Town Wide Meeting of the Minds….

What an exciting few weeks it has been for our town and the people who have stood up against a Goliath and won!!! Quotes have been flying in the newspaper’s, and blogs that this is : “Democracy at it’s finest” I don’t believe that we are agitators, we simply took a stand.

The other exciting news is that the town is hosting a Charette. There will be a dozen round tables, where people can have intimate discussions and decide what they’re willing to live with as far as retail development in our lovely town. We all need to be at this Charette and have our views and concerns heard. PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!!! THURSDAY, AUGUST 23rd, 7:00pm at the Senior Center on Bristol Ferry Road in Portsmouth. They can hold up to 200 people.

Preserve Portsmouth is hosting an event at Green Valley Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 13th at 6:30 p.m.
Stacy Mitchell from www.newrules.org, and the Institute for Local Self Reliance will be coming to Portsmouth and presenting her studies in regards to retail development in America. Check out her website or go and purchase her books Hometown Advantage, Big Box Swindle, and get better informed before the Charette meeting!!!!

To enjoy the natural beauty of our island we are encouraging folks to take their NO signs down. Store them in your garages and hopefully when the planning and zoning is amended in January we can then throw them away!!

It’s Official – No Target at Corner of Union and West Main!

Dear Friends of Preserve Portsmouth,

It is official!! TARGET has withdrawn their special use permit and will not be building a BIG-BOX store on the corner of West Main and Union Street after all!!

KUDOS to EVERYONE who has supported and guided us in the effort to educate the community!!! It really is true that “people can make a difference” when the right positive energy is combined.

Please make sure that we as a community continue to have a say in how our town should develop in the future. Don’t forget to attend the moratorium meeting August 1st, at 7:00pm at the Portsmouth Middle School. It is vital to show the Town Council that we still care deeply about other projects that are bound to come Portsmouth’s way and we NEED TO BE PREPARED as a community.

Thank you all!!
Preserve Portsmouth

Thank you for supporting the “Old Fashioned Family Picnic.”

A huge thank you to all the folks that helped contribute to our “Old Fashioned Family Picnic.”
Preserve Portsmouth asks that you remember to patronize these wonderful local businesses…

Newport Restoration Foundation
Jim Garmin, Historian
Little Pony Express
Simmons Farm
Gadzooks Gazania by Chase Farms Inc.
U.G. Masons HVAC
Frajeelai Jewelry
Laura Goldstein Knits
Lark Rodrigues Pottery
Rene & Sons Carpet & Flooring
Maison de Coco Pastries
Equine Connection
Dr. Ron Marsh, Chiropractor
Custom House Coffee
Beach House by Watercolours
Ma Goetzingers
Kimberly Nunes, Esthetician at Sydney’s Salon
Tie One On NYGreen Valley
Persimmon Restaurant
2nd Story Theater
Striper Moon
Chatelaine
Bay Queen & Newport Cruise Company
DeWolf Tavern
Pow Science
Castle Hill Inn
Newport Vineyards
Billy Black Photography
Newport Jazz Festival
Preservation Society of Newport County
Maplewood Farm
Island Garden Center
Sweet Berry Farm
Armor & Martel
Claytime
Island Books
Rhythym+Pink
Escobar’s Highland Farm
West Main Pizza
Flo’s
Anna D’s
Green Grocer
The Valley Inn
Shannon Buss, Realtor
Jennifer Balch of 2 Gals Photography
Newport Playhouse

Take Action! Tell Target the Poison Plastic Is Out of Style

Dear Target Shareholder or Customer:

Target sells many products made out of or packaged in polyvinyl chloride (PVC), known as the poison plastic. PVC is the most hazardous plastic to our health and environment, releasing toxic chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. Target’s sale of PVC products and packaging poses major hazards to our health and environment, and avoidable legal, financial, and reputational risks to the company.

This is surprising and disappointing given Target’s sustainability initiatives. Phasing out PVC is fully in line with Target’s environmental programs, particularly its green purchasing initiative, commitment to recycling and the “social, economic and environmental health of the communities we serve,” and its efforts to identify “packaging options with fewer environmental impacts and greater recycling potential.”

Why does this report focus on Target? Why not another major retailer like Wal-Mart? Unfortunately Target is way behind Wal-Mart and other companies in phasing out this unnecessary toxic plastic. Wal-Mart has publicly committed to phasing out private label PVC packaging and children’s lunchboxes and is beginning to reduce PVC use in building materials. Other leading retailers and manufacturers are also working to phase out PVC including Costco, Ikea, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Nike, SC Johnson, and other major companies. Safer, cost-effective alternatives are available. Target has an opportunity to demonstrate it is not an industry laggard, but instead is a leader in selling safe and healthy products.

