Lee R. Whitaker, AICP, Director of Planning, 401-886-8643
Lisa Bourbonnais, Assistant Planner, 401-886-8644
Lea Anthony, Land Use Planner, 401-886-8645
Geoffrey A. Marchant, Community Development Consortium Director, 401-886-3213

The Planning Department is responsible for administering state law relating to land use and planning as it pertains to the Town of East Greenwich. In particular, this includes the Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act (45-22.2 GLRI), the Land Development and Subdivision Review Enabling Act of 1992 (45-23 GLRI), and the Zoning Enabling Act of 1991 (45-24 GLRI).

The Planning Department provides staff services and administers applications and plan reviews for the following Boards and Commissions:

• Historic District Commission for permits for new construction, building additions, modifications and alterations, fences, and accessory structures on property located in the East Greenwich Historic District and other properties regulated by Historic zoning.
• Zoning Board of Review for permits for Dimensional Variances, Special Use Permits, and Use Variances.
• Planning Board for approvals of subdivisions of land and land development projects, and for recommendations to the Town Council on all proposed zoning amendments and amendments to the Comprehensive Community Plan.
• Land Trust for the preservation of open space, agriculture, land, and land with significant environmental, historical, and cultural resources.

It is the Department's responsibility to implement state law requiring the Zoning Ordinance and Map to comply with the Comprehensive Community Plan and the Future Land Use Map.

Community Development Block Grant Program
The Department administers the Community Development Block Grant program and the Main Street Loan program.  Staff developed a Downtown Revitalization "work program" starting in FY98-99.  In the six years since the Town Council adopted the Downtown Revitalization Plan in 1998 and updated it in 2001, East Greenwich has received more than $1.6 million in Community Development Block Grants to fund projects and programs in the following areas:

• Physical improvement of Main Street properties, 
• Design and development of new downtown street signs, 
• Sign rehabilitation grants, 
• Building facade and landscape improvements, 
• Downtown design, 
• Housing and rental rehabilitation, 
• Day care,
• Job training,
• Design of King Street Gateway Improvement Project,
• Streetscape and street furniture improvements,
• Sculpture on Main Street,
• Main Street streetscape plan.

FY 2005 Block Grant Award of $184,000 for housing and rental rehabilitation, Housing Authority programs including day care and job training, and the design and construction of physical improvements in the downtown.  This brings the total grants awarded since 1998 to $1,660,211 for downtown revitalization.

Comprehensive Community Plan
The Department is responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the Comprehensive Community Plan and currently has underway the first major update of the plan since 1991.   In May, 1998, the Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Element of the Comprehensive Plan was amended for the first time since 1990.

In July, 2000 the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map was updated and totally revised for the first time since 1990, and the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map were amended for the first time since 1990 to conform to the Comprehensive Plan.  The year 2000 amendments were especially designed to promote economic development in the Route 2 corridor.  

Successful Grant Applications
In addition to the success of the Block Grant applications, since 1998 the Planning Department has prepared successful applications for the following grants:

1. $150,000 from RIDEM for New Outdoor Recreation Facilities,
2. $628,000 from RIDOT for Improvements to King Street,
3. $290,000 from RIDOT for a Ferry Dock on Greenwich Cove,

4. $300,000 from RIDEM toward acquisition of the Boesch Farm, and
5. $180,000 from the Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission toward acquisition of the Boesch Farm.
6. Awarded $500,000 Transportation Enhancement Grant for King Street/Main Street streetscape improvements and beautification.
7. $250,000 Greenway matching grant for the acquisition of the Mawney-Hopkins Farm, a.k.a. the Pine Property.
8. $300,000 grant from RIDEM for open space conservation and acquisition of the Mawney-Hopkins Farm, a.k.a. the Pine Property.