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Click
here to see who participated in the 'Power of Place Summit'
(type
'smart' as the password when prompted)
View
results of a post Summit Survey
View
speaker biographies
Summit Agenda
With the help of several
volunteers, we have assembled notes from each of the workshop sessions
held during the Power of Place Summit. In some cases, there were
two note-takers and therefore two sets of notes. The notes can be
accessed via links below session descriptions.
| 8:30a – 9:00a
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Registration / Networking
Lobby |
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| 9:00a – 9:15a |
Welcome Remarks / Introduction
Ballroom B/C |
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| 9:15a –
10:00a |
Keynote Address by Douglas I. Foy
Ballroom B/C
|
 |
On
March 17th Doug Foy stepped down as Massachusetts' Secretary of
the Office for Commonwealth Development. He is credited by
Governor Romney for implementing the Bay State's aggressive strategy of
investing state funds in communities that are engaged in smart growth.
Foy,
who earlier in his career served as Director of the Conservation Law
Foundation, will share his experiences in Massachusetts and his thoughts
about similar opportunities in RI. |
|
| 10:00a
- 10:30a |
Land
Use 2025:
State
Land-Use Policies & Plan
Kevin M. Flynn, Associate
Director RI Planning Division
Ballroom B/C
|
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RI land use trends and
projections
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Key drivers of sprawl
development
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A vision for the future
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Strategies that are proving
successful at preventing sprawl
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The Urban Services
Boundary: What it means and doesn’t mean
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Growth Centers: What
Municipalities Can Gain by Identifying Them and what the State can gain
by targeting resources to them
|
| 10:30a –
10:45a |
Morning Break in Exhibit Area
Lobby |
|
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| 10:45a –
11:30a |
Panel Response
to Land Use 2025
BallroomB/C
|
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The
following individuals will provide a response to the challenges and opportunities represented by Land-Use 2025.
Scott
Wolf, (Moderator) Executive
Director, Grow Smart Rhode Island
Jeanne
Boyle, Director of Planning, Acting City Manager, City
of East Providence
Louise Durfee,
President, Tiverton Town Council
Saul
Kaplan, Acting Executive Director, RI
Economic Development Corp.
Mark
van Noppen, Member, RI
Builders Association
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| 11:45a -
12:45p |
Lunch Address, Former
Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening
Ballroom B/C |
 |
As
Maryland’s governor from 1995 to 2003, one of Glendening’s primary
agenda items was Smart Growth. He led the creation of a
groundbreaking initiative that focused on using the entire $23
billion state budget as an incentive for steering development to
existing communities and adjacent areas with infrastructure and
enhancing conservation of farm and forest land and other open
spaces. Before
becoming Governor, Glendening was a local elected official for
more than 20 years. He began public service in 1973 as a city
councilman in Hyattsville, MD and was later elected to the
Prince George
's County Council in 1974. In 1982 he was elected
County
Executive
of
Prince George
's County, a post he held for three consecutive terms.
He also had a 27-year career teaching political science at
the
University
of
Maryland.
|
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| 12:45p -
1:15p |
Networking
in Exhibit Area
Lobby |
|
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| 1:15p –
2:45p |
Session
A – Trends and Drivers
The
purpose of these sessions is to provide a deeper understanding of state
policies and market conditions that influence land development decisions
and to update conference attendees on recent initiatives.
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A-1
555-A
Property
Tax - The Major
Policy
Impediment to
Smarter
Land-Use in RI
Rhode
Island
ranks 6th
highest in the nation for its property tax per $1,000 of personal
income. Competition for “ratables” among
fiscally-pressed municipalities that are excessively dependent on
local property tax has lead to a proliferation of questionable
development, such as big box retail centers far removed from city
or town centers. This workshop will examine the link
between land use decisions and
Rhode Island
’s staggering over-reliance on the local property tax.
Scott
Wolf, (Moderator) Executive Director, Grow Smart Rhode
Island
Garry
Bliss, Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs,
City of Providence
State
Senator J. Michael Lenihan, RI General Assembly
John
O'Brien, Chief, RI Statewide Planning Program
Gary
Sasse, Executive Director, Rhode Island Public Expenditure
Council
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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A-2
556-A
Water
Availability and Development
The availability of safe and
affordable water may soon become the single most defining influence of
where development can and cannot take place.
