Westerly - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

The Westerly Comprehensive Plan“People want to livewhere their childrenget a good education,and where they haveaccess to qualityhealthcare.”- November 2007School/PTO Focus GroupThe residents speak of the town as a place where they feelcomfortable and safe, and as a family-friendly town. Yet thereare concerns about changes which could erode the quality of lifein the town.The high cost of housing raises questions about affordability,and the availability of high quality employment for area residents,especially for the young of the community, is a major concern.There is a recognition that commercial sprawl has turned asignificant portion of Route 1, including Granite and FranklinStreets and the Post Road, into a faceless strip of highway thatcould be anywhere in the country. There is a strong desire tohalt and even reverse the trend.Traffic and congestion during the summer tourist seasonmonths regularly clog the gateways into the town, especiallyRoute 78 and Airport and Winnapaug Roads, and parking isnot always available in popular destinations such as thecommercial waterfront of Bay Street, Watch Hill, and evenat the Misquamicut State Beach.Residential development, especially in the shorelinecommunities, raises concerns about loss of open space andscenic views, as well as the degradation of the salt ponds.There is a concern that unchecked development will erodethe character of the community and a widespreadcommitment expressed for the preservation of open spaceand the protection of the town’s natural resources.2.2 History- “I think Westerly isvery nice the way itis…I’d also like tohave a bike/hikingtrail throughoutWesterly.”- September 2007 CommunitySurveyIn pre-colonial times the Westerly area was home to the Pequot, Niantic, and Narragansett tribes.The first European settlers arrived in 1648. By 1660 the Native Americans had conveyed to thecolonists a tract of land twenty miles along the coast and ten miles deep into the interior, whichincluded what is now Westerly and parts of Charlestown, Hopkinton and Richmond. The area wasthen known as “Mishquamicuk” or Misquamicut, a native word which denoted “land of red fish” orsalmon. The town of Westerly was incorporated in 1669 and the current legal boundaries wereestablished in 1757, by which time Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton had been separatedfrom Westerly. The town’s boundaries are the Pawcatuck River, which separates Westerly fromConnecticut on the west, Fishers Island Sound and Block Island Sound on the south and theboundaries of Charlestown and Hopkinton on the east and north.Farming and fishing were the major occupations in the early days of Westerly. The town’s locationalong a navigable river and the coast also destined it to play an important maritime role. A thrivingshipbuilding industry grew up along the banks of the river in the 1700’s and 1800’s. Textile millsalso developed along the river in the early 19 th century. By 1850, steamboats were being built andpeter j. smith & company, inc. 8