Westerly - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

The Westerly Comprehensive PlanThere are many other structures and sites in the town which have been identified as eligible forlisting, or recommended for nomination or for further study by the RIHP&HC.8.1.2 Regulatory ProtectionLargely because the action has not been supported by community consensus, the town has thus farnot enacted historic district zoning, including establishing a single town-wide historic districtcommission pursuant to Chapter 45.24.1, RIGL. However, other means to protect the listeddistricts and the structures within them have been enacted by the Town Council.The Zoning Ordinance standards governing development plan review, to which all developmentexcept one and two family structures is subject, requires:“If the building is in a Historic District, the recommendations of the Rhode Island HistoricalPreservation Commission shall be incorporated in the Administrative or Planning Boardreview.” (See §260-45[F](1) ) The definition of “Historic District” used in the ordinance includesa historic site or sites “registered or … deemed eligible to be included, on the state register ofhistoric places.” (See §260-9[B])For the Bay Street commercial area of the Watch Hill Historic District (SC-WH Commercial zone),the Town Council in 2006 took another approach to preserving the character of the area. It enactedan amendment to the Zoning Ordinance proposed by the Watch Hill Conservancy, whichestablished architectural design standards for construction there. These standards are applicable tothe development plan review of all applications in that zone.More recently, in 2009, the Watch Hill Conservancy published a primer on the residentialarchitectural history of Watch Hill, Watch Hill Style. With the visual appeal of its 200 full-colorimages of Watch Hill cottages, it is intended to influence those planning new construction in WatchHill to emulate the architectural traditions of the community. 68Supporting both the standards enacted for Bay Street and the examples contained in Watch Hill Style,the Conservancy also provides initial free design services to those planning new construction in theWatch Hill Historic District.Additionally, with respect to the large area of the town within the jurisdiction of the Rhode IslandCoastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), either due to its proximity to the coast or byvirtue of being located within the Special Area Management Plans (SAMPs) for Winnapaug Pond orQuonochontaug Pond, additional protection also exists in the permitting process. CRMC’sregulations, Section 220, Areas of Historic and Archaeological Significance, C. Policies state:“3. The Council shall require modification of, or shall prohibit proposed actions, subjectto its jurisdiction where it finds a reasonable probability of adverse impacts on propertieslisted in the National Register of Historic Places. Adverse impacts are those which canreasonably be expected to diminish or destroy those qualities of the property which make iteligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The Council shall solicit the68 Watch Hill Style, The Watch Hill Conservancy, 2009, Watch Hill, RIpeter j. smith & company, inc. 118