programsthat have proven highly successul in achievingmultiple tangible benets or Rhode Islanders can bestifed due to lack o understanding or commitment toa long range vision.

One such example is the Rhode Island State HistoricPreservation ax Credit established with the assistanceo Grow Smart RI in 2002. Despite signicantevidence o its value it was halted or new enrolleesby the General Assembly in 200. It has beenresponsible or the redevelopment o hundreds ohistoric buildings and ormer browneld sites in urbanand town centers across the state. It has generatedthousands o new construction and permanent jobs

tens o millions in new state and local tax revenue andoverall is estimated to have leveraged $.3 in totaleconomic output or each dollar o state tax creditinvestment.

By putting an end to the many wasteul publicsubsidies o sprawl and instead ocusing on incentivesor uture commercial and residential growth and re-growth in centerswhere buildings roads utilitiesand transportation inrastructure are already inplacewe can capitalize on existing assets and reap theeconomic environmental and community benets odoing so.

Concentrate Growth in Centers

Smart Money in Real Estate is in Smart Growth Reuters August 2010


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Rhode Island developed more of its land inthe last 50 years (particularly in non-urbanareas) than it did in the previous 325.

To accommodate suburbanization, RhodeIsland built nearly 2,500 miles of new roads

between 1958 and 2006.Household transportation costs for RhodeIslanders are the second highest familyexpense after housing.4

61% of American homebuyers now prefer topurchase in traditional, walkableneighborhoods where they have easier accessto services, over a sprawling community withlarger lots, limited options for walking and alonger commute.5

As the 2nd most urbanized state in the nation,Rhode Island has an abundance of existingcompact and traditional neighborhoods withaccess to transit.6

More than 20,000 buildings in Rhode Islandare listed or eligible for listing on the NationalRegister of Historic Buildings.7

The now halted State Historic Tax Creditprogram is credited with stimulating $1.2billion of private investment rehabbing

structures at 226 project sites in 22 of RhodeIslands 39 cities and towns.8

Nearly 30% of Historic Tax Credit projects arealso remediating contaminated browneldsites in 15 RI communitiesurban, suburbanand rural.9

he Costs o Suburban Sprawl and Urban Decay in Rhode Island December1 H.C. Planning Consultants Inc. Planimetrics LLC Where Has All he Money Gone? RI Policy Reporter Jul 11 2004 U.S. Dept. o Labor U.S. Bureau o Labor Statistics April 2005 Nat. Assoc. o REALORS 200 Nat. Community Preerence Survey6 10 U.S. Census7,8 RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission9 Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment ax Credit Economic & Fiscal ImpactAnalysis 200 7

At the State Level

Reinstate a targeted State Historic TaxCredit.

Capitalize on funding opportunitiesavailable through the new HUD-DOT-EPA Federal Partnership for SustainableCommunities.

Ensure that location-efcient, transit-friendly sites are highlighted in thestates new economic developmentonline site inventory.

At no cost to the State, provide anincentive for municipalities to encouragelocation-efcient economicdevelopment by exempting from theproperty tax levy cap (S-3050) all or aportion of new property taxes generatedin districts that meet state-approvedGrowth Center standards.

Issue an Executive Order reminding

department heads in state governmentto comply with a provision of the StateProperties Committee statute (RIPL37-6-2) giving preference to siting stateofces and facilities in urban and/oreconomically distressed locations.

Modify existing state economicdevelopment grants, loan programs, taxincentives and technical assistance to

prioritize economic development in

established centers and corridors withexisting infrastructure capacity.

Following the example ofMassachusetts and Connecticut, adopt

a Licensed Site Professional (LSP)program for oversight of browneldremediation to expedite clean-upprojects.


Dene growth centers in municipalComprehensive Plans and enact zoningto allow more compact, mixed-use

development.

Utilize Transfer of Development Rights inlocal zoning ordinances to balance landconservation with increased density incenters.

Where practical, locate municipalbuildings and facilities in urban andtown centers.

At the Federal Level

Support the proposed expansion of theFederal Historic Tax Credit programcontained in H.R. 3715 and S. 1743.

Policy RecommendationsKey Facts


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Conserving forests and other undeveloped

open spaces is just as important to our

future as revitalizing cities and towns. Open spacereduces susceptibility to fooding protects drinkingwater and provides wildlie habitat. It provides

scenic landscapes and recreational opportunities thatcontribute to our quality o l ie and attract out-o-state tourists. Eective land conservation policyrequires state and municipal government to identiyand prioritize land or protection work with manypublic and private partners and pursue multiplestrategies.

Some land protection can be achieved without publicexpense. State legislation enables Rhode Island

municipalities to use planning tools such as ransero Development Rights (DR) and ConservationDevelopment. Tese planning approaches careullyapplied can enable communities to permanentlyconserve land without incurring the public cost opurchasing land or development rights.

