Hello Friends & Neighbors,
Happy September! Fall is in the air -- and this week we celebrated kids returning back to school. September also brings the Council back into session after a short August recess. As I'll describe below, I spent the August recess digging in on some projects and attending events (and catching up on some rest and my reading list!) but am excited to return to the work of the legislative branch.
There is a lot going on this fall, so I will get right to it with updates and upcoming events below:
Comprehensive Plan:
As I have discussed in a few previous newsletters, the Comprehensive Plan ("Comp Plan") is a required planning document that guides growth and development within the City for the next 10 years. The zoning ordinance (which guides all land use decisions) needs to be in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan.
The Planning and Development Department has been working on the updated Comp Plan for the last year. (You may have attended a previous Ward 3 meeting on it in Fall 2023!). From a process perspective, the P&D Department develops the draft. It then is reviewed and voted on by the City Plan Commission (CPC), which is a volunteer body. The CPC voted on it in June 2024, and it was transmitted to Council in July, where we can now hold meetings and hearings to accept feedback before adding in our own edits and comments and voting on it later this fall.
This draft comprehensive plan seeks to use its tools to address our housing crisis through increased density across the City. Across the City, this includes: a) updating R1 (single family) zoning to reflect recent changes to state law to allow for certain types of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right and b) upzoning all R2 zones to R3 (from 2-family to allow small-medium multi-family buildings). You can dig in on the Ward 3-specific maps in the full plan (linked here).
A big thank you to Planning Staff Bob & Tim for joining my August Ward 3 community meeting to describe the proposed changes and answer questions. See below for additional dates to learn more, ask questions, and share feedback.
If you would like to send comments directly to me, just reply to this email. If you'd like them to go in the public record, please also include the City Clerk at: cityclerk@providenceri.gov
Wednesday, September 11th at 5:30pm, Ordinance Committee meeting: The Department of Planning & Development will present an overview of the proposed changes in the Comprehensive Plan to Council members and answer questions. There will be no public comment taken at this meeting, but members of the public are welcome to attend or watch online. This would be a good way to learn about the proposed changes - such as the ones I described above.
Monday, Sept 16th at 5:30pm, Council Chambers: Public Hearing on the Comprehensive Plan. In-person testimony encouraged. If you haven't before testified at a public hearing, comments are typically kept to 2-3 minutes to allow for as many members of the public a chance to speak. You can also submit written comments to cityclerk@providenceri.gov.
Monday, September 23rd: 6 -8pm at Hope High: Joint Ward 2 & 3 community meeting focused on both the Comprehensive Plan & City-wide efforts to address stormwater.
Mark Your Calendars - Upcoming Events & Meetings:
Vote in the Primaries - September 10th 7am - 8pm: Rhode Island's Primary elections are on September 10th. You can see a sample ballot and your voting place at vote.ri.gov. You can also vote early before the election at City Hall during open business hours (8:30 - 4:30).
Ordinance Public Hearing, Sept 10th at 5:30pm: The Ordinance Committee will be hearing proposed changes to the ordinance that guides the locations of cannabis retailers. You can see the proposed changes and the agenda at this link.
September 12th at 5pm, Zoom: To educate residents on the Comprehensive Plan, Providence Preservation Society is hosting three panelists who will share their experiences working on major planning initiatives in Brooklyn and Austin, including a behind-the-scenes report on the genesis of Brooklyn’s 2023 Comp Plan, the first Comp Plan ever created by a NYC borough, and Austin’s Equity-Based Preservation Plan, which is still being finalized. Sign up at this link.
Sept 14 - 15: Summit Neighborhood Yard Sale hosted by the Summit Neighborhood Association! Various locations around the Summit Neighborhood.
September 14th, 11am - 1pm; Mayor Smiley's Forum on Education at the Providence Career and Technical Academy. I will be in attendance - with the recent recommendation by RI Dept of Education Commissioner Infante Green to continue the state takeover -- engagement on our schools is increasingly important.
Hope Street Block Party - September 15th, 12-5pm -- Hope Street between Rochambeau and 5th Street! Rescheduled after inclement weather this summer -- don't miss this fun event!
Sept 18th, 5:30pm: North Main Street Task Force -- City Hall, Committee Room B. You can see the full agenda here.
September 18 at 5pm at RISD Auditorium, Providence Preservation Society is bringing the architect-planner Vishaan Chakrabarti to Providence to give a presentation. Chakrabarti was the author of a much-read New York Times guest essay a few months ago titled “How To Make Room for One Million New Yorkers,” which presented a blueprint for housing more than 1.3 million New Yorkers without radically changing the character of the city’s neighborhoods or altering its historic districts.
