Showdown Looming Over Proposed Blackstone Boulevard Development
Friday, November 14, 2014
Backers of a proposed development on a historic property on the East Side of Providence next to Blackstone Boulevard are squaring off against neighbors opposed to the project -- and the battle involves some well-connected political donors and appointees.
Property currently owned by Paula and Leonard Granoff at 460-440 Rochambeau Avenue -- a combined three and a half acre plot -- is on the market for $4.9 million with Residential Properties, which lists Jim DeRentis as one of the agents. DeRentis is the husband of former Mayoral candidate Brett Smiley, who has been tapped by Providence Mayor-elect Jorge Elorza to be his Chief Operating Officer -- and Residential Properties founder and owner Sally Lapides was appointed to Elorza's transition team.
The plan to parcel up the property into twelve lots has drawn pushback from a number of neighbors, who have spearheaded community meetings and a change.org petition to appeal to the Providence Preservation Society (PPS) "to show strong leadership and set a standard for the appropriate development of 440-460 Rochambeau that will enhance rather than diminish the community's social and physical infrastructure."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"We've been getting phone calls daily. We're in the middle of drafting a statement about the proposal," said the PPS' Paul Wackrow, who noted their role was solely in advisory capacity. "The Bridgham Estate is on the National Register of Historic Places. That doesn't affect zoning or planning, however."
The Providence Planning Department has already recommended the plan for approval. Now, the City Plan Commission meeting this coming Tuesday, November 18, to consider the plan -- and opponents are looking to stop it from moving forward.
Neighbors Ramping Up Opposition
Sharon Steele, one of the residents opposed, said she'd never seen the surrounding community take action in the magnitude it has over the proposed plan.
"The importance of this decision being made by the planning department, what has galvanized the community -- I've never seen a group mobilize together as quickly, to get 100, 125 people to come together for a cause," said Steele, who is a real estate broker and consultant. "There is an underlying angst as to what has been happening in the neighborhood, where isolated lots have been sold, and due to the intersection of greedy developers and greedy sellers, it has caused the building of houses that have shouldn't have been allowed to be built."
"You take that, combined with the underlying fabric of what this property has historically been -- and superimpose this irresponsible plan, and there's an attitude that it's alright to do it, and 'we don't care what you think' - that's the way this whole process was thrust upon us," said Steele. "The takeaway is we're trying to show what engaged and enlightened neighbors can and will do."
DeRentis said Thursday that the proposal that allows for the potential of up to 12 lots set on 3.6 acres of grounds was moving according to plan.
"The way the process works -- there was an application filed by the owners in September to allow for the subdivision of the property, which they can do under the current zoning -- that's what the planning department has approved, and now it's going before the commission," said DeRentis.
Of the opposition in the community, DeRentis said, "There is no unified group, just a lot of discussions, innuendo, and posturing. The owners of the property have filed the plan as submitted, that's what's going before the planning."
Campaign finance records with the Board of Elections show that DeRentis has given $2750 to Mayor Angel Taveras and $2000 to Smiley in his failed Mayoral bid; co-listing agent Nancy Markham had given $1500 to Smiley; and Lapides had given $3000 to Taveras, $1000 to Smiley, and $1000 to Elorza.
Next Steps
Providence City Councilman Sam Zurier, whose district the property is in, said he "had concerns" about the proposal, but that the decision would ultimately be up to the planning commission.
"I went to both public meetings so far, I went to another meeting as well," said Zurier. "At that point, there were some efforts to negotiate some type of resolution -- neighbors proposed larger lots, the preservation of the stone wall, an interior road. That reached an impasse however."
"The conclusion to draw is that everyone will put their case before the planning commission and see what they come up with," said Zurier of the upcoming meeting on Tuesday. "The neighborhood group announced they retained an attorney."
When asked what the neighborhood group would do next if the commission approved the plan on Tuesday, Steele said, "I would be extraordinarily surprised to see if it gets a green light."
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