To the Editor
Last night the zoning board dealt a small but significant blow to our neighborhood and the vibrancy of our city.
Our blooming little neighborhood on upper Thames Street is an example of what all cities should want to cultivate. We are historic, with a mix of residential and small businesses, we have young families and older folk living side by side, and we are economically and culturally diverse. We live close together, we know each other and look after one another. We are a 15-minute neighborhood, meaning in 15 minutes you can walk to many daily amenities and services: to parks, grocery stores, restaurants, the post office, and the public library.
On the face of it, the zoning board’s 3 to 1 decision to approve a parking variance for a proposed guest house seems reasonable. The new owners of the property have made concessions, reduced the number of bedrooms they say they will rent, and given up on the large roof deck they wanted to build. But yet again, the vote to approve the variance is an uninspired example of tourism development at any cost. The board members who voted in favor suggested that the new owners have spent a substantial amount restoring the property, as though that entitles them. That the house is in the general business district, which allows such use by right, even though it may have a negative impact on our neighborhood. They brushed off the argument that the parking variance, if granted, would take street parking from residents who are already hard-pressed, and present safety concerns for children and the elderly on our narrow streets.
What is at stake with this decision and so many others before the zoning board is the historic character and livability of downtown Newport. Zoning variances chip away at the quality of life in our neighborhoods, putting them in danger of having more seasonal visitors than year-round residents. The city needs to revisit its zoning plan and put more teeth into its regulations and enforcement to favor livability over the appetites of developers and visitors. A vibrant city is one where people really live.
Hope Alexander
Upper Thames Street resident