Manufacturing uses

[Amended 7-30-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-7; 2-20-2018 by Ord. No. 2017-3; 12-19-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-12; 5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-9; 10-3-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-15]

• A. Includes canning or packaging, beverage manufacturing or bottling, canning and preserving fruits and vegetables.
• B. Includes rug and carpet weaving; fur goods; woven fabrics, felt, lace, yarn threads, leather; includes dying plants and finishing of textiles. On-site retail sales shall be considered as an accessory use.
• C. Includes furniture and fixture manufacturing; millwork, veneer, plywood and structural wood products; toys, sporting goods, wooden containers and other articles and merchandise made from wood. Includes repair and refinishing of furniture and wood products. Sale of products made primarily on the premises is allowed as an accessory use.
• D. Nuclear reactors for generating power or processing of nuclear products; storage of nuclear fuels and other materials; storage, reclaiming or disposal of radioactive waste.
• E. Excavation of the earth for the purpose of extracting metals, ore, coal, salt, sand, gravel and other materials for sale. This use restriction is not meant to interfere with the grading and excavation of land necessary for the construction of a building, structure or infrastructure. These restrictions include strip mining and oil and gas exploration or drilling.
• F. Industries that research into or produce products related to processes that promote human health diagnostics and therapeutics, agricultural biology, veterinary products, environmental remediation techniques and manufacture of instruments that assist in biological research. Noxious or offensive uses are prohibited.
• G. Manufacture of articles from metal, wood, stone, glass, clay, ceramic, paper, leather, provided that in a BL-0.5 Zone no more than 2,500 square feet be used, and there be no more than five employees.
• H. Manufacture of agricultural machinery, communication equipment, computer and business hardware, construction, lighting and wiring equipment, engines, general office and industrial machinery, household appliances, audio and video parts and equipment and metal tools.
• I. Printing and publishing of books, newspapers and periodicals; printing, binding and publishing; converted paper and paperboard products; industrial printing, including business forms, greeting cards; paperboard containers and boxes.
• J. Manufacturing or primary use of bleaches, dyes, industrial organic and inorganic chemicals, soaps, detergents, perfumes, cosmetics. Does not include manufacture of chlorine or acid, which is prohibited.
• K. Includes manufacturing, compounding, assembly or treating articles and merchandise from: brick, tile, cut stone, glass, neon signs and structural clay products. Does not include cement, gypsum, lime or plaster.
• L. Includes the distillation, manufacture or refining of asphalt, tar, creosote, coal and/or bituminous concrete.
• M. Brewery or manufacture or distillation of alcohol, other than a microbrewery. (See use § 260-13F.)
• N. Includes cement, lime, gypsum, plaster of paris processing, storage or manufacture.
• O. Includes disposal of any hazardous waste whether generated on site or not.
• P. Slaughter of animals whether for meat production or not. Includes tanning or curing of hides, rendering of fats or oils, wool pulling or scouring or dead animal reduction.
• Q. Includes smelting of metals and minerals, including blast furnaces.
• R. Includes production or manufacture of paint, oil, shellac, turpentine, lacquer or varnish.
  • (1) ** The issuance of a special use permit shall be contingent on the applicant showing that the use will not emit noxious or offensive odors and must additionally show that an excessive quantity of the product will not be stored on site.
• S. Includes floor coverings, footwear, sporting goods, toys and novelties and other products made primarily from rubber or plastic, tire manufacturing, tire retreading or tire recapping.
• T. Glue manufacture.
  • (1) ** The issuance of a special use permit shall be contingent on the applicant showing that the use will not emit noxious or offensive odors and must additionally show that an excessive quantity of the product will not be stored on site.
• U. Manufacturing products derived from petroleum. Includes the refining and distillation of petroleum, including tar distillation.
• V. Furnace or container for burning of waste materials.
• W. Generation of electricity as the primary use of the land, including, but not limited, to coal, oil, gas or nuclear plants.
• X. Cogeneration of electricity as an accessory use of the property.
• Y. Electronic and computer component recycling.
• Z. Renewable energy - utility scale facility - means the equipment and requisite hardware that provide and are used for collecting, transferring, converting, storing, or using renewable resources. In a utility scale facility, renewable energy is the principal use, and the primary purpose of the property is to produce energy for the grid.
  • (1) Special use permit application requirements for solar photovoltaic installation — utility scale facility — In connection with an application to the Zoning Board of Review for a solar photovoltaic installation — utility scale facility — the application shall contain the following:
    • (a) Narrative report: The applicant show provide a summary narrative report containing:
      • [1] Name, address and contact information for proposed facility installer, facility operator, landowner, applicant, and designated agents representing the project.
      • [2] A project construction schedule.
      • [3] An operation and maintenance plan.
      • [4] A rendering or photo simulation showing the proposed completed project with landscaping.
      • [5] Evidence of compliance with any applicable state environmental regulations and state permits.
      • [6] An emergency response plan for public safety officials.
      • [7] For Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Installations, a decommissioning/restoration plan and proposed financial security (with supporting calculations).
      • [8] For Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Installations, a landscape plan showing seeding/vegetation plan for the project and maintenance schedule.
      • [9] Evidence that a preliminary interconnection feasibility study is underway and a copy of the application with the electric distribution company.
      • [10] Locus map with aerial imagery showing 1,000 feet surrounding the site.
