Opinion/Letters: Zoning board decision is a blow to Upper Thames neighborhood

Watch Middletown school process closely

Middletown people are divided on a $190 million school construction bond. Residents and business owners could benefit by closely following politicians’ plans for spending $190M on a new school and insist on accountability.

Politicians won their $190M bond by 125 votes. It’s notable that people who voted at the polls on Nov. 7 rejected the bond (1,187 Rejected, 1,123 Approved) and people who voted early and by mail tipped the balance to approval. Middletown households and businesses face affordability issues with steep tax increases; this is misaligned with politicians’ push for affordable housing.

Local government paid a contractor about $1M for a concept for a new school, and the RI Department of Education is reviewing Middletown’s need for new and upgraded schools. Politicians do not have specifics for spending $190M but by February 2024 they might have a solution for the need in the form of a mix of new construction and upgrades. That solution will be reviewed by RIDE and they will decide if it's good. A new building is one of many solutions for defects in Middeltown’s public education.

Specific plans, analyses, project risk assessments, benefits and construction costs for this project are ill-defined or unknown. Today the town says it will build a middle/high school that is about 200,000 square feet. For 8 months the plan had been a 230,000 square foot building with undefined infrastructure upgrades and repairs.

Politicians will hand Middletown’s truculent school administration $190M for a new school and upgrades project. Widespread participation by the people to question and understand the detailed plans along with politicians’ thorough, timely, and thoughtful answers might assuage the risks, and patch the town’s division.

Paul Mankofsky, Middletown

Non-voters a problem in Middletown

I would like to thank the people of Middletown for proving me right once more. I was asked by a very nice lady, before the 2022 election, when she asked me what I thought was the biggest problem with Middletown. My response was, if she really wanted to know, all she had to do was to look in a mirror. Over 60% of the registered voters in the Nov. 7 election did not vote, or in a regular election, would have elected the same people that they do. It is unfortunate, that the relative few that voted for the school bond in Middletown, yea or nay, and it looks like the yeas prevailed with some 125 votes – that, speaks for all the others that didn’t exercise, what I believe, is their civic duty. And I wonder how many of the yeas informed themselves of the ramifications of this proposal. Many people died to give them that right, (to vote), and they were dishonored. When the elderly on fixed income, who made Middletown what it is today, will have to sell their homes because of the high taxes, as they say, the rooster has come home to roost. If all those who voted yea, want to know why, all they have to do is to look in the mirror, and pat themselves on the back, for they caused the elderly to lose their homes, do to unaffordable taxes. All for the sake of state money.

Antone Viveiros, Middletown

Zoning board decision is a blow to Upper Thames neighborhood

On Nov. 27, 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, we are economically and culturally diverse. We live close together, we know each other and look after oneanother. 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, 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, 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 putmore 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, Newport

Volunteer for Wreaths Across America

While many of us are facing a remarkably busy December, I hope that you will consider volunteering for the upcoming Wreaths Across America wreath placement, which is happening Dec. 16 at 11:45 a.m. at Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery in Exeter.

Volunteer sign-up can be done online here: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/17129/Overview/?relatedId=161411

The act of laying a wreath is a small gesture, but it carries with it a profound message of respect and gratitude for those who have made many sacrifices. It is a poignant reminder that we owe our freedom to these brave individuals.

But volunteering for Wreaths Across America is not just about placing a wreath; it's about spending a moment to remember and honor the life of a soldier. It's about teaching the younger generation about the value of service. It's about coming together as a community to show our appreciation.

Wreaths Across America relies heavily on volunteers to carry out its mission. Without the help of many dedicated individuals, it would be impossible to reach the hundreds of veterans' cemeteries around the country.

I urge everyone to consider volunteering on Dec. 16, through the laying of remembrance wreaths and saying the name of each veteran aloud, it is a meaningful way to give back to those who have given so much.

Tony Jones, Narragansett Historical Cemetery Committee

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Zoning board decision is a blow to Upper Thames neighborhood: Letters