PAWTUCKET DOWNTOWN DESIGN PLAN FINAL ... - VHB.com

Improve upon existing provisions designed to encourage
redevelopment.
Remove parking requirements for the CD District
GOAL
PROPOSAL
In our review of existing zoning standards, the PDDP team recognized that
there are parking standards that acknowledge the need for a more innovative
approach to downtown, one that recognizes that parking operates more
as a district-wide system rather than an isolated site-by-site approach.
For example, the standard parking requirements are reduced by 50% in
the downtown for each use, restaurants are fully exempt from parking
requirements, and off-site parking can be allowed through a Special Use
Permit. These standards represent a “step in the right direction”, but should be
strengthened to truly answer to the unique conditions within the CD District.
As with other standards examined in our study, it is important to note that
many sites in the downtown area could not comply with the existing parking
requirements, even with the 50% reduction. With that in mind, and based
on existing practice in other cities, the PDDP recommends eliminating
parking requirements for all non-residential use in the CD District. Further,
the allowances for off-site and shared parking would not require a Special
Use Permit, but would be reviewed through the Development Plan Review
process as mechanisms allowed by-right. This approach not only removes
encumbrances to some existing significant buildings, but provides the business
community the flexibility they need to provide parking efficiently for any
proposed use.
Move the administration of Development Plan Review to the Planning
Commission Regulations
Many Rhode Island communities use Development Plan Review as a review
process for by-right uses. Pawtucket uses this procedure throughout
the city to review projects either through the Department of Planning and
Redevelopment or through the Planning Commission depending on the
scale of the proposal. This process provides a forum for the city to review
site plans and other information associated with proposed development and
to discuss them with the applicant. Unlike a Special Use Permit, however,
the Development Plan Review cannot be used to deny an application based
on discretionary criteria. The applicant is still assured approval as long as
the information provided to the city shows compliance with all applicable
standards.
One of the differences in Development Plan Review that arises from one
municipality to another is whether the process is administered through the
Zoning Ordinance or through the Planning Commission Regulations. In order
to clarify the procedures associated with Development Plan Review, the PDDP
team provided revisions that would place many of the procedural elements for
Development Plan Review in the Planning Commission Regulations, allowing
for greater flexibility in the process.
PDDP FINAL REPORT
141