Sept 19th at 6pm: September City Council Meeting - City Council Chambers.
Sept 23rd, 6-8pm at Hope High: September Community meeting. We will be joined by Councilwoman Anthony as well to hear additional thoughts from the community on the Comprehensive Plan, as well as discuss the Mayor's Stormwater Task Force initiative where we represent Council.
Sept 25th at 6pm: School Board Candidate Forum at Hope High. This November, voters will have the opportunity to elect representatives to the Providence School Board. There will be five school board districts, and Wards 1-3 are in District 1. Hosted by the Wards 2 & 3 Democratic Committees, Mt Hope Neighborhood Association, College Hill Neighborhood Association, & the Summit Neighborhood Association.
Sundays throughout September 4:30 - 7:30pm: Co-Work for Democracy: UpRiseHer at 335 Hope Street (across from Hope High) is partnering with other Community Groups to empower community civic engagement this election season, working to elect Harris-Walz and other great down ballot candidates this November! You can bring your own election work (letter writing, phone banking, etc.) or join in that evening's post-card campaigns and learn about ways to make a difference! (See graphic below)
Do you love to paint, swim, or do yoga? These are some of the many activities you can do throughout the fall at the Mount Hope Community Center! See fliers below for dates and details!
Neighborhood Updates & Resources:
Nathan Bishop Basketball/Tennis/Pickleball Courts updates: We are still moving ahead with the upgrades to the courts behind Nathan Bishop! I know many neighbors have questions because it has taken longer than we hoped. This particular spot has had a lot of both expected and unexpected bureaucratic and also physical hurdles we have had to navigate. It is unfortunately more complicated than simply just putting down some additional pavement on the courts -- and I am working constantly with Council's Director of Project Management Kyle Delgado to keep this moving forward - though we are now learning that construction will not be until 2025. Because of the location at a school, we need to undergo additional soil testing and potentially remediation (which ultimately is great - we want to ensure people of all ages are recreating on healthy, safe soil). While this is later than we all collectively hoped (I especially was pushing for this for use in the current school year for the kids at Nathan Bishop!), good projects can sometimes take some time to get over the finish line. I will keep you up to date on progress in this newsletter!
Friends of Lippitt Park: Are you interested in joining a newly-forming Friends of Lippitt Park organization? Lippitt Park is one of the most-beloved parks in our city (and home to RI's best farmers market!) - and I am constantly so impressed by the neighbors who care so deeply about its upkeep and use!
A group of neighbors is coming together with support of myself and the Parks Department to create a Friends of Lippitt Park group. If you're interested in learning more or being involved, fill out his form and we'll follow up later this fall!
New Features at Lippitt Park: As both your Councilor and as a Parks Commissioner, I was excited to join Mayor Smiley, the Parks Department, and the Summit Neighborhood Association to cut the ribbon on new improvements at Lippitt Park in August. The new misting stations will help keep us cool on hot, humid days -- and are designed to be used by people of all ages and abilities. I've heard requests as well for more benches, and am talking with the Parks Dept about how and when we can follow up on those requests.
Billy Taylor Park Overpass Upgrades: In partnership with the Mount Hope Community Center, the Steelyard, and the Parks Department, the overpass connecting Billy Taylor Park will be getting some beautification and upgrades this fall! After a lot of community outreach earlier this year - the Steelyard designed beautiful art that is in fabrication right now - see below for a sneak peak with one of our Ward 3 neighbors! The bridge will be closed 9/19 - 10/25 for installation -- we will host a chilly ribbon cutting sometime in November!
Looking to Install an EV Charger? The RI Office of Energy Resources has a new program called Power Up to help residents install EV charging stations where they live. You can learn more about this program here.
Welcome Back celebration at MLK: I was so glad to attend the welcome back celebration at Nathan Bishop last week -- and get to talk (and laugh!) with the Mayor, parents, and leaders of organizations. I left with some new MLK t-shirts and signage to celebrate our local elementary school! I loved seeing kids so excited to return to school.
Gratitude: Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve you on the Providence City Council. The Council is set up as a part-time legislative body, and I always feel like there is so much more to do than can be done on nights, early mornings, and weekends -- but I try to squeeze as much as possible of every second to pass strong legislation while also addressing your constituent needs! Please feel welcomed to reach out to me anytime at AnderBois.Ward3@gmail.com.
A few folks have asked how they can contribute to my on-going campaign (and to support things like my newsletter and website, etc.) -- you are so kind! Any support is gratefully received at ActBlue at this link or by check to "Friends of Sue AnderBois" 166 5th St, Providence, RI 02906.
With Gratitude,
Sue AnderBois
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