By
Deb Carney
The
purpose of tonight’s [April 15] meeting is for the Town Council to discuss and take any
potential action on the Ninigret Park Master Plan as drafted by VHB.
After
the Council has had the opportunity to discuss the plan and ask questions of
the VHB representatives, I will open the floor up to public comment.
The
Council will not take a vote on the plan until after those that wish to speak
on the plan have had the opportunity to do so.
I
am taking a few moments to remind everyone of proper decorum for Council
meetings. There will be no name calling,
no yelling out, no booing, no jeering, no applauding. Tonight’s meeting will not
be a free-for-all. Everyone will be
given the opportunity to speak without fear of being heckled or booed.
Please
be respectful of those sitting around you.
If you wish to carry on a conversation, please take it out to the
hallway.
To
have a productive discussion this evening, everyone needs to be on the same
page as to what the Master Plan Update is, and what it is not.
Over
the past several months, there has been much misinformation about the Ninigret
Park Master Plan update posted on social media.
This misinformation campaign has created division in our town, which is
unfortunate. The Park is being used as a political tool to create confusion, concern, hostility, and discontent.
The
park is supposed to be a place for all to enjoy. A place to come together as a
community. Not a weapon used to divide us.
To
get everyone on the same page, I need to correct some statements made online.
Contrary
to what was written on social media, this is the Council’s first discussion regarding the draft
plan. The Council has not approved
this plan, nor has the Council discussed implementing any of the
recommendations, let alone spending over $30 million or $40 million of
tax-payers money, as we have been accused of doing.
Contrary
to what has been repeatedly posted online, the Council has not proposed
constructing a concert/ event stadium.
We are not constructing one for 12,000 people. We are not constructing one
for 14,000 people. We are not proposing
constructing any concert/ event stadium.
Contrary
to what was written on social media, the Council did not remove proposed cost
estimates from the plan. VHB was working on updating the cost estimates which
they did, and then emailed to the town last week.
Contrary
to what was written online, the Council did not remove the letters from the end
of the report, as we were accused of doing. The Council had nothing to do with
the letters. I know that not all
communications were included. For example, the Chariho Cowboys Football and
Cheerleading Organization submitted an online petition in support of
improvements to Ninigret Park with over 59 signatures. Their petition was not
included at the end of the report. The Town Council had no role in determining
what was included, and what was not included.
To
further clarify non-factual information posted online, I offer the following
answers to questions I have been asked based on social media posts:
1. Why is the Town Council
updating the Master Plan?
The Town is required to update
the Ninigret Park Master Plan every ten years, The last plan was adopted in
2008. That was sixteen years ago. The Town is past due.
Page
77 of the draft Master Plan, which is packet page 79 this evening, includes meeting notes from July 13, 1994, with Mr. John T. Kelly, who at the time
administrated the Federal Lands to Parks Program for the National Park Service,
U.S. Department of the Interior. Mr.
Kelly attended a meeting with town officials.
This
document from this meeting states, “The application to acquire surplus
government land included a ten-year plan of Utilization. This plan must be updated by the end of each ten-year
period.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: also see minutes of a follow-up meeting on October 17, 2002 HERE. To read the original deed that conveyed Ninigret Park to Charlestown from the federal government, CLICK HERE.
I
stress this, because I have been asked by multiple people, why is the Council
updating the plan. The answer is because
the Town is required to do so.
2. What
happened to the 2014 Master Plan?
A
Master Plan update was drafted in 2014 but it was never approved by the Town
Council. I was not on
the Town Council in 2014. I don’t know why it wasn’t approved. But as of today, the town is not current with
our obligation to update the plan.
3. Why
is the Council only looking at the 2008 and 2014 Master Plans?
We
aren’t. We are looking at numerous
factors. This accusation is false.
On
January 23, 2023, the Town Council first discussed updating the Master Plan, as
the Town is required
to do.
The
Town Council unanimously approved the following motion: “Motion to direct the Parks and Recreation Commission
with the assistance of the Parks and Recreation Department to compile a draft
Master Plan detailing the steps necessary to implement improvements to Ninigret
Park utilizing the 2008 Ninigret Park Master Plan and the 2014 Ninigret Park
Master Plan Update draft, the 2020 Comprehensive Plan and the 2021 Townwide
Survey documents.
