| South County Sustainable Economy Project |
| Washington County Regional Planning Council | |
| & | |
| Grow Smart Rhode Island |
| Project Context |
| Natural resource and open space context | ||
| Regional economy and trends | ||
| Local issues and priorities | ||
| Land use and zoning reviews | ||
| Meetings with local task forces, designated by Town Councils | ||
| Economic Development and Local Tax Base |
| Residential tax burdens are increasing | ||
| Population growth | ||
| Changing expectations and standards | ||
| Residential vs. nonresidential growth rates | ||
| Residential vs. nonresidential valuation changes | ||
| Towns want economic development to help pay for municipal services | ||
| Land Use Mix and Tax Burdens |
| How South County Is Growing |
| Both residential and nonresidential growth are faster in South County than in the State | |
| Residential growth is faster than nonresidential |
| Housing Growth |
| Seasonal Housing |
| Tax Base Shifts |
| Slide 9 |
| Slide 10 |
| The Regional Economy |
| Total economy is estimated at $5 billion | |
| More than 90% of total regional economy is concentrated in four towns (North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Narragansett, Westerly) | |
| Strong seasonal economy based on tourism and natural resources | |
| Health care and education are important sectors |
| Seasonal Economy |
| Compared to Rhode Island |
| High household incomes | ||
| Low unemployment rates | ||
| High employment growth rates | ||
| High retail sales per capita | ||
| 1980 1990 2000 | ||
| +9% +11% +16% | ||
| High growth in earnings | ||
| Small average firm size | ||
| Issues and Challenges |
| Preserving Regional Character | |||
| Town and Village Centers | |||
| Open Space | |||
| Natural Areas (Protected and Unprotected) | |||
| Farms | |||
| Infrastructure | |||
| Water and Sewer | |||
| Location of Development in Relation to the Environment | |||
| Open Space Resources, Regional Character, and Tourism | |||
| Regional Water Resources and Habitat Corridors | |||
| Affordable Housing Availability | |||
| Recommendations |
| Locations for Economic Development | |
| Types of Economic Development | |
| Regional Coordination and Leadership |
| Economic Development Locations |
| Town Centers and Villages | ||
| Highway Commercial Areas | ||
| I-95 Interchanges | ||
| Route 4 / Route 1 Interchanges | ||
| Commercial Strips | ||
| Office and Industrial Centers | ||
| University Campuses | ||
| South County Economic Centers |
| Natural Resources Priorities |
| Cultural Resources |
| Composite Resource Priorities |
| Charlestown |
| South Kingstown & Narragansett |
| Wakefield-Narragansett |
| Place-Oriented Development Policies |
| Encourage compact development in existing centers | ||
| Infrastructure investments to support compact development and walkability | ||
| Design standards and design review to protect investments and strengthen local character | ||
| Planning for new centers and for revitalization of existing centers | ||
| Link investments, rezoning and permitting of highway-oriented development to smart growth principles and context-sensitive design | ||
| Economic Opportunity Areas |
| Heritage and Nature-Based Tourism and Recreation | |
| University of Rhode Island | |
| Health Care | |
| Quonset Point / Davisville | |
| Support for Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries |
| Coordination and
Leadership: Planning & Advocacy |
| Regional Planning | ||
| Regional economic development planning | ||
| Cooperative planning with University | ||
| Regional transportation planning | ||
| Advocacy | ||
| Statewide property tax reform | ||
| Infrastructure funding | ||
| Coordination and
Leadership: Technical Assistance & Support |
| Coordinate local efforts to obtain funding for technical assistance and resources | ||
| Development of area plans | ||
| Updating of zoning regulations | ||
| Development of design controls and standards | ||
| Development and maintenance of GIS | ||
| Promote innovative regional land use and fiscal mechanisms | ||
| Transfer of Development Rights | ||
| Regional Tax Base Sharing | ||