I.                     CALL TO ORDER: Board Chair Michael Lester called the meeting to order at 6:08 PM

II.                   ROLL CALL (X for PRESENT, ABS for ABSENT)

MEMBERS PRESENT:                                                                           ALSO PRESENT:

III.                 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:          

Board Chair Michael Lester led participants in the Pledge of Allegiance

IV.                 APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

a.       May 25, 2022 Meeting

Board Member Hugo Figueroa is the only current Board member who was present at the May 25, 2022 meeting.  Mr. Figuroa acknowledged for the record that the Minutes of the May 25, 2022 meeting were correct and, no vote was taken.NOTE: The Board’s legal counsel later determined that this matter can be addressed by the current Board membership.  No further action was taken on this matter during this meeting but it will be readdressed at the next meeting.

b.       August 24, 2022 Meeting

c.        January 4, 2023 Meeting

V.                   NEW BUSINESS

a.       Presentation, Consideration and Possible Action regarding:

                                                i.      Application #PB-23-01: Request for MASTER PLAN REVIEW

The City of Central Falls, 580 Broad St., Central Falls, RI, owner, and applicant for 10 Higginson Ave, 756 Lonsdale Ave, and 770 Lonsdale Ave (Plat 9, Lots 50, 203, and 26, respectively), is seeking Master Plan Approval for a proposed Major Land Development to construct a new high school and athletic facilities.

The Board Chair read the description of the application as it appeared in the agenda (text above).

APPEARANCES (for the Applicant): Thom Deller, Director of Planning and Economic Development, City of Central Falls; Samuel Bradner, Principal, The Peregrine Group (Owner’s Project Manager); Kristen Kendall, Architect, Ai3 Architects; Steve D’Ambrosia, Landscape Architect, Traverse Landscape Architects; Gary Deblois, Engineer, VERTEX.

EXHIBITS:                                               Hard Copy of Presentation (Introduction, Project Background Site Plan, Proposed Building, Site Circulation, Parking, Utility Plan, Drainage Plan, Hardscape Plan, Planting Plan, Site Details

Following a presentation by the Applicant’s representatives, the Applicant’s representatives responded to questions from Board members.

COMMENTORS (Public Hearing):     David Brown, 23 Higginson Ave.: Concerns with flooding on Higginson Ave. resulting from drainage problems, concerns about parking, questioned whether this is best site for the new school; Deepak Wadhwa, 791 Lonsdale Ave.: Concern about potential for parking  for the school tooverflow into nearby streets and neighborhood; Richard Gates, 2 Crow Point RD.: Concerned about possible non-construction costs with project (Legal Counsel stated that  cost issues would be best addressed  by the City Council and others, not the Planning Board).

                                Mr. Vandermillen read the staff report and recommendation into the record, beginning with the “Required Steps” section.

SUBJECT OF VOTE: Approve or deny the Applicant’s request for Master Plan Approval of the Major Land Development to construct a new high school and ancillary facilities at 10 Higginson Avenue, and 756 & 770 Lonsdale Avenue (Plat 9, Lots 50, 203, and 26, respectively), subject to the Zoning Board granting needed relief from the Central Falls Zoning Ordinance.

                ACTION:                                APPROVED, 5-0

VI.                 ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

·         Board members Levesque and Lester each reported that they will not be able to attend the March 22 Board meeting

·         Mr. Vandermillen stated earlier in the meeting that two new Board members appointed by the City Council; responding to a question about their status he stated that he will confirm whether the new members will serve as alternates

·         Mr. Burkhardt referred to the Board Training session offered last week by Statewide Planning, particularly a discussion about the requirement for municipalities to update their Comprehensive Plans; Mr. Burkhardt offered to draft a letter to request funds, as there is no dedicated funding for these mandated plans

VII.                MEETING OF THE PLANNING BOARD OF REVIEW ADJOURNED AT 7:34 PM:

(2023.03.02,  Jim Vandermillen, Director, Department of Planning and Economic Development)