In order to protect a critical mass o land oropen space or recreation however the state andmunicipalities will also need to purchase landoutright or purchase development rights. State andmunicipal dollars can be stretched by partneringwith the Federal government and with privateconservation entities. But Federal unding requiresstate and local match. Rhode Island and mostmunicipalities depend almost entirely on bondissues which voters have consistently supported butwhich do increase state and local debt. An alternativeapproach is to establish dedicated state and localunding sources or land conservation.

With proper management, Rhode Islandsrelatively ample water supply can be acompetitive economic advantage. Howeverour abundant annual rain and snowall have created aalse sense o security and resulted in our paying too

little attention to water conservation. Recent yearshave seen a growing number o instances particularlyin summer months when some areas had insucientwater to meet household needs or potable watersupport industry and agriculture and maintainhealthy river and stream ecosystems.Passage o the 200 RI Water Use and Eciency Actwas a substantial step toward better managemento water supply. Te Act calls or strategies tomanage demand or potable water reinvest in watersupply inrastructure and preserve the health andecological unctioning o the states water resources.It also directs the Water Resources Board to settargets or reduced water demand and to denemethods or achieving these targets. Implementingthe Water Resources Boards regulations willrequire cooperation rom state agencies municipalgovernments and private interests.

Rhode Islanders work, play, travel and

transport goods on Narragansett Bay. Withcareul planning and stewardship we can have ahealthy Bay that continues to serve the interestso shermen the maritime trades and recreationalboating commercial shipping the tourist industryand every Rhode Islander who values the Baysmarine lie beauty and recreational opportunities.o do so state and local governments must vigilantlyprotect public access to the coastline zone waterrontland appropriately and draw on the knowledge o allinterested parties in planning or the Bays use andprotection.

Protect Natural Resources

8


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Nearly 60% of Rhode Islands land remainsforested.

In 1994, Rhode Islands State Guide Plancalled for permanent protection of 35,000acres by 2020, to be accomplished by a

joint effort of the State, municipal, Federaland private entities. In the 15-year periodfrom 1995 to 2009, public and privatepartners protected almost 21,000 acres. Ifwe maintain this pace for the next 10 years,we are on track to meet the goal of 35,000acres.

In a May, 2010 poll of likely Rhode Islandvoters, 87% agreed that Parks, openspace recreation facilities and protectingwhat farmland remains are important toenhancing the quality of life in Rhode Islandnot only for this generation but futuregenerations.4

Rhode Island was the only New Englandstate in which combined state and local percapita expenditures for natural resources,parks and recreation declined between FY1998 and FY 2008.5

Household water use in Rhode Islandaverages 58-72 gallons per person eachday in winter. In summer, lawn and gardenwatering increases use by 30-50 gallons perperson.6

Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2009 RI DEM Land Conservation and AcquisitionProgramA Greener Path . . . Green Space an d Greenways or Rhode Islands Future, StateGuide Plan Element 155 RI Division o Planning/Statewide Planning Program1. RIDEM Land Acquisition Yearly otals4 Rhode Islanders Support Open Space, inormation publication by Te NatureConservancy et al.

5 How Rhode Island Compares 2010 Edition RI Public Expenditure Council6 Water or Rhode Island: oday and omorrow Environment Council o RhodeIsland and the Rhode Island Water Resources Board.

At the State Level

Update the states land conservationplan, which is now 16 years old. It istime to review goals and strategies toensure that the states natural resources

will be used as effectively as possible.

Grow Smart supports the 2010 OpenSpace and Recreation Bond Issue. If theBond Issue passes, we urge state andlocal elected ofcials to ensure fullpublic participation in planning for futurerecreational and open space use ofRocky Point and the India Point parcel.

Activate Rhode Islands Housing and

Conservation Trust Fund and provide apermanent funding stream for the Fund.

Update the current system for reportinginstallation of new private wells.

Invest in updating aging water systeminfrastructure.


Prioritize land for protection, workingcollaboratively with state government,neighboring municipalities and privateconservation entities, to ensure that

funds will be spent as efciently andeffectively as possible.

Adopt a Conservation Developmentordinance. Conservation Developmentprovides for exible siting of buildingson a parcel of land in order to preserve50% of the parcel as meaningful openspace and minimize the visual andenvironmental impacts of residential

development.Be vigilant in enforcing regulations thatprotect wetlands and waterway buffers.

Forge effective working partnershipswith private land trusts, where possibleoffering them municipal assistance withmapping or legal work.

Work with water suppliers to developand implement effective waterconservation policies and incentives.

Consider incentives or requirements forhomeowners to use drought-tolerantlandscaping.


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FY 2011 represents a critical tipping point inwhich more than 50% of RIDOTs gas taxreceipts will now be used for debt service ontransportation related borrowing, leaving anever decreasing amount for repair andmaintenance.

The age of our infrastructure and deferredmaintenance has resulted in Rhode Islandhaving the worst record for bridgedeciencies of any state in the nation.

In 2008, Governor Carcieris Blue RibbonPanel on Transportation Funding estimatedthat Rhode Island needs to invest anadditional $285 million annually for 10 yearsto bring our existing roads and bridges into astate of good repair.

