Letter To The Editor: Wickford Junction Public Hearing

On Monday, the Town Council will hold its public hearing for the re-zoning of the Wickford Junction area to a mixed-use TOD (Transit Oriented Development) in an effort to increase density and revenue generated by the area while increasing draw to the struggling train station. Up to 30 residential units/acre could be built rather than the 1 unit/acre or 1 unit/2 acres in groundwater districts as well as increased commercial. The intent is to create a walkable/bikeable district based on mass transit and different from the automobile reliant commercial centers with mass parking.

As seen in the map, the proposed TOD includes Wickford Junction, everything between the railroad tracks and Rte. 4 along 102, Stop & Shop, Home Depot, and up Route 2 North all the way to Stony Lane. A good portion of this land sits directly over the Hunt River Aquifer and all of it is either Groundwater 1 or 2 protected. In order to allow increased density, the Planning Commission has suggested the developers of the TOD site would be allowed to purchase development rights from other groundwater protected land outside the development but within the same watershed. The owners of the offsite land would keep their property, but no longer be able to build on it. Unlike the original TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) program where developers purchased rights from land owners on sensitive groundwater protected land and are allowed to transfer these rights to add extra density on Post Road in the sewer district and protect our aquifer; the TOD developers would be allowed to add up to 50 percent more nitrates into the soils directly over the rim of the groundwater reserve. The current Wickford Junction treatment facility is behind Junction Trattoria & Bistro. 

All the crosshatched area is groundwater protected and adheres to strict wastewater standards of 5mg/L. While the average nitrate loading for the TOD development in combination with all the land they purchase TDR credits from will not exceed the 5mg/L, the concentration on the TOD site can be 7.5mg/L. I don’t feel we should allow any property to exceed this prescribed safe level of nitrates; but of all the places in North Kingstown to allow an increase, it definitely should not be directly over the edge of the reserve with the least amount of soils to filter out these nitrates. If the system fails at some point in time, the damage will be irreversible. I tried to amend the first read of the ordinance to not allow the TOD to be a TDR receiver site or allow any increase in nitrate levels. It failed with a 2-3 vote, Councilman Welch voting to amend as well. 

1988 EPA document states, “Although the quality of the area's ground water is rated as good to excellent, it is highly vulnerable to contamination due to the area's geological characteristics.” 

“Because of this, contaminants can be rapidly introduced into the aquifer system from a number of sources with minimal assimilation. This may include contamination from chemical spills, highway, urban and rural runoff, septic systems, leaking storage tanks, both above and underground, road salting operations, saltwater intrusion, and landfill leachate. Since all residents are dependent upon the aquifer for their drinking water, a serious contamination incident could pose a significant public health hazard and place a severe financial burden on the service area's residents.”

We currently draw from a very pure underground water reserve. While we treat some water service areas due to issues in the distribution system, I would hate to have to treat the entire system due to contamination of the underground reserve over what I feel is a short-sighted move. How can we hold other developments farther from our water source to stricter standards and not hold what is apt to be the densest development in NK sitting over our reserve to the same standards? This reserve is shared with East Greenwich as well. Run a sewer line over to Post Road in order to increase density, but I feel we need to preserve our primary resource.  I was told to expect “explosive growth” in this area, which is all the more reason to put infrastructure in place now. 

Please learn more about the TOD, TDRs, and overall size of the proposed district prior to the upcoming public hearing on Monday, Dec 9, and be heard on this proposed ordinance. 

Please take a minute and participate in a quick six-question survey I formulated to get a public read found here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W5GKNBX.  Thanks.

Kevin Maloney,
Town Council Member