Part of housing package, Chairman Casey bill would
promote updated municipal comprehensive plans

 

STATE HOUSE —As part of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s 14-bill package of legislation to address Rhode Island’s housing crisis, Chairman Stephen M. Casey is sponsoring a bill that would encourage municipalities to update their comprehensive plans.

“This might sound complicated, but it’s really all about cutting red tape so we can build the housing we need without compromising the character of our neighborhoods,” said Representative Casey (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket).

Municipalities around the state create comprehensive plans that outline future development goals. By law, proposed zoning changes must align with the comprehensive plan. But as populations grow and shift, zoning and development needs can change. If the comprehensive plan is outdated, that restricts growth that would be beneficial for the town and its housing stock.

The bill (2023-H 6085) would require municipalities to update their comprehensive plan every five years. Any comprehensive plan over 12 years old could not be used as justification to deny zoning changes. Zoning maps would have to come into compliance with the comprehensive plans within 12 months of the plan being adopted.

As Chairman of the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing, Representative Casey will play a key role this year in the House’s efforts to tackle housing costs. Nine of the 14 bills that Speaker Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick), Representative Casey and others are proposing to bring down housing costs will be heard in that committee.

“This bill gives cities and towns the power to plan future development, but it doesn’t let decisions from over a decade ago stop necessary growth,” Chairman Casey said. “It’s just part of a full package that will tackle housing costs. I look forward to working with my colleagues on all of the bills before our committee to make housing more affordable and accessible for people of every income level.”

 

Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is on lockdown after reports of an armed person near base housing. The base posted on its Facebook to stay away from base housing as they search for someone who made be armed with AR-15 style rifle. The base is home to Air Force One. There are no reports of shots fired.       Activist are calling for stricter gun laws at Tennessee's State Capitol. After this week's mass shooting at Nashville's Covenant School, hundreds of parents are joining community groups to urge legislators to act. Their goal is to protest before Tennessee's House Floor session for common sense gun laws..       The Pentagon is extending its condolences after nine American soldiers died in a helicopter crash in Kentucky. Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said two Blackhawk helicopters were going through planned training flight operations when the incident occurred. An aircraft safety team will begin an investigation on the matter later today.        Wall Street is closing with stocks higher for the second straight day. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 141 points to 32-859. The S&P 500 climbed up by 23 points to 40-50. The Nasdaq gained 87 points to 12-013.       FBI documents say the alleged gunman in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting was motivated by his anger at casinos. A man opened fire at a Country Music Festival killing 60 people on October 1st, 2017, the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. The shooter lost 38-thousand dollars at a casino during a stay weeks before the incident.       A North Carolina bill proposes to ban youth sport participation trophies. The legislation introduced in state Senate would add a section to North Carolina's General Statutes that would prohibit kids' recreation activities from giving out trophies to children solely for participating. Instead, any awards must be based on "performance achievements."