Target was contacted over one year ago about this issue, when a coalition of over sixty health and environmental groups sent a letter expressing our deep concern about this issue. Target responded publicly and stated that they are “exploring alternatives to PVC.” Over seven months later, we have not seen any plan to evaluate alternatives. During this same time period, over 40,000 Target customers and parents have signed petitions, sent letters, faxes, and made phone calls to Target urging them to phase out PVC.

This report analyzes Target’s sale of products containing PVC by focusing on three key areas: baby / children’s products and toys, shower curtains, and packaging. These three areas were selected because Target sells many of these products that are made out of PVC. Target customers may be exposed to highly toxic chemicals from using these products in their homes.

We hope you find the information in this report illuminating. We hope Target’s shareholders and customers will urge the company to adopt a responsible environmental practice and commit to phasing out PVC in products and packaging.

Sincerely,
Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive Director
Center for Health, Environment and Justice
May, 2007

See More Information Here

Sign the Petition Here

Lawn Signs Available AND August 1 meeting scheduled

The lawn signs are in!! Please feel free to pick up a sign (one per household) preferably, for maximum visibility throughout the island!! Available at the 4-H Fair on July 14, at Glen Park and the Old Fashioned Picnic on July 22nd  at Glen Park, or call Conni at 847-5653 or Christine at 847-9236 to arrange a pick up.

We are accepting a $5.00 donation or more per sign if possible.

Please be very careful to place them “ON” your own property, 10 feet in from the edge of the road. Please also be aware that signs are being taken from all over town, be on the lookout!

**SAVE THE DATE**
August 1st at 7:00pm, a public hearing on the development moratorium will be held at the Portsmouth Middle School. Please be present at this next meeting when the Town Council will fine tune their building moratorium specifications for the planning and zoning boards to approve.

Old Fashioned Country Picnic July 22

Come to our Old Fashion Country Picnic on July 22, 2007 from 12pm to 4pm at Glen Park in Portsmouth.
Food * Beverages * Popcorn * Hay Rides
Pony Rides * Face Painting * Kids Games
Pottery Lessons * Raffle * Auction
Tickets are $10 each or $25 per family. We look forward to seeing you there.
Please see this Old Fashioned Country Picnic poster for more information

More Lawn Signs coming soon!

Right now we are all out of Lawn Signs. As soon as we get more in we will let everyone know. There have been quite a few of them taken off people’s lawns, and not along the side of the road, either!

Once they come in we will announce it and you can call for delivery or you can pick up 884 Union St. (Just take them from the driveway and pass them on to friends and neighbors.) They are FREE.

Please remember that the signs need to be placed on private property. You need to have them 10 feet in from the edge of the road. If you know where your property line sits, you can place them on the edge of your property.

If they are on public property (in front of the stone wall running along Union St. and many other streets), or in front of telephone poles, the town building inspector has the right to remove them!!

Town Council meeting changed to June 11, 7pm at Portsmouth Town Hall

Dear Friends of Preserve Portsmouth,
In case your neighbors and friends haven’t had a chance to call or write the Portsmouth Town Council members, they can copy and paste this letter written by one of our members, and sign it themselves with their contact information. The Town Council members’ contact information is immediately below the letter.

A representative from Preserve Portsmouth will be speaking before the Portsmouth Town Council on June 11th, 7:00 pm at Portsmouth Town Hall , regarding the issues in the letter written by George Nichols. Anyone is invited to join us that evening.

————————
To The Honorable Members of The Portsmouth Town Council,

We as citizens of the Town of Portsmouth, RI have recently become aware that a large retail chain store, Target, is interested in build a very large retail center on the corner of West Main Road and Union Street. As you are likely aware, this is becoming a highly charged issue requiring public meeting on the subject being moved from the Town Hall chambers to the Middle School. It is clear to parties on both sides of this issue that this is a waterfall event in the history that will forever alter the character of the Town. Based on the importance and irreversibility of that realization, we strongly feel that the Town should not enter into such development without measured and deliberate consideration and forethought of action.

It is therefore requested that the Town issue a temporary moratorium deferring the approval of commercial development in excess of 38,000 square feet for a period of one year in order to study and better understand the benefits and impacts of developments of this size on the Town. It is clear such developments of this size are new and uncharted waters for the Town. During the period of study, the Town and all concerned parties, citizens, developers and commercial business interests should be invited to present, discuss and evaluate the appropriateness and adequacies of the Town regulations to effectively balance the competing interest of historical nature of the Town and the needs to increase commercial tax base. A review of the preliminary Target proposal, the existing Town and State development, zoning and building plans, regulations and policies should be evaluated and potentially updated to guide and clarify how the town should manage large scale commercial growth in the future.

