[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6112461,"mediaKeyId","2747667-b4f1552336d82e3d5c24aefc297c02a7","parentId",2747667,"title","Planning board grants preliminary approval for Borden Farm Estates comprehensive permit with conditions","audioSeconds",1530,"startMs",4380000,"endMs",5910000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2747667-b4f1552336d82e3d5c24aefc297c02a7&start=4380&end=5910","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2747667-b4f1552336d82e3d5c24aefc297c02a7/thumbnail_4380000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6112461/Rhode-Island/Planning-board-grants-preliminary-approval-for-Borden-Farm-Estates-comprehensive-permit-with-conditions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6112461-faadbd700e1468298eb7e1b11543808b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770962624&Signature=ev2EAti23NTEY2rTLNiNBsoHXe37YW2H5mmH6~j9BoaoB2440M5rOi3HH6KlNdPpSoYt8SrbgL4r97mVZT7XFiUtJqasuSwrskAv9uT6~5LmapoxvXJGqxuKsGzHOsBv8Evh2UvxQ8E14t~vELB8ayzmt9hiOVy7paTWp2YF4LmKObCjOKDarzlNwE4wFo9HPirU6vrAXKfW~Fs7OuY1ZRk1~0bPWaapZWT6KuTsUWhro1mKnWeA3bviAqTnWTNMNf0TNfqZvAT5gLIodL-pT7xEvSWlJG1zAKW7Iijv8hXoSdXmOCg4S~3KSzLHcyeG9yoj1OvUdyn8HVP8RVn5eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Portsmouth, RI","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Portsmouth Planning Board granted preliminary plan approval for a comprehensive-permit major land development, Borden Farm Estates, proposing 20 residential units on approximately 2.84 acres along East Main Road. The applicant, Borden Farm Estates LLC, proposed 15 market-rate units and five units designated as affordable under state low- and moderate-income (LMI) rules (25% of the total), and sought adjustments to multiple zoning and site standards.

The board heard testimony from a multi-disciplinary team: attorney Michael Monti (applicant counsel), developer Garrett DeCastro (owner/developer), Professor Ronald Onorado (architectural historian), Karen Beck (site engineer, Principi Company), James Houle (land-use/appraisal expert), traffic reviewer Beth Lavoie, and architect Brian Schull. The project preserves the main house and the barn on the site, renovates the barn to house four two-bedroom units, and adds four new townhome buildings (each with four two-bedroom units) behind the historic frontage. One affordable unit will be included in each of the four new townhomes and one in the barn, for a total of five LMI units spread throughout the development.

Adjustments requested and granted: the applicant asked for relief including the south side setback (existing 21 feet where 25 feet is the ordinance standard), a rear setback of 20 feet where 30 feet is required for the proposed townhomes, density interpretation tied to the LMI density bonus, and phased stormwater/septic sequencing rather than installing all retention before constructing any building. The board treated these as permissible adjustments under the comprehensive-permit statute and granted the relief after hearing site design testimony.

Technical and environmental review: engineer Karen Beck described site grading, retention and treatment systems. The proposal uses bottomless sand filters for wastewater for the existing house, the barn, and the new building groups; those OWTS applications have been submitted to DEM/OWTS; the stormwater (RIPDES) permit was reported as submitted and the applicant said the stormwater permit has been received. Beck explained staged site work and said roof areas will be directed to shallow underground infiltration systems while pavement will be treated in a small above-ground infiltration basin at the rear of the lot. She noted the unusually steep change in elevation between East Main Road and the rear of the property and said the new buildings were sited to preserve the East Main Road frontage view of the historic house and barn.

Historic preservation: Professor Ronald Onorado, an architectural historian and former URI faculty member, reviewed the National Register nomination and told the board that although the property has lost much of its original agricultural acreage and therefore some aspects of its historic integrity, the principal historic resources — the mid-19th-century main house, the English-style barn and features such as stone walls and ramp — remain. He concluded the proposal preserves the most important historic elements from the road view and that adaptive reuse of the barn will preserve its character.

Public comment: abutters raised concerns chiefly about density and interior screening. A nearby resident, Marissa Bassett, asked the board to consider whether the prior zoning variance for the adjacent commercial lot should have discouraged further subdivision/development; the applicant explained the proposal is structured as condominium units on merged lots and does not further subdivide record lots. Another abutter asked that the fence and screening be installed before construction begins; developer Garrett DeCastro and his team confirmed they will provide a six-foot fence and a row of evergreen arborvitae screening along the eastern property line and said they would install the fence prior to construction.