    • (b) Development plans: All plans related to design, construction, installation or modification of a solar photovoltaic installation — utility scale facility shall be prepared, signed and stamped by either a Rhode Island professional engineer, a Rhode Island registered land surveyor (for property line information), and/or a Rhode Island registered landscape architect (for landscape information). In addition to the checklist requirements for the various stages of development plan review and/or major land development review, site plans shall show the following information:
      • [1] A site plan showing property lines and all physical features for the project site.
      • [2] Proposed changes to the landscape of the site, temporary and permanent limits of disturbance, grading, vegetation clearing and planting, exterior lighting, access points, emergency access provisions, fencing, screening vegetation and/or structures.
      • [3] Blueprints or drawings of the entire solar photovoltaic installation — utility scale facility showing the proposed layout of the facility.
      • [4] One- and or three-line electrical diagrams detailing the solar photovoltaic installation - utility scale facility, associated components and electrical interconnection methods, with all current state electrical code compliant disconnects and over current devices.
      • [5] Documentation and/or equipment specification sheets of the major system components to be used, including the solar panels, mounting system and inverter.
  • (2) Special use permit application requirements for wind energy conversion facility - utility scale:
    • (a) An application for a wind energy conversion facility — utility scale shall submit visual impact data, including but not limited to photographic simulations of the proposed facility as it would be seen from residential areas, public rights-of-way, parks and other recreational facilities.
    • (b) Location of proposed towner with radius map, showing the locations of all appurtenant structures, cables, wires, and access road.
    • (c) A maintenance and operation plan for the facility.
    • (d) Proof of liability insurance.
    • (e) Approval of the height of the structure from the FAA.
    • (f) A statement certifying that the structure and facilities comply with the noise requirements of this chapter.
• AA. Renewable energy — minor scale facility — roof mount: means the equipment and requisite hardware that provide and are used for collecting, transferring, converting, storing, or using renewable resources for water heating, space heating, cooling, generating electricity, and reducing on-site consumption of utility power, or other applications that would otherwise require the use of a conventional source of energy such as petroleum products, natural gas, manufactured gas, or electricity produced from a nonrenewable resource. The primary use of a renewable energy — minor scale facility is to reduce on- site consumption of utility power. A system is considered a minor scale facility only if it supplies electrical or thermal power solely for on-site use, except that when a property upon which the facility is installed also receives electrical power supplied by a utility company, excess electrical power generated and not presently needed for on-site use may be offloaded to the grid. A renewable energy - minor scale roof mount facility shall be considered an accessory use to the primary use of the property as set forth in § 260-7. In the case of roof-mounted minor scale facilities on residential principal structures, the facility shall be designed and constructed to produce no more than 125% of the energy necessary to support that principal residential use. The installation of this facility would be attached to any part or type of roof on a building or structure that has a permit on file with the Town and that is either the principal structure or an accessory structure on a recorded parcel.
• BB. Renewable energy — minor scale facility — ground mount: means the equipment and requisite hardware that provide and are used for collecting, transferring, converting, storing, or using renewable resources for water heating, space heating, cooling, generating electricity, and reducing on-site consumption of utility power, or other applications that would otherwise require the use of a conventional source of energy such as petroleum products, natural gas, manufactured gas, or electricity produced from a nonrenewable resource. The primary use of a renewable energy — minor scale facility is to reduce on-site consumption of utility power. A system is considered a minor scale facility only if it supplies electrical or thermal power solely for on-site use, except that when a property upon which the facility is installed also receives electrical power supplied by a utility company, excess electrical power generated and not presently needed for on-site use may be offloaded to the grid. A renewable energy — minor scale facility shall be considered an accessory use to the primary use of the property as set forth in § 260-7. A renewable energy — minor scale facility — ground mount shall only be designed and constructed to produce no more than 125% of the energy necessary to support the primary use of the property. The installation of this facility would be built on the ground, mounted on a structure, pole, or series of poles constructed specifically to support the system and not attached to any other structure.
  • (1) Special use permit application requirements for renewable energy — minor scale facility — ground mount facility. In connection with an application to the Zoning Board of Review for a solar photovoltaic installation or wind energy conversion — minor scale facility - the application shall contain the following:
    • (a) Visual impact data, including but not limited to photographic simulations of the proposed facility as it would be seen from residential areas, public rights-of-way, parks and other recreational facilities.
    • (b) A rendering or photo simulation showing the completed project.
    • (c) Location of proposed facility with radius map, showing the locations of all appurtenant structures, cables, wires, and access.
    • (d) Evidence of compliance with any applicable state environmental regulations and state permits.
    • (e) Documentation and/or equipment specification sheets of the major system components to be used, including the solar panels, mounting system, and inverter.
    • (f) A site plan, prepared, signed and stamped by either a Rhode Island professional engineer or a Rhode Island registered land surveyor (for property line information), showing property lines and all physical features proposed for the project site.
• CC. Any manufacturing use not specifically listed in the Use Tables shall be presumptively prohibited but may be considered as a special use and the provisions of Article XI, Special Use Permits, will apply.
  • (1) ** In addition to any other requirements, the applicant will have the burden of showing that the use will not be noxious, nor will emit odors, smoke, gases, noise or vibration, nor will present a danger of explosion.

Editor's Note: The Table of Uses is included as an attachment to this chapter.