The Pawtucket City Council will hold a public hearing on the following proposed amendments to Pawtucket Zoning Ordinance on Wednesday, December 6, 2023,
at 7:00 p.m. at the Pawtucket City Hall, City Hall Council Chambers, Third Floor, 137 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTERS 410 OF THE CODE
OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET 1996, ENTITLED
“ZONING”. (Updates to Incorporate Required Changes due to Enacted Land
Use Laws)
This Public Hearing is being held to discuss certain changes to the zoning
ordinance to comply with revised state law.
The following is a brief summary of the proposed changes to the Pawtucket
Zoning Ordinance:
§410-12 Table of Use Regulations; Key
Add: J. Adaptive Reuse Projects for the conversion of an existing structure to
a new use.
Recategorize uses
§410-13.2 Riverfront Development Districts – Authority of Commission
Eliminate Subsection C. regarding Design Review Committee
§410-13.5 Riverfront Development Districts – Organization and Staff
Eliminate Subsection B. regarding Design Review Committee
§410-14.3 Riverfront Development Districts – Uses Permitted by Right; Uses
Requiring Relief; Zoning Ordinance Amendment Changes that Development
within the Riverfront District classified as a Land Development Project shall
not be subject to development plan review.
§410-15.1 Development Plan Review Process
Amends the application processes and the two review processes; Administrative
and Formal
§410-43.2 Mill Building Reuse District (MBRD) Permitted Uses
Change some permitted uses to conditionally permitted uses
§410-43.4 Riverfront Commons District Permitted Uses
Change some permitted uses to conditionally permitted uses
§410-43.6 Commercial Mixed Use (CMU) Permitted Uses
Remove: A(1)(a) Table of Additional Permitted Uses
§410-43.7 Conant Thread District (CT) Definitions
Delete the definition of Adaptive Reuse
§410-43.11 Conant Thread District (CT) Permit Review Criteria
Add additional criteria
§410-44 Dimensional Regulations – Enumeration
Remove minimum lot size of existing lots
§410-60 Special Use Permit Requirements for Specific Uses
Revise and add specific and objective criteria for conditional uses
§410-71 Land Nonconforming by Area
Add: B (4) & C regarding substandard lots of record not required to seek any
zoning relief based solely on failure to meet minimum lot size requirements of
the district
§410-97.1 Modifications
Expand modifications to all dimensional regulations
§410-106 Zoning Board of Review – Powers and Duties
Amend: A. Sets a 65-day deadline for filing an appeal
Add: H. Zoning Board Members are required to participate in continuing
education.
§410-107 Zoning Board of Review – Voting
Clarifies quorum and majority.
§410-111 Variances and Special Use Permits – Application
Clarifies the application process.
§410-112 Variances and Special Use Permits – Variance Hearing and Notice
Clarifies publication and notice requirements for Variance applications
Adds: 410-112.1 Special Use Permit Hearing and Notice
§410-113 Variances and Special Use Permits – Standards for Relief
Amend: A(1)(a) – Permitting state defined disabilities as a reason for a variance
Amend: A(1)(b) – Eliminate requirement that variance does not result primarily
from the desire of the applicant to realize greater financial gain
Eliminate: A(1)(d) – The relief to be granted is the least relief necessary
Amend: B(c) – Eliminate standard that granting of a special use permit will not
alter the general character of surrounding area or impair the intent or purpose of
the Zoning Ordinance or Comprehensive Plan
Add: §410-114.1 Unified Development Review
Creates a Unified Development Review process
§410-123 Adoption and Amendment – Notice and Hearing Requirements
Amend: A & B. Clarifies publication, posting and notice requirements
Add: New C. regarding changes to the ordinance which would cause a
conforming lot to become nonconforming.
Amend former section C, now D. Adds language to notify any entity holding a
recorded conservation or preservation restriction
Add: G. Establishing a public notice registry
§410-132 Miscellaneous Provisions; Definitions
Add or Amend the following Definitions
Accessory Family Dwelling Unit (ADU); Adaptive Reuse; Administrative
Officer; Applicant; Building Height; Cluster; Coastal Features; Commission;
Community Residence; Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan; Development
Plan Review; Development Regulation; Family Member; Floodplains or Flood
Hazard Area; Governing body; Groundwater; Hotel and Motel, Incentive
Zoning; Joint Planning Commission; Land; Land Development Project; Land
Development and Subdivision Regulations; Lot Line; Lot Size, Minimum;
Modification; Open Space; Parcel; Parking Area or Lot; Permitting Authority;
City Planning Commission; Slope of Land; Storm Water Detention; Storm
Water Retention; Street; Street, Access To; Street, Alley; Street, Cul-de-Sac;
Street, Limited Access Highway; Street, Private; Street, Public; Street, Stub;
Street Classification; Structure; Subdivision; Technical Review Committee;
Variance; Vested Rights; Waters; Wetland, Coastal; Wetland, Freshwater;
Zoning; Zoning Ordinance; and Zoning Use District.
Other changes:
• Changes jurisdiction for permitting Appeals from the Pawtucket Zoning
Board to Providence County Superior Court
• Adds City Planning Commission and Joint Planning Commission as the
permitting authority for variances and special use permits under unified
development review
• Other general changes to comply with State Law.
The proposed ordinance may be examined and copied at cost at the Office of
the City Clerk, Pawtucket City Hall, 3rd Floor, 137 Roosevelt Avenue, Monday
through Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m., and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The proposed ordinance
may be modified or amended prior to the close of the public hearing without
further advertising, as a result of further study or because of views expressed
at the public hearing. Any modification or amendment will be presented for
comment in the course of the hearing.
Any persons interested in the above are respectfully requested to be present
at the time and place to be heard thereon. Facilities are accessible to people
with disabilities. If you are in need of interpreter services for the deaf or hard
of hearing, please contact the City Clerk’s office at 728-0500, ext. 225 not
less than 48 hours in advance of the hearing date. Also, TDD telephone
(401) 722-8239.
Persons may also be heard via tele/video conference via Zoom:
DIAL: 1-888-475-4499 OR Join Online at www.Zoom.us – Click Join a
Meeting
ENTER MEETING ID: 891 3433 4748 PASSWORD: 12623PCC
Per order of the City Council.
Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk