Standards for merger on a district-by-district basis
The merger provisions of section 2 shall apply to all areas within the Town of Tiverton. On a district-by-district basis, the following standards shall provide the basis for the merger requirement:
a. North Tiverton. The North Tiverton merger district is defined as follows:
North boundary: State line.
East boundary: Fish Road.
West boundary: Sakonnet Passage.
South boundary: Carey Lane and Souza Road.
Merger justification for this district includes the following: no public sewers and poor soil conditions for individual sewage disposal systems (ISDS); excessive drainage problems due to inadequate storm drains combined with high slopes along the Sakonnet Passage shoreline; existing high population density; road system which is presently over capacity; and the existence of many substandard lots of record. For the purposes of this ordinance, this merger district is a combined zoning district which consists primarily of R-30.
b. Stone Bridge. The Stone Bridge merger district is defined as follows:
North boundary: Carey Lane and Souza Road.
East boundary: Fish Road.
West boundary: Sakonnet Passage south to Nanaquaket Bridge, east bank of Nanaquaket Pond south to Bulgurmarsh Road.
South boundary: Bulgurmarsh Road.
Merger justification for this district includes the following: predominantly an historic area with a large number of homes designated by the state historical preservation commission as qualifying for the National Register of Historic Places; scenic shoreline designated in comprehensive plan as essential for preservation of the town character; no public sewers and poor soil conditions for ISDS; excessive drainage problems due to inadequate storm drains combined with high slopes along the Sakonnet Passage shoreline; and a road system which is presently over capacity. For the purposes of this ordinance, this merger district is a combined zoning district which consists primarily of R-40 and R-120.
c. Stafford Pond. The Stafford Pond merger district is defined as follows:
North boundary: State line.
East boundary: State line.
West boundary: Fish Road.
South boundary: Bulgurmarsh Road and Route 177.
Merger justification for this district includes the following: existence of a public drinking water supply (Stafford Pond) and threats to the quality of this supply due to overdevelopment and lack of adequate drainage systems; and the presence of a number of agricultural properties that should be preserved in accordance with the comprehensive plan. For the purposes of this ordinance, this merger district is a combined zoning district which consists primarily of R-120.
d. Seapowet. The Seapowet merger district is defined as follows:
North boundary: Nanaquaket Bridge.
East boundary: Main Road.
West boundary: Sakonnet Passage shoreline, north around Nanaquaket point to Nanaquaket Bridge.
South boundary: Town line.
Merger justification for this district includes the following: the existence of several environmental and conservation sites which define the area and its ecology, to which increasing population density poses a threat and would be in conflict with the goals of the comprehensive plan to preserve these unique feature; the existence of a potential designated scenic roadway as described in the comprehensive plan; the existence of a public drinking water supply (Nonquit Pond) serving the City of Newport; and no public sewers, water system or fire mains. The conservation areas within this district include Nanaquaket Pond, Emilie Reucker Wildlife Preserve, Gould Island, Seapowet Marsh, Seapowet Wildlife Management Area beach and dunes, Fogland barrier beach and estuaries and Fogland Marsh. For the purposes of this ordinance, this merger district is a combined zoning district which consists primarily of R-120.
e. Stone Church. The Stone Church merger district is defined as follows:
North boundary: Bulgurmarsh Road and Route 177.
East boundary: State line.
West boundary: Main Road.
South boundary: Town line.
Merger justification for this district includes the following: predominantly an agricultural area that should be preserved in accordance with the comprehensive plan; the existence of a large portion of the Nonquit Pond public drinking water supply; no public sewers and a preponderance of wetlands, ledge and/or poor soils for ISDS; and no public water system or fire mains; and no public schools. For the purposes of this ordinance, this merger district is a combined zoning district which consists primarily of R-120.
(Ord. of 6-4-01(5); Ord. No. 2024-0009, 6-24-24)