In closing, such a commercial development is a big step for the Town and a period of time to study this is a reasonable request to help assure that when we enter into commercial development it is well thought out and implemented in a sustainable manner that is acceptably compatible with the existing (or an acceptable future) Town character.

We thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

George Nichols

———————————-

Dennis M. Canario, President
64 Birchwood Drive (401) 683-4926
e-mail: dcanario@portsmouthri.com

James A. Seveney, Vice-President
75 Macomber Lane (401) 683-3046
e-mail: jseveney@portsmouthri.com or seveney@cox.net

Karen Gleason
63 Massasoit Avenue (401) 683-9653
e-mail: kgleason@portsmouthri.com

Leonard B. Katzman
162 Spring Hill Road (401) 683-5000
e-mail: lkatzman@portsmouthri.com

Hubert “Huck” E. Little
442 Union Street (401) 846-3232
e-mail: hlittle@portsmouthri.com

Peter J. McIntyre
24 Maize Corn Road (401) 683-0210
e-mail: pmcintyre@portsmouthri.com

William E. West
205 Redwood Road (401) 847-7857
e-mail: wwest@portsmouthri.com or ww2051@cox.net

Two Accidents Within 6 Days at Same Corner of Union and West Main…

On May 5th, a beautiful sunny Sunday at 2:00 in the afternoon we were headed to a play date over in the Redwood Farm neighborhood. Low and behold there had just been an accident at the corner of West Main Rd. and Union St.

One car’s front left quarter had been pretty smashed in, and was being towed away. Needless to say both drivers seemed pretty shooken up. Six days later, May 12 there was another accident at the very same corner, another beautiful day at approximately 11:00 am. One car was completely totaled and the fire engine and rescue wagon were on site.

That light is known for being “run-through” as it is turning red.

Christine Jenkins

Target: Don’t repeat Middletown mess

Letter to the editor that also appeared in the May 3rd issue of the Sakonnet Times:

Target: Don’t repeat Middletown mess

To the editor:

I was beyond dismayed to learn about Target’s massive store proposal for Portsmouth. The plan is to build a 500-foot long store of more than 136,000 square feet on 16 acres at Union Street and West Main Road.

Not only is any big box bad for the Island — or any community (see the anti-sprawl manifesto on Middletown First’s website: http://www.middletownfirst.org), but this specific location will have numerous adverse environmental, traffic, safety, economic and aesthetic impacts.

Union Street is one of the most historic and beautiful streets on the island. The site borders the Lawton Valley Reservoir, a drinking water source. Losing 16 acres of wooded land will displace even more “troublesome” coyotes.

Quotes by Portsmouth Town Administrator Robert Driscoll, “I’m not thrilled by it … but it’s probably something that’s inevitable,” and Town Planner Robert Gilstein, “It’s big, but I guess we kind of knew something was going to come someday and this is as good a spot as any,” were discouraging.

We expect our town officials to protect us from unwise development, not be resigned to it. Proactive measures are needed to protect our quality of life for generations to come. A building size cap should be implemented immediately into Portsmouth’s Zoning Code. A cap size of 30,000 sq. ft (approx. size of Clements’) is a good start. Small scale, village-style commercial development should be encouraged.

The usual pie-in-the-sky promises are being made by the developer and his attorney, Bob Silva, yet no attempts have been made to comply with Portsmouth’s Design Review guidelines to date. Previous buildings under the well written, but still only advisory Design Review, include the tradesman complex eyesore on West Main near Melville. Design Review is not regulatory and Target HQ will try to get away with as much as possible

Portsmouth needs only to glance at Middletown’s failed commercial district to learn what not to do. A quick study of the written conditions in the Middletown Square strip mall decision will reveal hollow promises, i.e.: a “state of the art” detention/retention system that is not maintained, a “landscaping” plan that features a few measly one-foot caliper trees interspersed between median dividers filled with gravel and trash, a building and parking lot that was supposed to be “hidden” from the road by the stone wall out front (it is not), a tax boon to residents, etc., etc. In fact, taxes have increased since its completion. As has street flooding. Not to mention, smaller, locally owned stores have suffered. National retail chains’ profits get sent back to corporate headquarters in another city, far away.

The Target site will spread like a cancer up and down Portsmouth’s west side which soon will have the same traffic and safety nightmares as our own West Main Road. We cannot let short-sighted greed and the obsession for instant access to crap consumables destroy this beautiful town. Please join the newly formed, smart growth grassroots organization “Preserve Portsmouth.” Sadly, the last thing Aquidneck Island needs is another Middletown.

Gail Greenwood
Middletown