Based on gasoline prices of $3.00 per gallon,approximately $1 billion leaves the RhodeIsland economy annually, representing thecost of crude oil and rening.4

The transportation sector in Rhode Island isresponsible for 37% of the statesgreenhouse gas emissions, more than anyother individual sector, including electric,residential, commercial and industrial.5

Ridership demand on RIPTA increased 33%between 1999 and 2008. 80% of the statespopulation has access to RIPTA service.6

Operational and nancial audits have shownthat RIPTA ranks among the highest in i tspeer group.7

House Fiscal sta presentation to the RI House Finance Committee March 102010, Rhode Islands ransportation Future Governors Blue Ribbon Panel onransportation Funding December 2004 New Public ransit Alliance January 200 estimate based on data rom the U.S.Dept. o Energy5 New Englands Global Warming Solutions A study or World Wildlie Fund.Prepared by ellus Institute August 20006,7 Abrams-Cherwony & Associates Peer Group Review o RIPA April 200

At the State Level

Identify adequate, long range andsustainable funding sources for roads,bridges and public transportation andestablish a dedicated Transportation Trust

Fund.Grow Smart urges legislative action in 2011to establish these sustainabletransportation funding sources. However, inthe meantime the immediate need to fundcritical road and bridge repairs and RIPTAbus replacement must be met. Grow Smarttherefore supports the 2010 TransportationBond Referendum.

Prioritize implementation of the

Metropolitan Transit Enhancement Studyrecommendations to meet current demandand to grow the intermodal transit system.

Provide meaningful incentives foremployees (including state employees) toutilize public transit and disincentives tocommute alone.

Establish a standing TransportationCommittee in the General Assembly,perhaps by expanding the scope of theexisting Joint Committee on HighwaySafety.

Seriously consider implementation ofstrategic actions to be recommended in theRhode Island Port DevelopmentOpportunities Study. The Study, acoordinated effort by the RI Bays, Rivers,and Watersheds Coordination Team andthe Special Legislative Commission toStudy Potential Economic Opportunities inthe Development of Port Facilities, is

scheduled for completion in January, 2011.


Modify local Comprehensive Plans andcorresponding zoning regulations toencourage compact, transit-supportivedevelopment near bus and rail stops.

Pursue opportunities to improve the safetyof children walking and biking to schoolthrough the 100% federally-funded SafeRoutes to School Program.

Promote non-motorized mobility throughwalkable community planning strategies.


Develop a new national transportation

vision with objectives and accountability formeeting performance targets (H.R. 2724).

Prioritize the Reauthorization of the FederalTransportation Funding bill that expiredSeptember 30, 2009.

Support efforts to bring federalreimbursement for transit projects more inline with those of road and bridge projects.

Support Complete Streets proposals thatrequire most new transportation projects to

accommodate needs of pedestrians,bicyclists and other non-auto modes oftransportation (H.R. 1443 / S 584).


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12

Housing policies will have a major impact

on economic growth, community and amilystability and our ability to protect natural resources.Elected ocials must address two critical questions:

Where and how will uture housing be located?

What should the state and municipalitiesdo to help ensure continued creationo rental and home ownership units withlong-term aordability provisions?

Economic growth requires a workorce to meet awide range o employment needs. Rhode Islands highhousing costs hinder our states ability to attract andretain that workorce. A study by the Federal ReserveBank o Boston showed that in 200 potential rst-time homebuyers in Rhode Island earned only %o the income needed to aord a starter home. Tehigh costs o home ownership coupled with theavailability o adjustable rate mortgages and subprimeloans led many households to take on large amountso debt between 2000 and 200. Te oreclosurecrisis has already hit Rhode Island hard and manymore Rhode Islanders who remain in their homes arecost-burdened and particularly vulnerable to job lossreductions in income or escalations in mortgage rates.

Te majority o the workers who ll low andmoderate paying service industry jobs requirerental housing. Tere is a severe shortage oaordable sae and healthy rental housingor low and moderate income householdsparticularly amilies. Te dislocation o hundredso tenants living in oreclosed multi-amilybuildings has made the rental situation worse.

Foreclosures high unemployment rates and theshortage o aordable rental units have drivenincreasing numbers o Rhode Island amiliesinto homelessness aecting not only the peopleinvolved but our overall economic prospects. o

have economic growth workers need to be ableto ocus their attention on their jobs and on skilltrainingnot on worrying about where theiramilies will live. We cannot expect children todo well in school i they are homeless or movingrequently rom one district to another.

Current housing conditions have additionalnegative impacts on the economy. Te residentialconstruction industry should be an economicengine or Rhode Islands economy; instead ithas almost ground to a halt. Foreclosures meanlost property tax revenue or municipalities anddeclines in values or surrounding properties.

In recent decades municipal zoning ordinanceshave created a sprawling pattern o residentialdevelopment which emphasized single amily homeson increasingly large lots. Many municipalitiesdo not permit multi-amily housing or evenduplexes in the majority o their residential zones.

Tese policies resulted in undeveloped land beingconsumed at a rapid rate and contributed to increasedhousing costs during the recent housing boom.