The Water Resources Board is in the process of completing a
comprehensive statewide inventory of surface and groundwater resources
currently existing, used or available to support future development.
At the same time, a new coalition has formed advocating for the
development of integrated water management supply and use policies
that balance environmental, social and economic goals. And, Department of Health is developing regulations for
private wells, and communities are struggling with the issue of public
water supply vs. private wells when approving new development.
Get an update on the convergence of these efforts and participate in a discussion of the
implications.
Beth
Collins, (Moderator) Director of Research, RI Economic
Policy Council
Cynthia
Giles, Member, RI Coalition for Water Security
June
Swallow, Chief, Office of Drinking Water Quality, RI
Department of Health
Dan
Varin, Chair, RI Water Resources Board
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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A-3
Ballroom B/C
Economic
development and Smart Growth
What
kind of economic development
makes the most sense for Rhode Island
and where do we want it? Join
this discussion to examine how our state’s economic development
strategy has moved from smokestack chasing to a strategy that recognizes
‘quality of place’ as a unique strength
that enhances our competitive position in the regional and global
economies.
Discuss how this strategy squares with the realities and demands
of industry and hear how some Rhode Island communities have embraced and
benefited from this approach.
Christopher
"Kip" Bergstrom, (Moderator) Exec. Dir., RI
Economic Policy Council
Jeanne
Boyle, Director of Planning, City of East Providence
Arnold
"Buff" Chace, Jr., President & CEO, Cornish
Associates
Julian
Dash, Director of Real Estate, PUENTE Providence
Rep.
Elizabeth Dennigan, Chair, RI Permanent Joint Committee on
Economic Development
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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A-4
556-B
Getting
around Rhode Island
– Transportation and Smart Growth
Plans
have been announced to extend commuter rail south of
Providence
to Warwick and Wickford. Other
efforts are underway to study connections with East Greenwich, South
Kingstown and
Westerly
as well as
Pawtucket
and
Woonsocket
. What impacts, positive and
negative, will increased commuter rail have on growth and development? What
factors will influence the ability of public transit to be more
effective in getting people where they need to go. Join
the discussion about the best transit options
for improving mobility within and through the Nation’s smallest
state.
George
Johnson, (Moderator) Assistant Chief, RI Statewide Planning Program
Steve
Devine, Chief, Program Development, RI Department of
Transportation
Pam
Sherrill, Principal Planner, Pare Engineering
Mark
Therrien, Assistant General Manager for Development &
Planning, RIPTA
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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A-5
555-B
The
Latest Market Trends in Residential Real Estate – U.S.
and RI
The National Association of Realtors and Smart
Growth America have released a study indicating that a growing number of
homebuyers favor shorter commutes and walkable neighborhoods. The
prospect of lengthening commutes is leading more Americans to seek
walkable neighborhoods in cities and close-in suburbs. These results
provide some insight into current discussions in
Rhode Island
about growth and development trends, affordable housing and
transportation priorities.
Sheila
Brush, (Moderator) Director of Programs, Grow Smart Rhode
Island
John
Bentz, President, RI Apartment Association
Richard
Godfrey, Executive
Director, RI Housing
Hugh
Morris, Community
Outreach Representative, National
Association of Realtors
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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A-6
554-B
The
Environmental
and Open Space Impacts of Sprawl
From 1961 to 1995,
consumption of land in Rhode Island increased at 9 times the rate of population growth. The
Office of Statewide Planning is projecting the conversion to development
of approximately 107,000 acres of land in the next 20 years. Learn
about past trends and potential impacts of this development projection
and what can be done to save, preserve and protect Rhode Island’s
environment and quality of life.
W.
Michael Sullivan, (Moderator) Director, RI Department of Environmental
Management Chet
Arnold, NEMO Program Director, University of Connecticut Dr.
Peter August, URI Coastal Institute
Chris Modisette, RC&D Coordinator,
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Kathleen
Wainwright, Director for Conservation Programs,
The Nature Conservancy Click
Here for Workshop Notes |
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3:00p –
4:30p |
Session
B – Tools for Implementing
Smarter Growth
The
purpose of these workshops is to present the latest developments
regarding a suite of tools that have proven effective in helping
communities achieve the goals outlined in the state land use plan.
