Tonight at 7 pm at Cranston East High School, Cranston’s planning commission will be meeting and will be discussing Tony Lupino’s “Informed Growth” ordinance which provides a way for residents to be involved in decisions regarding commercial development of the city. The ordinance also requires the potential developer to provide research on the environmental impact of their proposal. Attending this meeting will help bolster the movement to preserve what little open space is left in the eastern and central areas of Cranston.
Also, Save Cranston’s Open Space is alerting everyone to the full-page ad which Churchill & Banks took out in the August 2nd issue of The Cranston Herald. The ad touts an “improved” plan for development of Mulligan’s Island. SCOS is asking people to send email to Greg O’Brien, the representative for Churchill & Banks, expressing opposition to the plan. His email is gregobrien@cb-ltd.com.
I recently contacted John McDaid who blogs at Hard Deadlines. His blog covered the recent controversy over an attempted building of a Target Store in Portsmouth, a proposal that was recently withdrawn after much community opposition. The group that formed to oppose the Target store is called Preserve Portsmouth. John passed my request for more information on how Preserve Portsmouth succeeded to two of the leaders of that group. For his part, McDaid had this to say:
What I can say as a blogger is that this medium was critical to get the full details out in front of the public. Newspapers, however well intentioned, have space constraints that keep them from capturing the nuance of public meetings. It is also difficult for news media to get the public up to speed on the dull administrative background of the players and the process (which board does what, how does the sequence go) which you can more easily do when you can provide more detail and
links. And having a place to go for the latest news about what happened at a meeting *last night* seems to have been important — the readership numbers spiked for these pieces.And you know that any developer these days — unless they’re stupid — is googling. They’re looking at your blog and your readership numbers too. And so are your local politicians, if they’re trying to assess the energy in the community around the idea.
Every situation is different, but it does not hurt to study success and look for ways that Portsmouth’s ability to fight commercial development might serve as an example for Cranston.
Kmareka.com 
We just found out this afternoon that apparently the meeting was moved back to City Council Chambers.
Dear Mr. O’Brien,
I am a resident living in Glen Woods (beginning of Dean Estates) and am strongly opposed to the development of Mulligan’s.
My reasoning is simple, I believe in the 1992 Comprehensive Plan clearly states the need for balance and desgnitated the proposed Churchill & Banks in the highly settled part of the City
Promises are being made to buffer our neighborhoods from your development but, there will
still be a commercial development with a big-box store and 12-pump gas station on that property. The zoning for that property was changed to Mixed Planned District (MPD) for Mulligan¹s as a golf course and that zoning does NOT include high intensity commercial developments….and huge parking lots that eat up greenery. I don’t want the added traffic and pollution in this area.
I was responsible for changing the way Cranston addresses the cleaning of their stormdrains as the infrastructure in Cranston is problematic. For the last 5 years since I have been here, we have flooding issues right here on top of our hill (one of the highest points in Cranston, just above Chapel View which is all Bedrock/Ledge). I have been a member on the Flood and Drainage Commission that read about infrasture problems and listened to residents in the areas with issues. That Oak Hill Terrace has been problematic in the past. I take issue with the asphalt development of this area which will further cause problems for the residents.
Also, there is little in the surrounding Towns for family recreation which Mulligan’s provides. The current existing business is the “ideal” mix for the area providing the Open Space & Business. Your’s does not. I know none of my neighbors that are in agreement with this project. I have walked to hundreds of homes in my area over the last few months and have heard from many of my neighbors about the opposition to this development.
I am unable to be there tonight because of my 3 year old isn’t feeling good – but my letter should be worthy of presenting you my opinion as a taxpayer.
Suzanne Arena
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Dear Mr. Pezzullo and Members of the Planning Commission,
I am not able to attend the next meeting, but I would like this to serve as my written support for The Informed Growth Provision. The only caveat would be, instead of having the name “Large-Scale Retail Development”, it should be “Large-Scale Development”. If this had been the case, an impact study would have mandated that Cullion Concrete submit to the City. This could thwart off much headache to the residents and developers. I believe it is an important piece for your Committee to pass and then send to the Ordinance Committee.
I feel this is a no brainer, as the cost is absorbed by the Developer and would only give the City concrete assurances as to why proposed developments would work and fit in.
Councilman Lupino should be commended for doing his homework.
Please make sure this is distributed to the other City Planners. Thank you for your kind consideration.
Suzanne Arena
About 80-100 residents showed up, but there was no quorum. Should have taken the kids to Mulligan’s to hit some balls.
Guess they should fill that vacant committee position. Was that meeting number 3?
The Mayor needs to appoint a Public Member to the Planning Commission, but I’m not sure if there is a timeframe for that. Hopefully it’ll be done soon so that we don’t have the same thing happen again. Going to a meeting with a broken tailbone only to find out that it wasn’t going to be held was not my idea of a fun time.
One wonders how these things can be overlooked when so many people in the community are counting on the procedures of government to move forward. If the Mayor had something pressing that he wanted to present to the planning commission, do you think there would have been a quorum?
Remember the “meeting fatigue” strategy
…yet another position we need to call and demand it be filled immediately. Do we know anyone interested?
Also, Ernest Carlucci, Acting Director of Public Works, (also the Mayor’s Director of Administration) was an absentee member of the Planning Commission as well.
I’m not sure what the process is for the Mayor appointing a citizen to the Planning Commission or any board. Hopefully the process will begin shortly because there were several groups of residents there last night in addition to those concerned with Mulligan’s and Councilman Lupino’s ordinance.