Conditions attached by the board: the board made approval conditional on a set of applicant commitments and administrative items, including (summary): 1) installation of a six-foot privacy fence on the eastern property line prior to construction; 2) consolidation/merger of the two subject lots prior to final plan approval; 3) condominium documents that ban short-term rentals (defined as under 30 days) and that require replacement of any dead or dying screening trees; 4) a construction/noise restriction (no construction or maintenance noise before 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. on weekends); 5) submittal to and review by the town’s design review board before final building permit issuance; and 6) standard permitting dependencies (final OWTS permit from DEM, DOT physical alteration permitting and any state historic review tied to the DOT permit).

Action: Member Mr. Tibbets moved and Mr. Harding seconded a motion to grant preliminary plan approval, finding that the project meets the statutory standards for a comprehensive permit (consistency with local needs for affordable housing, integration and comparability of affordable units, no significant negative health and safety impacts, and preservation of historic features to the extent practical). The motion carried.

What happens next: The applicant will pursue required state and local permits (final OWTS approval, DOT physical alteration permit including state historic review inputs, design-review board signoff) and administrative final-plan approval per town procedures. The board’s conditions will be referenced in final plans and condominium documents.

Ending note: The board and applicant described the proposal as a compact infill project intended to preserve the East Main Road streetscape while adding LMI units to help address Portsmouth’s shortfall of affordable housing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Portsmouth Planning Board - 3/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","The board granted preliminary plan approval for Borden Farm Estates, a 20-unit development with five affordable units on roughly 2.84 acres, approving requested adjustments and attaching conditions on screening, condominium rules and construction timing.","taxTitle","Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island","taxId",79583,"location","Rhode Island","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6112465,"Planning board approves Steel Giraffe garage at 31 Russo Road with variances and conditions",2173,827000,3000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2747667-b4f1552336d82e3d5c24aefc297c02a7&start=827&end=3000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2747667-b4f1552336d82e3d5c24aefc297c02a7/thumbnail_827000.jpg","/articles/6112465/Rhode-Island/Planning-board-approves-Steel-Giraffe-garage-at-31-Russo-Road-with-variances-and-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6112465-8b87d792e3bbcbc5dbf1a222db17150b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770962624&Signature=GQjUaUzUqNHj-xjA6GhD7TtuGaS~BSmTzgy6k~XsOI-B~rTWXmU3IZ5tsOd-NuMpX6uqNURZJ2fNco4vBo33RufIt2LczK~vYzzhPqI9foA6n7-QIUsi4wloqHDOErLbiIuDfSXdzdoPMpaN5wuvvJw8H-VxQBiA-ezH-cP9IktA-6~x9l5oVVrt-bWs3Z25VUQkhoCRcWAJLse5kUZxugFalaU-oqbK8GmdIMqmq8d80GlblZRFuPWiRD513Z54n7tonZgpigTQL-KgsoAMth-sLg7YmYANfoHRzBp8123Q2B-i8xu-K5ZRPamaKSwDzmW8vGQP12QmUGGZ-IH3TA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portsmouth Planning Board approved a preliminary development plan and granted variance relief to Steel Giraffe LLC for a 36-by-50-foot detached garage at 31 Russo Road in the town’s C (commercial) zone.

The applicant sought three forms of relief from Chapter 405 (zoning) after town staff determined the project qualified as a minor land development under the unified development review process: a side-yard setback of 1 foot 1 inch (where 15 feet is required), a rear setback of 14.2 feet (where 20 feet is required), and increased lot coverage of 33.8 percent (25 percent allowed). The board granted all three variances and approved the development plan with conditions.

Attorney Michael Chappelle represented the applicant; property owner Stephen Kelly testified in support. Chappelle said the garage will occupy space currently used for outside storage and shipping containers and that the structure will match previously approved materials and architecture. \"This garage is to replace those containers. So those containers will be gone,\" Chappelle said. Owner Stephen Kelly told the board, \"We won't have anything back there,\" when asked whether storage would be removed behind the new building.

Board members heard that the Technical Review Committee (TRC) — including fire, police and public works representatives — had reviewed the project and raised no unresolved objections. The applicant confirmed there will be no plumbing or water service in the new garage; it will function as a commercial storage/working garage rather than a residence.

Neighbors asked whether existing shipping containers on paved and unpaved areas were counted in lot coverage calculations. The applicant said the containers on pavement were not separately counted for this calculation and that the project would remove the containers that currently occupy the footprint of the proposed building. A neighbor asked the board to include a requirement that any other containers on the property be removed; the board’s motion included a condition prohibiting storage behind the new building and requiring demolition of the pavement behind the building as described by the applicant.

