Planned residential district regulations

• (A) Planned residence district defined.

The planned residence district (PRD) is a floating zone enabled under G.L. 1956, § 45-24-1 et seq. governed by the subdivision and land development regulations which may be applied with the consent of the town council and planning board in the R-10, R-20, R-40, and R-80 zoning districts. It is designed to allow for the redesign and replat of undeveloped plats of record containing legally recorded substandard lots in a manner consistent with the town's land use and natural resource protection goals as presented in the Narragansett Comprehensive Plan. The PRD is to be used in special situations where development of pre-existing subdivision designs would cause:

• • (1) Unacceptable environmental impacts, including loss of valuable terrestrial or aquatic habitat, pollution of surface [water] or groundwater;

  • (2) Flooding and drainage impacts on adjacent neighborhoods;

  • (3) Unnecessary loss of green space;

  • (4) Design problems that would negatively affect the town's utility and transportation systems; or

  • (5) Otherwise interfere with the goals of Narragansett Comprehensive Plan.

The concept of the PRD is to allow for the transfer of development rights within the limits of the original plat, to form a residential cluster that affords maximum protection of wetlands and waterbodies and other areas unsuitable for development, while also allowing reasonable use of the areas suitable for development.

These provisions are designed to:

• • (a) Create living environments of high quality and sustainability.

  • (b) Conserve open space, natural habitats and environmental quality.

  • (c) Provide diversity in housing choices.

  • (d) Benefit traffic and pedestrian circulation.

  • (e) Provide improved community design.

  • (f) Make efficient use of town resources.

  • (g) Preserve and enhance the community character and architectural heritage of Narragansett.

In order to make such innovative development plans feasible, certain development incentives may be allowed at the discretion of the town Council and the Planning Board.

These incentives may include:

• • (a) Limited increases (no more than 20 percent in zoning density over that currently allowed in the zoning ordinance;

  • (b) Increase in building coverage on lots within the development;

  • (c) Reductions in dimensional setbacks;

  • (d) Reductions in roadway widths serving the development;

  • (e) Development increases (no more than 20 percent, right transfer from other properties, as applicable.

These incentives shall be given only upon careful review and acceptance of a thoroughly developed, unified plan for development of the property in conformity with the standards and procedures set forth below.

• (B) Development standards.

  • (a) Uses permitted. Applications for planned residence districts may be submitted for property located in R-10, R-10A, R-20, R-40 and R-80 zones and be comprised of single-family, duplex, or multifamily development, and accessory uses as permitted by the zoning ordinance.

  • (b) The property must have public water and public sewers, as allowed under the Town of Narragansett sewer policy. All utilities are to be underground, and provided at the sole expense of the developer.

  • (c) The road system within the development shall be provided at the developer's sole expense. Waivers may be granted from the town construction standards with the approval of the planning board and town engineering department.

  • (d) Zoning density of the development. The maximum increase in development density allowed under these provisions shall not exceed 20 percent of the figure obtained by an analysis of the number of grandfathered lots, and such lots that might be within the original plat that can be subdivided.

  • (e) All common infrastructural elements including roads, utilities, parks, recreation facilities and drainage facilities, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be constructed prior to the sale of the first dwelling unit or bonded via appropriate performance guarantee in accordance with Section VII of the Narragansett Subdivision and Land Development Regulations, 1995 as amended.

Notwithstanding the above, the permissible density shall be limited by the ability of the design to meet the lot area and other dimensional requirements for the housing within the area suitable for development as determined by the planning board.

The zoning density shall be determined by the following method:

• • (a) All substandard lots of record shall be combined according to section 8, substandard lots of record.

  • (b) Any lots which would be legally subdivisible per zoning and the Narragansett Subdivision Regulations as determined by the planning board may be added to the above number.

  • (c) Lots that are completely within the biological wetland edge as verified by the appropriate state agency having jurisdiction would be subtracted from the above total.

  • (d) Depending on whether the applicant chooses to include elements that are eligible for density incentives, the above sum would be adjusted in accordance with the density incentives listed below.

  • (e) The applicant then would have to present a plan to demonstrating that the potential density can be accommodated within the development envelope(s) including roads, greens, laneways, etc., according to the design guidelines and PRD dimensional requirements.

