[Summit] Fw: College Hill association's Response to the City's Housing Study

Thu Jan 14 03:29:43 UTC 2021

   ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: College Hill Neighborhood Association (CHNA) <chna at chnaprovidence.org>To: 
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 9:46:46 PM ESTSubject: CHNA's Response to the City's Housing Study

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Critical Information Impacting College Hill, 

Our Letter in Response and

Let Your Voices Be Heard!

At CHNA's December 7 meeting, city officials discussed the Providence Anti-displacement and Comprehensive Housing Strategy report's preliminary recommendations for zoning changes.  These changes could have a profound impact on College Hill (CH).  One of the most notable of 7 proposed zoning changes is that residential zones with 30% nonconforming properties--like much of College Hill, including its single-family zones-- be rezoned to R-4, the highest density residential zone (see the link to the Zoning Ordinance below for definitions of R zones).  

The single-family, or R-1, neighborhood on CH has a substantial number of nonconforming, 2- and 3-family dwellings, according to maps the city made of these areas a couple of years ago.  (The R-2 and R-3 areas of CH, including Benefit Street, also likely have a many nonconforming properties, but these have not been mapped out so we don't know how many there.)  While we all support the creation of more affordable housing in Providence, rezoning CH neighborhoods to R-4 would have dire consequences for homeowners and other non-transient residents--without actually making housing more affordable.  Rezoning CH to R-4 would open the floodgates to student housing developers, who would now be permitted to purchase single-family homes and converts them into mini dorms, which is far more lucrative than renting to non-students.  

The "dormification" of College Hill would also bring with it the problems attendant on this business model, including noise and poor maintenance of historic properties.  (Currently, single-family homes in Providence's R-1 and R-1A zones are protected by an ordinance that says no more than 3 students may occupy a non-owner-occupied, single-family house, a rule recently upheld by the RI Supreme Court.  If the area is rezoned to R-4, however, the ordinance will no longer apply.  A modest extension of the ordinance meant to cover nonconforming dwellings has been held up in the Committee on Ordinances for years; student housing developers are opposed to any restrictions.)  In addition, this re-zoning recommendation singles out historic College Hill over other, less dense areas of the East Side in a way that is difficult to justify.  Furthermore, the Thayer Street Planning Study addressed zoning questions and has guided development in CH and the surrounding area for almost a decade.

Lastly, these recommendations were made without any input from residents who would be affected by them. Some of the other zoning recommendations include allowing cluster, infill, and row house development, and loosening Accessory Dwelling Unit rules, all of which may also have unintended consequences that we need to consider. Rather than encourage the "dormification" of CH, the city could consider innovative policies to encourage more economically diverse families to rent and buy in the neighborhood and support owner-occupants who have a stake in the quality of life, stability, and historic nature of CH.  

Links to report and zoning recommendations:
https://www.providenceri.gov/planning/comprehensive-housing-strategy/
https://www.providenceri.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DraftZoningStrategies_for_SpecialSeptCPCMeeting.pdf

Link to Providence Zoning Ordinance; R-1, R-2, R3, and R-4 zone definitions are on p. 4-1:
https://www.providenceri.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20.04.06-Official-Zoning-Ordinance.pdf

Zoning map:
https://www.providenceri.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Planning-Official-Zoning-Maps-17-04-24.pdf

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CHNA is not alone in its concern with this proposal from the City's Planning office.  Our bordering Neighborhood Organizations will be submitting their own letters of objection. 

See our response to this issue in 

CHNA's Housing Letter .
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We call upon our neighborhood community to speak out in opposition of the current plan. 

1. Comments may be submitted via email until Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 5:00 PM to Jess Pflaumer at jpflaumer at providenceri.gov. The City will integrate feedback into a final report which is scheduled to be released later this winter.

2. Additionally, the Department of Planning and Development will host a virtual public information session on Thursday, January 14th at 6:00 PM to provide an overview of the draft report. 

To join the virtual public meeting, on January 14th,  please click the link below or use one of the telephone numbers to dial in.

Link for virtual public meeting: https://providenceri-gov.zoom.us/j/98315912876
Or iPhone one-tap : 
    US: +13126266799,,98315912876#  or +16468769923,,98315912876#
Or Telephone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 408 638 0968  or +1 669 900 6833  or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 983 1591 2876
    International numbers available: https://providenceri-gov.zoom.us/u/ac0clHIcNz  |

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 Our mailing address is: 
 College Hill Neighborhood AssociationP.O Box 2442Providence, RI 02906
Add us to your address book 

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