April 7, 2004

Good afternoon Mr. Chairman and members of the House Finance Committee. My name is Scott Wolf, and I am the Executive Director of Grow Smart Rhode Island. Grow Smart represents a broad coalition of organizations from the private, public and non-profit sectors that are fighting suburban sprawl and urban decay while advocating equitable, efficient and environmentally friendly economic development.

As Rhode Island becomes widely "discovered", Grow Smart is committed to protecting and promoting what makes our state special and appealing -- our historic urban, town and village centers; our rolling farmland and forestland; and our picturesque coastal communities. This commitment brings me here to endorse enthusiastically a $60 million Open Space and Recreation Bond Issue for the November 2004 general election ballot.

Maintaining our distinctiveness and quality of place is not just a good way to protect our environment, culture and history, it is also a critical ingredient for effective economic development. Rhode Island sells itself on beauty, not brawn, so we risk losing a major economic calling card if we allow our state to become anywhere USA.

Notwithstanding the current charm and vitality of our state, the possibility of our becoming virtually one sprawling anonymous suburb encircling a decaying urban core is a clear and present danger. Our flawed property tax system is putting increased pressure on local officials to accept big box and strip mall development in so called greenfields throughout the state. At the same time, fiscal pressures make it more difficult for communities with limited tax bases, such as many of our cities, to furnish the parks and recreational opportunities that can make urban living a viable choice for a broad spectrum of families and businesses.

Based on a Grow Smart study released in early 2000, under a continuation of current sprawl development patterns, we stand to lose the rural character of our 15 remaining rural towns at a rate of three every 20 years, while the number of vacant lots in our cities’ could grow by 9,000 over the next two decades. To avoid these scenarios we must pursue aggressively a number of smart growth strategies, including facilitating further the redevelopment of our old historic mill, factory and commercial buildings, protecting our prime agricultural and forest lands and enhancing the quality of life in our more urban areas. Enactment this year of a $ 60 million Open Space and Recreation Bond issue will go a long way towards implementing several of these strategies, particularly those focused on land preservation and enhancing the quality of life in urban communities.

The General Assembly and the voters of Rhode Island have a proud tradition of supporting past Open Space and Recreation bond issues by overwhelming margins. Now that Rhode Island has dramatically increased its visibility and appeal to people throughout the Northeast and beyond, we have a greater obligation than ever before to protect and enhance our critical natural resources and older neighborhoods. These trends and challenges argue decisively for enactment in 2004 of a $ 60 million Open Space and Recreation Bond Issue.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to share our views with you today.

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Scott Wolf

Executive Director, Grow Smart Rhode Island