In order to contain overall housing costs and toprotect the environment state and municipalpolicies should incentivize developers to locateuture residential growth in and around citytown and village centers and to create compactresidential and mixed-use neighborhoods with

smaller lots and more multi-amily buildings.

Increase Housing Options and Afordability

Robert Cliord he Housing Bust and Housing Afordability in New EnglandNew England Public Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank o BostonDiscussion Paper June 2010.


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At the State Level

Identify and enact a permanent fundingsource to fund the Housing andConservation Trust Fund.

Restore the State Historic PreservationTax Credit, which helped to fund 596low and moderate income housingunits between 2002 and 2009.

Continue to appropriate funds for theNeighborhood Opportunities Program(NOP.) NOP was the rst Rhode Islandprogram established to provide funds

to address the housing needs of lowand moderate income Rhode Islandersand will be the only program remainingfor this purpose after housing bondfunds are spent out.


Review Local Comprehensive Plan lowand moderate income housing creationstrategies annually to evaluate their

effectiveness and determine whetherchanges are necessary.

Establish an Affordable HousingCommission to identify affordablehousing opportunities and promoteaffordable housing in the municipality(16 Rhode Island communities alreadyhave such commissions).

Grant reasonable variances to allowre-development of existing abandonedor under-utilized structures.

Review and retool zoning andsubdivision regulations to facilitatecompact residential developmentappropriate to the municipalityslocation, physical characteristics andcurrent level of development.

Adopt a Conservation DevelopmentOrdinance to allow developers moreexibility in subdivision of land anddetermining residential lot sizes.

13

In 2010, the average rent for a two-bedroomapartment in Rhode Island is $1,120, anincrease of $350, or 45 percent, from 2001prices.

In the one-year period from April, 2009

through March, 2010, 10,466 foreclosureswere initiated in Rhode Island. In the18-month period from January, 2009 throughJune, 2010, 4,475 actual foreclosures tookplace.

In 2006 Rhode Islanders voted by a two toone margin to support a $50 million bondissue to create low and moderate incomehousing. The bond issue was supported bya majority of voters in every city and town.

The rst $37.5 million from RIs affordable housing bond is creating 828 units ofaffordable housing in 28 communities andgenerating about $600 million in totaleconomic activity.4

Construction activity supported by theaffordable housing bond represented 48% ofthe total value of residential constructionpermitted in Rhode Island from 2007 to2009.5

The $50 million in affordable housing bondfunding approved in 2006 will be fullycommitted by the end of 2010.

In a March 2010 poll of likely Rhode Islandvoters, 69% favored continued state fundingfor affordable housing.6

HousingWorks RI2010 Fact Book. All data rom Te Warren Group; data regarding actual oreclosures courtesy oHousingWorks RI in cooperation with Rhode Island Housing. HousingWorks RI2007 Fact Book.4 HousingWorks RI Building Homes Rhode Island Te Housing Bond: Year TreeStatus Report August 2010.5 HousingWorks RI2010 Fact Book.

6 HousingWorks RI Press Release: Rhode Island Voters Strongly Support PublicInvestment in Afordable Housing May 1 2010.



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14

Build Agricultural Viability and Protability

Rhode Islands agricultural sector is

a bright spot in the midst o Rhode Islandssluggish economy. From every perspectivethe states agricultural sector is growinginnumbers o arms numbers o armers total

acreage revenue and product diversity.

Te past ew years have seen a revolution in theway Americans view their ood. With concernsmounting over the eects o pesticides ertilizersand corporate arming on human health and theenvironment more and more Americans want locallygrown and organically produced oods. RhodeIslands small amily-owned arms located closetoand sometimes inurban areas are uniquely

positioned to take advantage o these trends.

Increased ood security and the health benets oreadily available resh local ood are only two o themultiple public benets that Rhode Islands amilyarms provide. Agricultural landscapes contributeto the quality o place in communities acrossthe state. Additionally agricultural lands protectnatural resources and provide wildlie habitat.

Policy-makers can ensure that Rhode Islanderswill continue to enjoy the many benets providedby local arms. o do so they will need tounderstand the risks and challenges inherent inthe business o arming. Only then can we enactpolicies at the state and municipal levels to sustainRhode Islands many amily-owned arms.One o the biggest challenges is the high cost oland in Rhode Island. At $12000 per acre thevalue o agricultural land in Rhode Island is the

second highest in the country. Tis oten makesit impossible or new armers to acquire land or

or arm operations to expand. Rhode Islandshigh property taxes can also escalate armingcosts. Further economic hardship is incurredwhen arms pass rom one generation to the next.High land values lead to high inheritance taxes

and requently the only way or a arm amily toraise the cash to pay the taxes is to sell land.

Te spread o residential development intopreviously agricultural areas oten leads totensions between armers and neighboringhomeowners. Even though Rhode Island has astrong right to arm law new residents objectionsto the noise dust and smells that are part oagriculture can cause problems or armers.