Participants will get an overview of tools, examples of their
successful use in
Rhode Island
and nearby states.
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B-1
Ballroom B/C
Well-Designed
Density for Vibrant Communities
The
traditional town square concept - small, self-sufficient, walkable
neighborhoods featuring mixed use development, is
back by popular demand. While
its return is prompted in the marketplace by a growing desire for a
sense of community, as well as convenience and efficiency, it is also
widely regarded as a sustainable way to accommodate new growth in a way that reduces
the effects of sprawl. Attend
this session to learn how communities large and small, urban and rural,
designate “growth centers” and how doing so can help expand the tax
base, conserve public resources, preserve community character and
promote healthy lifestyles.
Kevin
M. Flynn, (Moderator) Associate Director, Rhode Island
Division of Planning
Tony
Avant, Design & Construction Manager, Rhode Island Housing
Joe
Garlick, Executive Director, Woonsocket Neighborhood
Development Corporation
Dr.
David R. Gifford, MD, MPH, Director, RI
Department of Health
Tom
Kravitz, Director of Planning & Economic Development,
Town of Burrillville
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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B-2
557
Implementing
Economic Development and Planning Priorities Using EDC’s
New Data
Mapping Tool
Get
a hands-on demonstration of EDC's new Internet Mapping Service to
learn how it can be used by local officials and investors alike to
identify economic and other development opportunities based on
graphically integrated data such as site suitability, census data,
business analysis information and other data that is used to
evaluate opportunities.
Lori Capaldi, Director of Community
Econ. Dev., RI Economic Development Corp.
Jim
Lucht, Director of Information and Technology, ProvPlan
Patrick
McGuigan, Executive Director, ProvPlan
Click
Here for Workshop Notes |
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B-3
556-A
New
Approaches to Building Consensus for Smart Growth Among Developers &
Communities
Participants
in this workshop will view a video that explores a new alternative
approach to making land use decisions based on on proven consensus building
strategies as opposed to the more conventional and too-often contentious
project approval process.
Through 3 case studies in
New England
, the film demonstrates how this approach worked to the benefit of
residents, municipalities and developers.
A panel discussion will follow the video.
Dr.
Jack Kartez, Associate Director, New England Environmental
Finance Center
William
Haase, Director of Planning, Town of Westerly
Colin
P. Kane, Principal, Peregrine Group, LLC
Dr.
Caroly Shumway, Chairperson, Valley Alliance for Smart Growth
Click
Here for Workshop Notes |
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B-4
555-B
Redevelopment
& Investment Tools for Vibrant Communities
RI Historic Preservation
Investment Tax Credit Program
Edward
Sanderson, Exec. Dir., RI Historic Preservation &
Heritage Commission
Mixed-use Zoning and Form Based
Codes
Andrew
Teitz, Principal, Ursillo, Teitz & Ritch
Tax Increment Financing for
Infrastructure Improvements
Tom Moses, Principal, Moses, Afonso
& Jackvony, Ltd.
Neighborhood Revitalization
Resources & Programs
Susan Bodington, Deputy Director for
Programs
Brownfield Redevelopment
Incentives
Terry Gray, Assistant Director/Air,
Waste & Compliance, RIDEM
Click
Here for Workshop Notes |
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B-5
556-B
Alternative
Strategies for Protecting Farm, Forests & Open
Space
Lisa
Primiano, (Moderator) Supervisor,
Land Acquisition and
Conservation Program, RI DEM
Conservation
Development
Scott
Millar, Chief, Sustainable Watersheds Office, RIDEM
Transfer
of Development Rights
(TDR)
Ken
Buckland, The Cecil
Group, Planning & Design
Former
Planning Director, Town of Falmouth, MA, a community that has
successfully implemented TDR
Forest
Land Preservation Techniques
Rick
Taintor, Principal, Taintor
& Associates
Farm
Viability Techniques
Ken Ayars, Chief, RI DEM, Division of
Agriculture Stu
Nunnery, Director, RI Center for Agricultural Promotion &
Education Click
Here for Workshop Notes |
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B-6
555-A
Creating
and Financing Mixed-Use Walkable Communities
If it’s true that market
demand is growing for mixed-use walkable communities, then why is
it still perceived as so difficult to build them?
