Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. is making it clear that he is adamantly opposed to a 250-plus unit apartment complex for low-income residents that is being proposed for George Waterman Road. And he will, he says, use his authority and all legal means to fight it.
“So let me be crystal clear: If you insist on moving forward with the currently proposed project, I will use all the power of government that I have to stop it,” Polisena wrote in a letter read into the record of the Dec. 3 Planning Board Meeting. He added that he will fight the project in court, if necessary, including a challenge to the “constitutionality of the low-to-moderate income housing law itself and seek an injunction to grind this project to a halt while the courts deliberate on the statute’s constitutionality.”
The project, which is being proposed by Waterman Chenango LLC of Johnston, would build a 255-apartment building on land at 178 and 200 George Waterman Road. According to a letter from Kelley Morris Salvatore, the Providence lawyer representing the project, it would consist entirely of rental units for low-income residents. She described the property as 31 acres, of which about 18 acres are “upland.” (In zoning matters, upland typically refers to land that is buildable – i.e. not wetlands or other environmentally sensitive type land.)
The project is still in the pre-application stage. Town Planner Thomas Deller said that, as an affordable housing development, it would be eligible for certain streamline processes and zoning relief as outlined in the State’s Low and Moderate Income Housing Act (LMIHA). Among other things, the law, enacted in 1991, allows qualifying projects to receive fast-track approval from local zoning boards and apply for “comprehensive permits” to bypass local zoning regulations and fees.
The law also requires all cities and towns in Rhode Island to make at least 10-percent of their total housing stock affordable housing. According to Deller, approximately 7.91 percent of all housing in Johnston is currently classified as affordable, making the town one of about a dozen in the state with the highest percentages.
According to HousingWorks RI, the City of Newport has the highest percentage of affordable housing at about 15.6 percent, while Little Compton has the lowest at 0.53 percent. In neighboring Cranston, about 5.3 percent of the housing stock is ranked as affordable.
In a public statement issued last week, Melina Lodge, Executive Director of the Housing Network of Rhode Island, urged Polisena and the town to recognize the need for and importance of the proposed affordable apartment complex.
“The Low and Moderate Income House Act…has long been a necessary tool to ensure municipalities contribute to solving our statewide housing crisis,” Lodge said. “Mayor Polisena’s threat to challenge the constitutionality of the LMIH Act is concerning and misaligned to actual housing needs of his constituents.”
“The broader debate here reflects a growing movement against dense housing developments in communities,” she wrote. “But affordable, multifamily housing is a solution that Rhode Islanders have already shown they want, as evidenced by their overwhelming support for the $120 million housing bond passed this November. We must debunk the myths around these projects and focus on the real, tangible benefits they bring. Johnston’s future depends on creating homes for all its residents, not just those who can afford expensive single-family homes.”
Since the George Waterman Avenue proposal is only in the pre-application stage, no action was required by the Planning Board on Dec. 3, and no action was taken, Deller said. The pre-application process, he said, is intended to start a dialogue between a developer, town officials and the community.
He said that about a dozen residents spoke out against the project at the meeting, citing concerns about the size of the development and the impact on schools, town resources and public infrastructure.
Polisena stated similar concerns in his letter. “This project is so destructive to the Town of Johnston that I can’t, in good conscience, stay silent,” he wrote, noting that he typically tries not to interfere with the work of the Planning Board. “Increased traffic, drainage problems, and a sudden influx of new students overwhelming our school system amounts to a trifecta of chaos,” he said.
According to Polisena, a proposal to build affordable single-family homes, rather than rental units, would be a better fit for the town.
Salvatore, who is with the law firm Darrow Everett, said that the project is not likely to formally submitted to the town until the spring. In the meantime, she said, the developer plans to reach out to Polisena and other town officials to discuss concerns and ideas. “My clients are fair and open-minded,” she said. “I hope that the Planning Board members keep an open mind and follow the law.”
“As you know, the state has a housing crisis,” Salvatore said. “And the state has seen fit to create laws to address that. This (project) is for people with incomes. This is for our sons and daughters, and our parents – people who are trying to get a leg up in (affording) a place to live.”
In his letter, Polisena said, “To be clear, no one expects this land to sit idle forever. We’re more than willing to support reasonable development, and single-family homes, which are much needed and sought after, remain an excellent option.
“If you pivot in that direction, I can assure you the town will roll out the red carpet to guide you through the planning process and see the project to completion,” he wrote. “The choice is yours. Bulldoze ahead with your current plan and be prepared to fight a town of 30,000 people in the process. Or, withdraw it and work with us to create something the town can and will support.”
In an interview, Polisena said that his opposition to the development should not be misconstrued as opposition to affordable housing. “This is not an affordable housing issue, it is really a density issue,” he said.
At time when house prices are sky high, it would be more beneficial to build affordable single-family homes, Polisena said. “But it is more profitable to build apartments and collect rent in perpetuity.
“This is really all about almighty dollar,” he said. “These people (the developer) are not the saviors of affordable housing.”
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