The
information should include, but not be limited to, the following objectives,
with no preference given to the order listed:
a. Using as a guide, the
2008 Ninigret Park Master Plan and the 2014 Ninigret Park Master
Plan Update draft, specifically the Master Plan Project Areas Map found on page
46 of that plan, compile the report so as to have separate project areas and
the details of each individually identified so they may or may not be implemented
as stand-alone projects, in groups, or as a whole.
b. Within the Project Areas,
make updates and recommendations taking into account existing infrastructure
and any physical changes that have occurred from 2014 to current.
c. Identify and recommend
the order of priority in which each project area may be
implemented if done individually.
d. Analyze, update where
needed, and combine the information from the 2008 and 2014 plans,
respectively and include such in the draft Master Plan.
e. Seek input and include
participation from the National Park Service, US Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center, the Charlestown
Senior Center, Police, Fire and Rescue agencies, the sports groups that utilize
the current fields, the Chariho Cowboys, the Public, and additional interested
parties.
f. Compile a list of all
steps needed to take project areas from current to completion for
each project. The
Parks and Recreation Commission Chair and the Director of Parks and Recreation,
or their designees, shall appear at the April 2023 Town Council meeting with a preliminary
update. Any additional resources needed for the Commission to accomplish its
report can be addressed at that time. The Commission shall have one-hundred and
twenty (120) days to complete this report or request additional time from the
Town Council.”
4. Why
did the Town hire an outside company to draft the plan?
The
Parks & Recreation Department requested assistance with the task of
updating the plan. In part, the memo from the Parks and Recreation Director [Vicki Hilton] reads:
"As the director of the Parks and Recreation Department, I do not feel that the volunteer Parks and Recreation Commission members have the time nor expertise for this task. I feel an impartial and professional assessing of the information would be the best path for this major endeavor. We would like to seek proposals from a consulting firm in Park and Recreation Master Planning and community engagement. The Commission Chairman and I feel an outside qualified professional agency would create the most effective master plan that will reflect the unique environmental and community interests of Ninigret Park for years to come. We do not feel that we are able to meet the necessary design standards, editorial skills, environmental expertise nor are we equipped for the graphic capabilities that a full-time firm would provide.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is not the first Ninigret rodeo for VHB, Charlestown's contractor. For example, they were heavily involved in the town's planning for the Park in 2002. CLICK HERE.
5. Where
is the money coming from to pay for this plan?
The
funding is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act funds that the federal
government awarded to Charlestown in 2021. On February 13, 2023, after
receiving the memo from the Parks & Recreation Director, the Town Council
discussed this matter during the Town Council meeting and approved the
following motion:
“Motion
to authorize the Parks and Recreation Director to seek proposals
from a consulting firm in Park and Recreation Master Planning and community engagement
for the creation of a 2023 Master Plan for Ninigret Park and the potential
appropriation of $35,000 in budgetary funding for this purpose, to be taken
from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds, Budget Line Item 43.000.5100
(ARPA FUND Expenses), and to authorize the Acting Town Administrator and Town
Treasurer, each, to take any and all such actions, and to execute and deliver such
certificates, receipts or other documents as may be necessary to carry out the
foregoing.”
On
July 10, 2023 the Town Council unanimously approved the following motion:
"Motion to award the Ninigret
Park Master Plan Update 2023 Bid to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB)
in the Amount of $31,300.00 as Budgeted in Line Item 43.000.51400 (ARPA Fund
Expenses) and Authorization of the Acting Town Administrator and Town
Treasurer, Each, to Take Any and All Such Actions, and Execute and Deliver Such
Certificates, Receipts or Other Documents as May be Necessary to Carry into
Effect the Foregoing."
6. What is the Master Plan?
As
written in the report, “The Master plan
is a wholistic long-term strategy or blueprint that outlines potential
opportunities for development, growth, or revitalization.”
The
Master Plan is not
a construction plan.
In 1994, the Town Council approved the Ninigret Park Ten
Year Utilization Plan. That plan from 30
years ago included, among other items, a bandshell and a football field. Even though both were in the plan, they were
not built. I point this out, because
based on comments posted online, some people think that everything in this plan
is somehow going to be built in the next few years.
It’s
not.
The
approved 2008 plan also included a list of items that were never implemented. For example, removing invasive species of
plants, reducing the amount of paved areas and replacing them with grassed
fields, clearing an area of the park for the festivals so as not to impact
other areas of the park. This is a short list.
My
point is none of these things were done over the past sixteen years, even
though they were in the plan.
During
the November 30th meeting of the Master Plan Update Subcommittee, the
consultants from VHB showed a new community center in their plan. Contrary to what was printed online, this is
not something the Town Council asked them to include.
If a new community center were to be built, the
cost would likely be over ten million dollars. The new community center that South Kingstown
built a few years ago cost over seven million dollars, and they have public water
and public sewer. Charlestown
does not.
That
alone would increase our costs. Also, Ninigret Park is in the hurricane zone,
which has stricter, and more expensive building requirements. This Town Council never expressed an interest
in constructing a community center.
The
consultants included it so that if in the future the town decided this is
something the town wants to build, then the location in the plan would be a
logical place to put it, but not required.
