Tiverton Glen Gets a No-Go from Town Council

The Tiverton Town Council on Monday voted 5-2 to reject a proposal by Carpionato Group that would have converted a 63-acre undeveloped site into a mixed-used development pitched as similar to the Chapel View complex in Cranston.

The vote followed multiple public meetings during which scores of residents expressed opposition to the plan, which included a hotel, restaurants and a mix of offices and retail space with room for an anchor store and apartments to boot.

The site rests close to Route 24 and the Johnston-based developer has been hoping to bring Tiverton its largest-ever commercial project and a big influx of tax money along the way, estimated to be about $1.5 million.

The council’s vote was whether or not to amend the town’s comprehensive plan to accommodate the necessary zoning changes for the project, which drew so much opposition that an hours-long meeting earlier this month was continued to Monday just to give everyone a chance to speak.

By and large, opponents outnumbered proponents with the emphasis on how the project would affect Tiverton’s rural character, many saying it was a project for places like Warwick of Cranston, not Tiverton.

“This is a Warwick and Cranston-sized development, said resident Martin Van Haf.”

Town Council President Denise deMedeiros said that the opposition factored in the vote, according to the Providence Journal.

She said that the town still faces the question of what will happen on the land, noting it was the second time that a plan for the land was shot down.

We need to have a discussion and make a decision about developing that land,” she told the Journal. “Every time something comes up, it turns into a disaster.“

deMedeiros, along with Council Members Peter Mello, Joseph Sousa, Brett Pelletier voted against the change. Council Members Jay Lambert and David Perry voted for the change.

Another lingering concern is the possibility of residential development at the site that could bring mandated affordable units and an influx of schoolchildren, which could end up putting pressure on the town to raise taxes. Communities across Rhode Island are looking to beef up their commercial tax bases not only to create jobs, but also to avoid raising residential property tax rates.