A larger issue is that while many municipalitieswant to maintain agriculture they do not havestrong arm-supportive language in their localcomprehensive plans and have not enacted zoningordinances that clearly spell out what agriculturalactivities are permitted by right or by specialuse. Zoning is particularly out o date when itcomes to new entrepreneurial eorts by armersto realize revenue rom their armsranging

rom expanded armstands to agritourism.


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At the State Level

Through the New England GovernorsConferences Commission on LandConservation and its Keep Farmland inFarming Working Group, take regional

action to advance New Englandsfarming agenda at the federal level.

Seriously consider implementing therecommendations for state actioncontained in the 5-Year Strategic Plan for

Agriculture which is due to be completedat the end of 2010. The Plan is beingdeveloped by the Rhode Island

Agricultural Partnership, with assistancefrom the American Farmland Trust and in

close collaboration with the Rhode IslandDivision of Agriculture.

Ensure that key portions of the 5-YearStrategic Plan for Agriculture areincorporated into appropriate RhodeIsland State Guide Plan elements.

Ease the estate-tax burden for farmfamilies. A cap on the value of farms forRhode Island estate tax purposes wouldavoid the next generations having to sellall or parts of their farms to cover taxes.

Support Farm, Forest, and Open SpaceAct reforms which would provide for areassessment of the recommendedproperty tax rates to ensure they areappropriate and re-activate the ActsReview Committee.

Continue funding for the RI AgriculturalExtension Agent within the URI College

of The Environment and Life Sciences.

The Agricultural Extension Agentprovides essential education andresource information for Rhode Islandfarmers that is not available through anyother Rhode Island sources.


Ensure that farmers have a voice in localplanning through establishment of amunicipal Agricultural Commission.

Include clear discussion of theimportance of agriculture to the localeconomy, natural resource protectionand community livability in the localcomprehensive plan. Provide forappropriate scales of agriculture in localcomprehensive plans, ordinances, andregulation. Address the specic needs offarmers within municipal ordinances.

Consider establishing a Transfer ofDevelopment Rights Program.

Use municipal and private land trusts topreserve agricultural land.

Help protected land to remain in activeagricultural use by crafting easements

that provide the exibility farms need toadapt to new opportunities, technologiesand changing market conditions.


Support the Family Farm Estate TaxDeferral Act of 2010 (S.3664), whichwould exempt family farms and ranchesfrom the estate tax, and update existingestate tax incentives for voluntary,permanent protection of lands with

conservation values. 15

In 2007, Rhode Island ranked third in directmarketing sales on a per farm basis withdirect market sales up nearly 50% since2002.

In 2007, Rhode Island farmers produced

$65.9 million in revenue from sale ofagricultural products, up 19% from 2002.

The number of farms in Rhode Islandincreased by 42% between 2002 and 2007 the sharpest increase in New England andperhaps in the entire country.

Rhode Island farms provide full or part-timeemployment for approximately 1,000 farmoperators plus many full and part-time farmworkers. Many more Rhode Islanders are

employed by markets, restaurants, producedistributors, and other businesses related tolocal agriculture.

Twenty-six farms are currently on thewaiting list to sell development rights to theRhode Island Agricultural Lands ProtectionProgram.4

At the end of FY2010, the RI ofce of theNatural Resources Conservation Servicereturned to the Federal government

approximately $3.9 million in Farm andRanchland Protection funding allocated forRhode Island. Lack of sufcient state andmunicipal matching funds, together withdecline in farmland values, contributed toRhode Islands inability to make full use ofavailable Federal funds.5


,, US Department o Agriculture2007 Census o Agriculture

4 RIDEM5 Natural Resources Conservation Service.


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... the current tax structuresheavy reliance on local property

taxes or public education undingseverely hinders Rhode Islandsability to plan efectively orsustainable economic growth.

16

Restructure the Tax System

Unless and until we overhaul our state and

local tax structure, Rhode Island will not be ableto ully seize the opportunities and address thechallenges described in the preceding pages. Whileproperty tax reorm is not a land use issue per se the

current tax structures heavy reliance on local propertytaxes or public education unding severely hindersRhode Islands ability to plan eectively orsustainable economic growth.

Spending on education services (includingelementary secondary and higher education othereducation services and libraries) is the largest singlebudget item or state and local government. In RhodeIsland spending or these services accounted or one

third o all general expenditures in FY200. Morethan most states Rhode Island depends on the localproperty tax as the primary revenue source or publiceducation.

In 1 a study o eleven southern New Englandtowns concluded that commercial/industrial activitycosts about $ .3 in services or every dollar oproperty tax generated. At the same time largely dueto school costs residential development costs a townabout $1.1 or every dollar paid in property tax. Tewidely reported study results made manymunicipalities leery o residential development thatmight add children to their school system. Teseconcerns while oten greatly exaggerated or mistakenhave increased resistance to aordable housing andcompact development.

Over-reliance on the local property tax alsoencourages wasteul competition among neighboringtowns or commercial development and in some

cases questionable siting decisions or suchdevelopments.