Also, if in the future the residents of
Charlestown decide this is something we want to construct, then there would
need to be a construction plan, along with associated costs, which would
ultimately be voted on by the voters of Charlestown.
To
put things in perspective, in 2019, the majority members on the Town Council
proposed taking $3 million of the town’s surplus money and transferring it
within the budget for a new “community/recreation /senior center”. There was no plan for this “center”. I was on the Town Council in 2019 and was the
only Councilor that opposed this “plan”.
For
the record, none of my fellow Councilors this evening were on the Council in
2019, and none of them were involved with that $3 million proposed transfer of
money.
In 2019 the voters came out in force to oppose this transfer of funds and voted down the entire budget that year.
If a community center is ever
seriously proposed, then an actual plan with associated costs
would need to be developed. Any proposal of that magnitude should be voted
on as a separate warrant item question as was done in 2015 when the voters
overwhelmingly approved the citizen petition for $1 million for improvements to
Ninigret park as outlined in the 2008 Master Plan.
7. If something is not in the plan, can it still be
built?
Yes. Just because something
is not in the plan, that does not mean it can't be built. For example, two years ago the town put in an outdoor
exercise area. That was not
in the plan, but it was added.
 |
This is the so-called multi-use path - actually a bike path -
that the CCA pushed through based on the claim that it would
cost less than $7000. It actually cost $266,927, a 4000% overrun.
It was not in any master plan or list of priorities except
CCA founding member Faith Labossiere's. Photo by Will Collette |
About
seven years ago, the town installed a "multiuse" path, around the
playground. This also was
not in the plan, but it was added to the park. [see photo, left]
To
have a productive discussion this evening, it is crucial for everyone to
understand what a Master Plan is. To that end, I will read from page 45 of the
draft plan.
“The
2024 Master Plan is not promoting any specific type of development, but highly
recommends any future development or park improvements need to be carefully
limited to specific locations as depicted in this Master Plan and deemed
appropriate through a typical town permitting process. It’s imperative for the Community,
and anyone reading this report, to clearly understand the following:
•
A master plan is a wholistic long-term strategy or blueprint that outlines
potential opportunities for development, growth, or revitalization.
•
It will serve as a guide for decision-making and future development.
•
All decisions will have to go through standard permitting and approval
processes, as determined by local, state, and federal governments.
•
The result of the 2024 Master Plan is a culmination of master plan alternatives
including the 2008 Approved Master Plan, the 2014 Draft Master Plan, as well as
research and community input
•
A thoughtful process incorporating “Placemaking Principles”.
•
“Placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public
realm in order to maximize shared value.” – www.pps.org
There
is no way any plan is going to make everyone completely happy. There will be some things some residents
want, that others don’t. This draft plan
has a little bit of something for most people.
I ask that as we discuss the plan this evening, we all keep an open
mind. While something in the plan might
not be what you personally would use, it could be something others would use
and enjoy.
Finally,
nothing in this plan, or any plan, can be implemented without money. It will ultimately be the 5000 plus registered
voters of Charlestown that will vote on what improvements to fund, or not fund,
in Ninigret Park.
EDITOR'S POST SCRIPT. This is not the first, or probably the last, time citizens have almost come to blows over the use of Ninigret Park.
In 2013-14, in a conflict Progressive Charlestown called "The Battle for Ninigret Park," Charlestown Citizen Alliance (CCA) Council members claimed that a proposal to install lighting so kids could conduct football practice after daylight standard kicked in would constitute a breach of our deed with the National Park Service.
 |
| Photo by Will Collette |
They claimed there was a nefarious conspiracy being carried out by then Town Administrator William DiLibero and Parks and Recreation Director Jay Primiano. They said they had heard from ex-US Fish and Wildlife Rhode Island director Charlie Vandemoer (left) that the Interior Department was just a hair away from taking back the Park. CCA Council members Tom Gentz and Dan Slattery even suggested Charlestown preemptively give the park back to the feds. [Charlie told me later, face-to-face, he never said that].
All of the CCA's claims turned out to be false and when pressed by the RI Attorney General, Councilor Dan Slattery was unable to produce the so-called definitive proof he claimed to possess. Regional National Parks Director Elyse DeForest came to Charlestown to answer questions and debunk the CCA's false claims. .JPG) |
| Dan Slattery. Photo by Will Collette |
In the end, a chastened Charlie Vandemoer got a piece of paper saying he and Charlestown would talk when needed, something already guaranteed. We got to keep Ninigret Park. Gentz, Slattery and the CCA went on to concoct other phony scandals to create panic among Charlestown's residents to win elections. Both Bill DiLibero and Jay Primiano lost their jobs.
Deb is too polite to bring up this sordid past.
I'm not.
- Will Collette
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.webp)
