EP Waterfront 10/17/24

Oct 18, 2024 YouTube

The East Providence Waterfront Commission meeting on October 17, 2024, began with the approval of the minutes from September 25, 2024. The commission then heard a presentation from Mr. Pesi of the city's audit firm regarding the Fiscal Year 2024 audit. The audit, for the year ending June 30, 2024, received an unmodified opinion with no findings, and it was noted that the commission had an operating surplus of just under $74,750, excluding a planned $743,000 disbursement for low-income housing. The report was unanimously accepted by the commission. The majority of the meeting was dedicated to the continued public hearing for the Metacomet development at 500 Veterans Memorial Parkway. The applicant's attorney, Josh Berlinsky, introduced independent peer reviewers from PAR Corporation. Derek Hug presented the traffic peer review, stating that while most of his initial 22 comments were addressed, several key issues remained unresolved. These included the need to formalize an iterative traffic study approach for the project's phases, the design of a left-turn lane into the site, and a significant concern about the lack of a safe, marked pedestrian crossing on Veterans Memorial Parkway near the East Bay Bike Path trailhead. Following this, Bobby Sykes presented the stormwater peer review, which identified 13 outstanding technical items requiring further clarification or revision from the applicant's engineers. The applicant's team responded to the reviews, agreeing to some conditions like phased traffic studies but pushing back on the necessity of a second pedestrian crossing, citing safety and design concerns. Mr. Berlinsky also provided updates on the ongoing archaeological survey discussions with state and tribal authorities, addressed public comments on the project's noise study, and reiterated the findings of their planning consultant, Ashley Sweet, that the development complies with the city's comprehensive plan. After public comments concerning pedestrian safety, expert independence, property boundaries, and noise from trucks, the commission voted to continue the public hearing to its next meeting on November 21st. The meeting concluded with a brief staff report on demolition activities at the site.

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