Te State depends on corporate and individualincome taxes or the majority o its revenues while

municipalities depend on property taxes or themajority o their tax revenues. As a result state andlocal government are oten at odds when it comes toland-use planning and economic development. Aclassic example is the question o how waterrontproperty should be used. For a municipality lookingto expand its property tax base the best use may behigh-end residential housing targeted to adulthouseholds. For the state looking to increase incometax revenue the best use might be industrial orcommercial development that would add jobs andthereore increase income tax revenues. Unless anduntil this confict can be resolved it will be dicultto implement coherent long term land use andeconomic development strategies.

Another tax question that needs to be careullyconsidered and ully understood is the role thatvarious tax incentives can play in promotingenvironmentally sound growth in places that can bestaccommodate and benet rom it. Grow Smart

believes that incentive programs such as the HistoricPreservation ax Credit are powerul tools oreconomic growth. Legislation creating any taxincentive should include provisions requiring careulmeasurement o both costs and benets. Ineectiveprograms can then be eliminated and eectiveprograms can be ne-tuned and expanded.

Any comprehensive review o our tax structure shouldalso include an analysis o the impact o estate taxes

on amily arms and other small businesses. Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) How Rhode Island Com-pares: State and Local Expenditures 2010 Edition.


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As of FY 2008, local revenues accountedfor 58 cents of every dollar dedicated toeducation statewide. State sourcesaccounted for 35 cents of every educationdollar and federal support was 7 cents of

every dollar.Rhode Island had the 5th highest propertytax burden per $1,000 of personal incomeamong the 50 states as of 2008.

Rhode Islands general sales tax burdenper $1,000 of personal income is actuallybelow the national average because weexempt many items from the sales tax.

Rhode Islands income tax burden per$1,000 of personal income ranked only29th highest in the nation as of 2008.4

Rhode Islands Payment in Lieu of Taxes(PILOT) Program requires the State tocompensate municipalities that hostmajor state facilities that dont payproperty taxes. By law, the state shouldpay a municipality 27% of the amount themunicipality would otherwise realize in

property taxes. In recent years, however,the state has only reimbursed 78% of therequired amount. Thus statecompensation to municipalities is only21% of the property tax revenues that amunicipality could expect to realize fromfacilities covered by the PILOT Program.

Grow Smart urges our State electedofcers and legislators to begin in early2011 a thorough review of the entiretax structure.

Seriously consider at least three alternatives to the current tax structure:

Link property tax reform with school1.funding reform by substituting astatewide property tax for some orall of the local property tax. This hasbeen done in Vermont.

Establish a regional property tax2.sharing system that pools some or

all tax revenue from new commercialdevelopment in a designated regionand distributes these funds toparticipating communities on aformula basis. Because of RhodeIslands small size, considerationshould be given to dening anyproperty tax sharing region adoptedhere as the entire state. One modelto consider is metropolitan

Minneapolis-St. Paul (an area largerin population and land mass thanRhode Island), where a regionalproperty tax sharing system hasbeen in place for approximately 40years. Closer to home, Maine hasestablished several regionalindustrial parks in which the revenuefrom any given park is distributed ona formula basis to all of the

municipalities participating in theregional economic cooperationagreement for the park.

Transfer some of the burden for3.

education funding from the localproperty tax to an existing state taxsuch as the income or sales tax.


17 RIPEC Results: Education in Rhode Island 2010 April 2010.,,4 RIPEC How Rhode Island Compares: State and Local Revenues July 2010.

S t G th th G d i Rh d I l d


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Examples o well-designedsmart growth development canbe ound in a number o RhodeIsland communities. Here areillustrations o just our examples.To view urther Rhode Islandsmart growth case studies, goto www.growsmartri.org.

18

Smart Growth on the Ground in Rhode Island

Hope Artiste VillagePawtucket

Between 10 and 130 the Hope WebbingCompany constructed a massive complex o six

interconnected buildings totaling 0000 squareeet (1 acres) to house its Pawtucket jute and leatherbootstraps actory. Hope Webbing moved out in themid 10s and or a decade the site stood largelyvacant a target or vandalism.

A decade later attracted by Rhode Islands HistoricPreservation ax Credit Urban Smart Growth beganrehabilitating the ormer Hope Webbing complexor mixed use. Te result is Hope Artiste Village

which oers small scale artisan manuacturingspace a bakery and a coee roaster incubator ocespace artistic and individualist retail space live/work studios bar/restaurants and music venuesand a highly successul Farmers Market. When theentire project is built out it will include 1 housingunits. Te local community has strongly supportedUSGs vision throughout the development processand the project and its tenants entrepreneurialspirit are contributing to Pawtuckets arts-oriented

revitalization initiative.

Stillwater MillBurrillville

Burrillvilles Stillwater Mill is located in the village oHarrisville within walking distance o a number ohomes the Burrillville town hall a post oce threeschools and a daycare center. Built in 12 it wasonce one o the largest employers in northwestern

Rhode Island but ater closing in 13 the complexbecame an eyesore in the midst o the village.

