Planning board review
(a) Public notice and comment. The planning board shall publish notice of the application for site plan review, and may provide an opportunity for public comment during which the site plan, the EAF or EIS, and the comments of reviewing entities may be made available for public inspection. If an EIS was prepared, the planning board may hold a public hearing on the application and EIS, and may require the applicant to revise the EIS to reflect the public comments received.
(b) Planning board report. Following the conclusion of the public comment period and hearing, if any, the planning board shall prepare a written report for the zoning board of review. The report shall incorporate the EAF or EIS and public comments thereon, and shall evaluate the proposed project with respect to the following factors, among others:
(1) Compliance with all applicable development and performance standards;
(2) Compatibility with surrounding land uses, and protection of adjoining properties from any adverse impacts;
(3) Suitability of the site for the proposed use;
(4) Capacity of public facilities, including but not limited to transportation, fire and police protection, schools, and parks, to serve the proposed project;
(5) Adequacy of proposed methods for water supply and sewage disposal;
(6) Adequacy of proposed drainage and erosion control systems to prevent offsite or downstream flooding, erosion, or sedimentation;
(7) Adequacy, convenience, and safety of the vehicular and pedestrian circulation system within the site and in relation to adjacent streets and property;
(8) Adequacy of off-street loading and unloading facilities;
(9) Provision for screening and buffering the proposed project from adjacent residential property and streets;
(10) Provision for design and location of public accessways to the Narragansett Bay and/or Atlantic Ocean shorelines for any new coastal projects;
(11) Provision for underground installation of utilities and services;
(12) Impacts of the proposed project on coastal and freshwater wetlands, tidal waters, coastal resources, and other exceptional natural resources;
(13) Potential for shoreline erosion and flood hazards;
(14) Potential for degradation of water quality;
(15) Adequacy of proposed measures to mitigate adverse environmental impacts;
(16) Availability of alternatives to the proposed project.
The report also shall recommend such modifications and conditions as will bring the proposed project into compliance with applicable development standards or will reduce adverse environmental impacts.
The planning board shall transmit its report to the zoning board of review and to the applicant no more than 30 days after the date on which it received the site plan, EAF or EIS, and comments of reviewing entities from the planning division and certified that the application was complete.