Action: The board voted to grant relief from Chapter 405 article 4, section b (land space requirements table) to allow: side-yard setback 1 foot 1 inch (13 foot 11 inch variance from 15 feet); rear setback 14.2 feet (5 foot 10 inch variance from 20 feet); and lot coverage 33.8% (8.8% variance). The motion included conditions that addressed rear storage removal and related paving demolition. The development plan approval was also granted, subject to design-review board review and TRC conditions.

What happens next: The applicant will pursue any necessary design review approvals and building permits. The planning board’s approvals included conditions intended to limit impacts to nearby residential property and to remove the outdoor storage items currently on the site.

Ending note: The board’s decision preserved the site’s existing paved footprint for redevelopment while adding conditions to reduce impacts to nearby residents and to limit future outdoor storage.","The board approved a minor land development and granted three variances to Steel Giraffe LLC for a 36x50 detached garage at 31 Russo Road, with conditions including removal of outdoor storage containers and a ban on storage behind the new building.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6112467,"Portsmouth planning board backs updated subdivision, land-development checklists to align with state law",576,164000,740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2747667-b4f1552336d82e3d5c24aefc297c02a7&start=164&end=740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2747667-b4f1552336d82e3d5c24aefc297c02a7/thumbnail_164000.jpg","/articles/6112467/Rhode-Island/Portsmouth-planning-board-backs-updated-subdivision-land-development-checklists-to-align-with-state-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6112467-b1ca6771a1999e8d577ed1939f4f0385/orig.mp4?Expires=1770962624&Signature=AEFEAY-j09kchshL72hjldNv6fxKaD3XxEpzl6arNFkLXHwBfvn-3bCb38WX7M~NDLe4NhZ-5NFMCDzy4s0WWcFpAJjLzIgz8XjjDERor8xnCRIHePSSvKlQebIxU~IxScPMWoIuJAl2rGsJm8jRYI1ay1nVtTaO2pZkU4ktByl70NgGibdBm-pgROS~6wI8lddgMiQX2Wdb1fD-cjXuxYUIelGK0DusrKhTklvugGTHaPRSkPTznZZea2jFtgcTcI-exQgYRt1kn3W2dWh6RcI4-Io0BIIiv9jSJJETdDjW5cZC6p4V7GfutCsspacOSbLtQeDzcNBH6~0bOhOpKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Portsmouth’s Planning Board voted to give a favorable advisory recommendation to the Town Council for a package of amendments that replace several existing application checklists with three consolidated checklists intended to align local forms with recent state law changes.

The board’s action covers reorganizing attachments 1–27 of the subdivision and land-development regulations, eliminating several old attachments (6, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14), and adding three new checklists: a minor subdivision/minor land development checklist, a major subdivision/major land development checklist, and a development plan review checklist.

Why it matters: board members and staff said the change will streamline intake for applicants and ensure the town’s forms and procedures match statutory language recently amended at the state level. Planning staff said the consolidated checklists will let applicants mark the level of review they seek (pre-application, preliminary plan, final plan) and will replace long-standing, piecemeal attachment checklists in the regulations.

Planning Department staffer Miss Hitchin and consultant Jim Reardon of Weston & Sampson briefed the board. Reardon said the updates are part of a larger multi-tier rewrite; staff characterized this package as Tier 2 work, with a fuller rewrite (Tier 3) to follow. \"If these changes are not made at the local level to respond to the state law, then the state law will override local regulations and ordinances without any local action,\" Reardon told the board.

Board members asked whether anything in the checklist updates was controversial. Miss Hitchin replied, \"There's nothing controversial. A lot of this is just marrying up with what our new language says in the land development ordinance.\" No members of the public spoke on the item during the hearing.

Action: Member Mr. Tibbets moved to recommend approval to the Town Council; Mr. Harding seconded. The board voted in favor; the motion carried.

What happens next: Planning staff said the recommendation will go to the Town Council on March 24 for public hearing and possible adoption. The board and consultants said Tier 3 — a longer rewrite of the full zoning and subdivision code — will follow after Tier 2 adoption.

Ending note: Staff emphasized the changes are primarily administrative and intended to avoid a state-level override by updating local checklists and cross references to match statutory language.","The planning board voted to recommend that the town council adopt revised subdivision and land-development checklists and related attachment reorganizations to bring local forms and processes into compliance with state legislative changes introduced since 2023.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning board grants preliminary approval for Borden Farm Estates comprehensive permit with conditions

Planning board approves Steel Giraffe garage at 31 Russo Road with variances and conditions

Portsmouth planning board backs updated subdivision, land-development checklists to align with state law