Te Burrillville Redevelopment Agency with broadcommunity input developed a phased masterplan or the mills redevelopment that combinedpreservation o the best o the original mill

buildings with new construction. Existing villagesidewalks were linked to the Stillwater complexsnew pedestrian circulation system allowing peopleto walk to the library rom the villages maincommercial street. Te complex also provides newamenities or the village in the orm o green spacein the middle o the complex and a River Walk thatoers public access to the Clear River.

Te Library and Stillwater Heights which provides2 apartments or low and moderate incomeelderly are already completed and the Clock owerwith mixed income rental units and 200square eet o commercial space is due to open inJanuary. Te master plan also calls or 3000 sq.t. o rehabilitated space or commercial use butthat project will only be easible i the Historic axCredit is re-instated. Stillwater Mill underscores theimportance o municipal leadership and illustrateshow once-blighted properties can provide space oreconomic and residential growth while helping torevitalize an existing village center.


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19

SweetbriarBarrington

Te Sweetbriar community developed by the EastBay Community Development Corporation consistso 23 reestanding buildings containing one one-bedroom apartment 1 two-bedroom apartmentsand 2 three-bedroom apartments. Sweetbriarprovides rental housing aordable to householdsearning 0% or 0% o area median income. Tatmeans that in order to qualiy or the housing thetotal income or a amily o our can be no more

than $320 (0% o area median income) or$300 (0% o area median income.) East BayCDC used a variety o sources to nance the projectincluding unding provided by the $0 millionaordable housing bond approved by Rhode Islandvoters.

Located on the site o the ormer West BarringtonElementary School Sweetbriar creates a verylivable neighborhood or its residents. All the units

have ront porches and parking in the rear o the

buildings and a central common area provides agreen setting or community activities. Sweetbriar

also complements the surrounding area. Its duplexunits share a single roo line giving the impressiono a single-amily building and the architecturalstyles scale and detail refect the single amily homesound on adjacent streets. Once a target o intensecommunity opposition Sweetbriars attractivelydesigned and well cared or homes have wonapproval rom many ormer nay-sayers.

InterLinkWarwick

Rhode Islands rst intermodal transportation hubocially named the InterLink is scheduled to openor train service late this year. Located in Warwickonly 120 eet rom the .F. Green Airportterminal the InterLink will serve MBA commutertrains traveling between Warwick Providence andBoston and will also provide service to WickordJunction. Tere will also be a bus hub or localand intercity bus services and a acility housing

all airport rental car operations. A level parking

garage will accommodate 100 spaces or rentalcar operators and 00 spaces or rail commuters. Akey eature is the 1200 oot enclosed skywalk withmoving sidewalks which enables passengers to movequickly and easily between the InterLink and theairport terminal.

Resources


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20

ResourcesAll o the ollowing resources can be accessed online via the 2010 Briefng Book or Candidates linkon Grow Smarts home page: www.growsmartri.org

Smart GrowthFor urther inormation rom Grow Smart contact:

Scott Wol Executive Director23-11 ext. [email protected]

Te Costs o Suburban Sprawl and Urban Decay in RhodeIsland. H.C. Planning Consultants Inc. Planimetrics LLCor Grow Smart Rhode Island December 1.

Rhode Island Citizens Guide to Smart Growth erms andConcepts, Grow Smart RI Land-Use raining Collaborative200

Case Studies in Smart Growth Grow Smart Rhode Island

Land-Use 2025: State Land Use Policies and Plan RIStatewide Planning Program April 200

Blueprint or American Prosperity Brookings Institution200

Economic Development & Smart Growth: 8 Case Studies onthe Connections Between Smart Growth Development & Jobs,Wealth and Quality o Lie in Communities. InternationalEconomic Development Council

Smart Growth is Smart Business Smart Growth LeadershipInstitute 200

Smart money in real estate is on Smart Growth ReutersAugust 2010

Rhode Island Division o Planning website

Aquidneck Island Planning Commission website

Washington County Regional Planning Council website

Te Blackstone Valley Partnership website

Concentrate Growth in CentersFor urther inormation rom Grow Smart contact:

John Flaherty Director o Research and Communications23-11 ext. [email protected]

Handbook 16: State Guidelines or Designating GrowthCenters RI Statewide Planning Program

2004 National Community Preerence Survey NationalAssociation o REALORS

Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment ax CreditEconomic & Fiscal Impact Analysis Lipman Frizzell &Mitchell LLC or Grow Smart Rhode Island 200

RI Historic ax Credit Law

RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

Proposed Amendments to the Federal Rehabilitation axCredit (200)

Essential Smart Growth Fixes or Urban and SuburbanZoning Codes U.S. EPA

RI Industrial Property Remediation and Reuse Law(Brownelds)

Revitalizing Brownelds: How Can Rhode Island Do More?Grow Smart RI February 2001

RIDEM Brownelds website

RIEDC Brownelds website

U.S. EPA Brownelds website

ranser o Development Rights Report 200 Grow Smart RIRI State Properties Committee Statute regarding FacilitySiting

RI Department o Education Smart Growth Guidelines orSchool Siting

Rhode Island ax Increment Financing Law

Rhode Island State Building Rehab Code

Where Has All Te Money Gone? RI Policy Reporter July11 200

Visual Economics, How Te Average U.S. Consumer SpendsTeir Paycheck U.S. Department o Labor U.S. Bureau o

Labor Statistics April 200

Protect Natural ResourcesFor urther inormation rom Grow Smart contact:Sheila Brush Director o Programs23-11 ext. 3 [email protected]

Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2009 RI DEM LandConservation and Acquisition Program

Rhode Islanders Support Open Space inormationpublication by Te Nature Conservancy et al.

