Westerly - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

The Westerly Comprehensive Plan• Traffic and transportation issues need to be addressed. Citizens are concerned with the volumeof traffic and traffic safety, the need for additional parking in town, and pedestrian safety.Residents want access to commuter rail service and more bike lanes and trails.• Westerly must continue to maintain its infrastructure including water and sewer systems, roads,sidewalks, and schools.• The town should promote specific strategies for economic development, quality education andaffordable housing for all ages and income levels.GOAL 1Protect and enhance Westerly’s natural resources including open space, the river and shoreline, wildlife habitat,and watershed, for purposes of future enjoyment, recreation and assurance of a sustainable water supply.Objective 1.Objective 2.Objective 3.Objective 4.Objective 5.Protect and conserve the natural beauty of Westerly’s setting and naturalenvironment.Ensure natural resources considerations are paramount in any developmentproposal.Foster awareness of and protect and develop appropriate access to the community’snatural resources for enjoyment and recreation.Promote land use decisions that encourage the protection and sustainable use of thetown’s natural resources.Support a comprehensive groundwater protection strategy including conservation ofWesterly’s existing groundwater sources and investigation of future potential sources.GOAL 1: ACTIONSAction 1.1Action 1.2Action 1.3Action 1.4Modify the zoning code to adopt a Salt Pond overlay district as specified by theCRMC Special Area Management Plan (SAMP).Enact an ordinance that prevents any increase in zoning density (down-zone) except(A) land within the Urban Services Area which already has water and sewer serviceand (B) areas that are outside the Urban Services Area and also outside the RICRMC Salt Pond Special Area Management Plan which could be rezoned fromzoning district designation RR-60 to LDR-40 but only after the municipal watersystem is extended to those areas.Adopt conservation development subdivision regulations applicable to majorsubdivisions as an alternative subdivision methodology. Require all applications formajor subdivisions to include cluster development, conservation development, andconventional subdivision as alternatives for consideration by the Planning Board.Develop a systematic prioritized plan, including potential funding alternatives, toacquire open space for water resources protection, habitat protection, and waterdependentrecreation and to protect farmland, forests and natural landscapes.peter j. smith & company, inc. 66