Hear from Adrienne Schmitz of the Urban Land Institute and
author of Creating
Walkable Places: Compact Mixed-Use Solutions. Adrienne will set the
stage for a discussion including the long-term health consequences
and costs associated with different types of development patterns.
You’ll hear first-hand from a developer navigating the
regulatory process for mixed-use projects in several states,
including Rhode Island. Steven
Hornburg, a nationally recognized finance expert and principal
with Emerging Community Markets, Inc. will present solutions for financing
for mixed-use, higher-density projects that don’t “fit the
mold,” but are the kinds of environments where people want to
live, work, play, and shop. He’s
the author of a study entitled
From
Wall Street to Your Street: New Solutions for Smart Growth Finance.
Case studies describe walkable, mixed-use town centers, and
pedestrian-focused communities in urban and suburban settings.
Adrienne
Schmitz, (Moderator) Co-Author, Creating
Walkable Places
Steven
Hornburg, Principal, Emerging
Community Markets, Arlington, VA
Dr.
Peter Simon, MD,
Assistant Medical Director, RI
Department of Health
John
Sinnott, Senior Development Director, Struever Bros.,
Eccles & Rouse
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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B-7
554-A
Coastal
development challenges from the Metro Bay to South County
Rhode
Island and Massachusetts are using coastal smart growth principles
to make decisions at local and regional levels to balance and
enhance economic and environmental coastal resources and assets.
Panelists will describe their experiences with applications of
smart growth tools and techniques to special area management plans
(SAMPs), hazard mitigation and disaster resilience strategies, and
regional cooperation efforts. Specifically, the panel will
focus on two Rhode Island coastal plans -- the Metro Bay SAMP for
the cities of Cranston, Providence, Pawtucket, and East
Providence; and the Aquidneck Island West Side Master Plan -- and
the coastal components of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit.
Pam
Rubinoff, (Moderator) Assoc. Coastal Res. Mgr, URI Coastal
Resources Ctr.
Teresa
Crean, Planner, Aquidneck
Island Planning Commission
Grover
Fugate, Executive Director, Coastal
Resources Management Council
Scott
Horsley, Principal, Horsley
Witten Group
Click
Here for Workshop Notes |
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B-8
554-B
Transforming Suburban Business Districts
Significant development opportunities exist in transforming
underperforming  suburban business districts into attractive places to
live, work and shop. Grounded
in an understanding of America's changing demographics Bruce Leonard, a contributing author to
Transforming Suburban Business
Districts,will explain
how suburban business districts are evolving and offer practical
solutions to increase property values, competitiveness and livability.
You will learn about the roles of residential, retail and office
development, transportation options and parking, and the public and
private sectors role in creating vibrant, attractive places that people
want to return to time and again. Examples and illustrations from
throughout the nation describe what has worked and what has not, and
offers fresh ideas that can be tailored to the needs of your community.
Bruce
Leonard, Contributing Author, Transforming Suburban
Business Districts; Principal, StreetSense,
Inc., mixed-use consultants and retail brokers, Bethsda, MD
Vin
Murray
, Planning Director, Town of
South Kingstown
Jon
Reiner, Planning Director, Town of North Kingstown
Click
Here for Workshop Notes
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B-9
Merging
Alternative Wastewater Treatment with Smart Growth
This
session will describe how alternative onsite wastewater treatment
systems can be used to accommodate more compact, mixed-use development
in designated growth areas as is suggested in Land Use 2025. This session is intended primarily for
planners, local planning officials and site designers. The
workshop will also address factors to consider when using these systems.
These would include, for example: studies needed to evaluate impacts to
nearby wells and sensitive water resources, setbacks and density issues,
technology options and treatment efficiencies and ensuring proper
operation and maintenance over the long term.
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4:30p
– 5:00p |
Recap / Next Steps / Implementation Tracking Model |
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5:00p – 6:00p |
Cash bar reception (optional) |
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