Density incentives. Density incentives may be granted according to the following criteria. The cumulative total of any combination of incentives shall be limited to 20 percent above base density.

• • (a) For up to ten percent scattered site affordable housing units (either for rental or homeownership for a 30-year period, the base density may be increased proportionately up to ten percent. The design and outward appearance of such units must be in harmony with the other units in the development.

  • (b) For use of multifamily structures to provide more efficient clustering, up to five percent increase may be allowed.

  • (c) For the use of two-bedroom dwelling units a maximum increase of up to ten percent may be allowed.

  • (d) Transfer of development rights from parcels outside the subject property. Development rights transfer from developable lots elsewhere in the Town of Narragansett located in coastal and freshwater wetlands overlay districts, coastal resource overlay districts, or areas within 200 feet of a "blue line stream" as identified by 1:24,000 series of the United States Geodetic Survey, and land within green belts as delineated in the Narragansett Comprehensive Plan may be proposed for inclusion in the density calculation. Development rights shall be secured by the town in the form of conservation easements as authorized under RIGL 34-39-1 through 5, or fee title transfer from the developer to the Town of Narragansett. To be accepted the developer must prove good title to the property and provide survey information acceptable to the town with the transfer. The inclusion of transferred development rights are authorized at the discretion of the planning board and town council are not as of right.

Dimensional incentives. In order to provide greater design flexibility, dimensional setback requirements may be adjusted up to 50 percent of the applicable multifamily or cluster dimensional setbacks presented in section 17.1 or 17.2 of the zoning ordinance. Such setback and lot coverage allowances shall be considered only as part of an overall site plan specially designed by registered architect and landscape architect, and shall apply only to development on the interior of the development. Such adjustments are authorized at the discretion of the planning board or town council as applicable, and are not as of right. Setbacks from the boundary or adjoining properties shall be no less than 40 feet for multifamily structures of more than four units, and for smaller buildings with fewer units shall be no less than the required rear setback of the adjoining property. Accessory structures may be placed directly on a property line provided they back up to similar structures on the adjacent lots within the development. Maximum building heights shall be 35 feet for principal structures and 25 feet for accessory structures.

• (C) Design guidelines. The Planned Residential District applicant shall employ registered design professionals, including landscape architects, engineers and architects and experts in other disciplines, as necessary, to arrive at a design that optimizes the sense of well-being and sense of place for the residents, maximizes the preservation of green space in the community development process, and minimizes the negative impacts of development on the surrounding neighborhoods, natural systems, and community character. The plan shall reflect, where applicable, community goals as embodied in the comprehensive plan. The planning board may require that the applicant escrow sufficient funds for the town to hire a design consultant to assist the planning board in evaluation [of] the design.

PRDs shall present a design concept that extends throughout the planned neighborhood, and shall reflect and interpret traditional New England architectural styles to create a favorable environment for modern living. The planning board may require that the applicant provide funds to hire a professional consultant (architect, landscape architect or other design professional) to evaluate the proposed design.

Some of the design elements for PRDs shall include:

• • (a) Buildings should be similar in materials to traditional village centers, and may include buildings with clapboard siding, cedar shingles, and fieldstone.

  • (b) At least two-thirds of the buildings should have gabled roofs with pitches between 8/12 and 12/12 , with the orientation of gable ends either parallel or perpendicular to the street line.

  • (c) Each house should front on a street or green with a pedestrian accessway.

  • (d) Porches or landscape features should mediate between the public and private elements of each house lot. Covered porches may be built within 15 feet of front lot line, with fencing or hedge, within ten feet of front lot line.

  • (e) Streets should be lined with tree plantings.

  • (f) Neighborhood residents should reserve attractive, useable space for common use. Greens may be combined with street rights-of-way to conserve space.

  • (g) Principal structures should have a minimum 1½ stories (24 and a maximum 35).

  • (h) Where proposed development areas abut adjacent properties an evergreen visual buffer shall be established.

  • (i) Multifamily dwellings shall resemble large single-family dwellings in architectural design.

  • (j) Sidewalks.

Street and utility design.

• • (a) Streets should be designed for pedestrian safety and residential security, bearing in mind that wide streets encourage speeding.