RIDEM Land Acquisition Yearly otals

South County Design Manual RIDEM 2001

South County Greenspace Protection Strategy RIDEM 2003

Woonasquatucket Greenspace Protection Strategy RIDEM

Te Rhode Island Conservation Development ManualRIDEM

RI ranser o Development Rights Manual RIDEM

Water or Rhode Island: oday and omorrow EnvironmentCouncil o Rhode Island and the Rhode Island WaterResources Board.

A Sustainable Approach to Water Supply and Use in RhodeIsland. Coalition or Water Security April 200

Coalition or Water Security website

Rhode Island Water Resources Board website

Leadership in Energy Ecient Design (LEED) website

U.S. Green Building Council/RI Chapter website

Expand Transportation ChoicesFor urther inormation rom Grow Smart contact:

John Flaherty Director o Research and Communications23-11 ext. [email protected]

Grow Smart RI Public ransportation Statement o Principles200

ransportation Backgrounder RI Coalition orransportation Choices 2010


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21

Rhode Islands ransportation Future Governors BlueRibbon Panel on ransportation Funding December 200

ransportation 2030: Rhode Islands Long Rangeransportation Plan State Guide Plan RI StatewidePlanning Program August 200

Rhode Island ransportation Improvement Program

Metropolitan Providence ransit Enhancement Study

New Englands Global Warming Solutions: A study or WorldWildlie Fund ellus Institute August 2000

A Primer o Gasoline Prices U.S. Department o Energy

RI Intrastate Commuter Rail Feasibility Study June 200

Pawtucket Commuter Rail Station Feasibility Analyses

Peer Group Audit o RIPA Abrams-Cherwony &Associates April 200

RI Coalition or ransportation Choices websiteRI Department o ransportation website

RIDO Intermodal Planning website

RI Public ransit Authority website

ransit 2020 Coalition website

Rhode Island Sae Routes to School Program

ransportation or America website

National Complete Streets Coalition website

Increase Housing Options and AfordabilityFor urther inormation rom Grow Smart contact:Scott Wol Executive Director23-11 ext. [email protected]

HousingWorks RI2010 Fact Book.

Te Rhode Island Housing and Conservation rust Fund:A Sound Investment or Rhode Islands Future Report othe Rhode Island Housing and Conservation rust StudyCommission 200

Out o Reach 2010: Renters in the Great Recession, the CrisisContinues National Low Income Housing Center

Robert Cliord Te Housing Bust and Housing Afordabilityin New England New England Public Policy Center at theFederal Reserve Bank o Boston Discussion Paper June2010

Rhode Island 5-Year State Strategic Housing Plan 200

Corporation or Supportive HousingRhode Islandwebsite

Housing Network o Rhode Island website

HousingWorks RI website

KeepSpace Program website

Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC Rhode Island)website

Rhode Island Coalition or the Homeless website

Rhode Island Housing website

RI Housing Resources Commission website

AgricultureFor urther inormation rom Grow Smart contact:Sheila Brush Director o Programs23-11 ext. 3 [email protected]

Grow Smart RI Agricultural Principles

Agricultural Conservation Approach

US Department o Agriculture 200 Census o Agriculture

Conservation Development Manual RIDEM

RI Farm Forest and Open Space Law

Citizens Guide to Farm, Forest & Open Space Act RIDEM2003

RI Right to Farm Law

RI Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission- Rules and Regulations- Farmland Protected

RIDEM Division o Agriculture website

Rhode Island Agricultural Partnership website

Farm Fresh RI website

Kids First website

Rhode Island Center or Agricultural Promotion andEducation website

RI Farm Bureau website

RI Land rust Council website

Te Nature ConservancyRhode Island Chapter website

American Farmland rust website- Farmland Inormation Center- Rhode Island Fact Sheet

Reorm Tax StructureFor urther inormation rom Grow Smart contact:Scott Wol Executive Director23-11 ext. [email protected]

How Rhode Island Compares: State and Local Expenditures

2010 Edition RI Public Expenditure Council

How Rhode Island Compares: State and Local Revenues RIPublic Expenditure Council July 2010

Results: Education in Rhode Island 2010 RI PublicExpenditure Council April 2010.

owns and axes: A Growing Dilemma. New EnglandFutures 200

50-State Property ax Study. RI Public Expenditure Council200

An Analysis o RI Property Value rends and Land UsePatterns. RI Public Expenditure Council 2002

Property ax Subcommittee Report. RI Governors GrowthPlanning Council 2001

Education Finance in Rhode Island: Learning rom HistoryRI Public Expenditure Council 1

Documents

Gsri 2010 Briefing Book WEB