Bristol Yarn Mill: Why 127 units? Attend the 4/14 Planning Board Meeting

Friends of Historic Bristol applauds the efforts to develop the Robin Rug factory building.

Friends were heartened by the poll taken by the Planning Board on March 16 that authorized the Town’s legal counsel to draft a motion to deny the project if the developer could not return to the Board with a plan to limit the density of the building to 105 units, among other conditions.

In fact, Planning Board Chair Jerome Squatrito was quoted in the Bristol Phoenix (March 24) saying “I’d go along with 98 to 100 units” and, speaking of reducing the density to 105 units, Board Member Armand Bilotti noted, “We’ve given them the direction that we think is appropriate.”

Thus, Friends of Historic Bristol is concerned that these conditions were ignored in a 4/4/2022 communication from the Bristol Department of Community Development to planning board members. The BDCD director stated: “my recommendation is to approve the Master Plan as revised” by the developer Brady Sullivan, LLC, which now is bringing forward a plan of 127 units – which is 22 units over the maximum the Planning Board agreed to.

Friends fully recognizes the urgent need for affordable housing in the Town of Bristol. We also recognize that our local zoning laws have unequivocal density requirements that specify minimal square footage per dwelling unit, which was calculated in 2008 to allow 78 units maximum[1]. The increase from 78 to 98 units that were approved in 2008 already includes a 20% bonus number of units for affordable housing and the law does not allow for another bonus increase[2]. We also recognize that the Comprehensive Plan stipulates that the BCDC must continue to work with the Robin Rug owner on the development of the 98 unit proposal, not on the new 127 unit proposal[3]. Bristol Code also prohibits payment in lieu. And, most significantly, they include a law that requires the Planning Board to abide by the laws of Bristol[4]. Friends expects the Planning Board to abide by the laws of Bristol.

We urge Bristolians to attend the Planning Board meeting on Thursday, April 14 at 7:00pm at 10 Court St., as the public comment phase of the meeting is being reopened and we should all ask that our Planning Board members remain resolute about limiting the building’s density and ensure that an appropriate number of built affordable housing units is included in the final plan.

CITATIONS

[1] Bristol, RI Code of Ordinances, Article IX Land Development Projects & Special Zones, Land development projects—Urban rehab land development project Sec. 28-284:
(d) Density. The density for a urban rehab land development project shall be as follows:
(1) Residential density... Residential density for projects with an underlying "W" zone shall be based on the requirements of dimensional table C in this chapter. Other factors to be considered in determining density will be the ability of infrastructure, town services and the environment to accommodate such density. Even in a predominantly residential development, the developer will be required to use at least 25 percent of the site for commercial, institutional, and/or public use.
(2) Residential density for historical buildings greater than 100,000 square feet in the W zone. Contributing buildings on the National Historical Register located in the W zone that are in excess of 100,000 square feet of gross floor area shall have a minimum GFA/DU (gross floor area per dwelling unit) of 2,250 square feet per dwelling unit. In such buildings, in lieu of required retail and restaurant uses on the first floor within 50 feet of the front lot line (see footnote to section 28-82 table A in the W zone), the planning board may allow the provision of otherwise allowed nonresidential uses in alternate locations within the building. The planning board may also reduce the gross floor area of such required
nonresidential uses by up to 20 percent.

[2] Bristol, RI Code of Ordinances, Article IX Land Development Projects & Special Zones, Inclusionary Zoning Sec. 28-370:

(d) Incentives

(1) Reduction in minimum lot area. All projects subject to this article shall be entitled to a density bonus allowing for reduction in the minimum lot area per dwelling unit in the development based upon the underlying zoning. The density bonus shall be 20 percent.

[3] Comprehensive Plan, ED-C-3, p. 205:

Continue to work with the owner of the Robin Rug property to encourage and facilitate the completion of the development proposal that is currently pending [the 98 units - not a new 127 units] for a mixed use development – residential and commercial.

[4] Bristol, RI Code of Ordinances, Article IX Land Development Projects & Special Zones, Compliance with chapter Sec. 28-6:

b) Dimensional conformance...Nor shall the number of dwelling units or occupancy thereon be increased in any manner except in conformance with the dimensional requirements of this chapter.