Tiverton wants traffic study before Seasons Market plan vote | EastBayRI.com
By Ruth Rasmussen
Approximately two dozen speakers pleaded with the Tiverton Preparing Board Tuesday evening to reject a proposal by a Cranston-based mostly business that needs to create a Seasons Corner Current market, a 24-hour ease retail outlet, gas station, and push-through coffee store, on the corner of Souza and Primary streets in the northern aspect of city.
About 100 folks gathered at the commence of the a few-hour assembly, which was held at Tiverton High College somewhat than City Hall owing to the community’s sturdy interest in the controversial proposal. In the close, board associates resolved to delay any decision on the proposal till a second targeted traffic research is full.
Some of the opponents who spoke in advance of the board seemed in close proximity to tears, when other folks were being evidently indignant, as they voiced concerns about the potential for greater visitors congestion and criminal offense, problems to the atmosphere, the negative consequences of visible and noise pollution in an place surrounded by household dwellings, and the chance of diminished residence values must the task shift forward.
Speakers questioned the requirement of creating another fuel station in a community exactly where 3 by now exist. Various stated they had been distressed at the prospect of even further disruption to Tiverton’s rural character with a job that, they said, did not align with the town’s Comprehensive Prepare and was slated for an region exactly where a few other significant business developments are currently underneath consideration by the city.
Many others spoke in disparaging terms of what they perceived as unreliable facts presented by Seasons’ parent company, Colbea Enterprises, LLC, as part of their application package. Critics mentioned a targeted visitors study, for case in point, was not trustworthy considering the fact that it was performed in March 2021 – when many had been however operating remotely due to the pandemic and when the consequences of summer seasonal site visitors had been not viewed as.
The arranging board voted unanimously to set up for an independent targeted traffic examine that, according to Chairman Stu Hardy, would be “objective and comprehensive.” The research, approximated by Hardy to price $10,000 to $15,000, would be compensated for out of the software cost the city has beforehand acquired from the business.
The community hearing is continued to Tuesday, Sept. 13, at which time the general public will have one more option to weigh in.
Representatives of Colbea Enterprises LLC claimed they intend to tackle all of the speakers’ opinions at a later date.