  • (b) While two access points to developments is desirable from an emergency response perspective, carefully designed emergency accesses need not create cut-through opportunities for regular vehicular traffic.

  • (c) Public sewers are required.

  • (d) Public water is required.

Conservation design.

• • (a) All coastal and freshwater wetlands shall be set aside in either common or public ownership.

  • (b) Where possible, space for pedestrian trails and views should be provided.

  • (c) Historic or cultural resources should be protected from destruction.

  • (d) Natural habitats should be protected from disturbance or over use; green space should be maintained per a specific conservation plan.

  • (e) Drainage facilities shall be designed and constructed to minimize increases in runoff and sedimentation and to mitigate pollution impacts.

  • (f) Only non-invasive tree and shrub varieties should be selected. Grass varieties that need a minimum of upkeep and watering should be selected for green areas.

  • (g) Fifty percent of total area of project shall be protected green space, inclusive of drainage ponds and swales and park space.

• (D) Procedure. The procedure for filing a PRD request shall be as follows:

  • (1) The applicant shall first schedule a pre-application conference with the town planning staff, which may also include the planning board.

  • (2) If the land that is the subject matter of the application is owned by one or more individuals or entities, then any and all applications submitted to the planning board and town council under this ordinance must be signed by all of the owners, and the owners must submit a signed statement indicating that they acknowledge that their land has been included in an application for consideration under this ordinance, that they authorize the inclusion of their land in the application, and they agree to be bound by any terms and conditions that may be imposed by the Town of Narragansett during the course of its review of the application.

  • (3) The applicant shall then file a request under this section and sections 20, 21 and 22 of the zoning ordinance to the town council for a hearing on an amendment to the zoning map to allow a planned residence district.

  • (4) The town council shall act on the request and may then set a date for a hearing on the petition, and refer the plans to the planning board for a recommendation. The planning board shall hear the proposal based on the informational requirements of the master plan stage of review according to the subdivision and land development regulations.

  • (5) Upon approval of the master plan by the planning board, the planning board shall refer the matter back with its recommendation to the town council for the zoning hearing.

  • (6) The town council shall then hear the zoning petition and act to grant conditional approval with or without modifications, or to deny the petition. Final approval of the petition shall be conditioned upon completion of preliminary and final review stages of the development plan by the planning board under the subdivision and land development regulations.

  • (7) Upon final approval by the planning board the zone change shall be scheduled for first and second readings by the town council.

  • (8) Amendments to an approved PRD:

    • a. Minor. The planning board shall be empowered to approve amendments to the site plan or building(s) design of a recorded PRD provided the request conforms to one or more of the following specifications:

      • 1. Additions not exceeding 12 percent of any single building footprint or six percent of said building's total floor area, whichever is less, provided no dimensional relief is necessary. In the case of condominiums, this standard shall apply only to the applicant's unit;

      • 2. Reduction in size/area of buildings;

      • 3. Changes in driveway/parking design that do not reduce compliance with zoning requirements and do not exceed allowable lot coverage;

      • 4. Landscaping/site amenities. Improvements that do not reduce perimeter buffering or violate any specific requirement or condition on record with the town.

    • b. Major. Significant site design or building revisions that do not meet one or more of the criteria in subsection a above, shall require approval by the town council subsequent to public hearing.

    • c. Procedure. Minor amendments shall be reviewed as final plan amendments before the planning board without the necessity of a public hearing. Major amendments shall require a public hearing before the town council and subsequent final plan review by the planning board.

    • d. Recording. Any and all revisions approved as minor or major amendments to a recorded PRD shall be recorded in the town land evidence records following the appropriate approval process. Said amendments may take the form of maps, graphics, or text.

• (E) PRD dimensional guidelines.

  Front yard	Setbacks (feet)
  Front yard	17
  With covered porch	17
  Porch with screening	12
  Front loading garage	29

 

 

 

 

 

Minimum lot size for detached single-family dwelling: 5,000 square feet

Minimum lot area per unit for multifamily dwelling or duplex: 3,500 square feet

(Ch. 830, § 1, 2-18-2003; Ch. 894, § 4, 11-05-2007; Ch. 897, § 1, 5-5-2008; Ch. 1118, § 6, 12-18-2023)