RI is trying to make it easier to transform schools, churches or malls into housing

Legislation that would make it easier to turn an old mill, office, school, church, hospital or shopping mall into apartments sailed through the House of Representatives on Tuesday despite questions from the state Republican Party about whether it might unfairly benefit the House speaker's law clients.

Introduced by Pawtucket Democratic Rep. Karen Alzate, the bill would prevent cities and towns from blocking commercial-to-residential conversion projects unless they violate state or federal environmental protections. It would also prevent municipalities from requiring more than one parking space per apartment in these adaptive reuse projects and let developers build extra units if they include affordable housing.

The bill – part of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi's 14-bill housing agenda – passed 69 to 2, with 7 Republicans joining House Democrats in support. West Warwick Republican Rep. Patricia Morgan and Cranston Republican Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung cast the two votes in opposition.

On Tuesday morning, the Rhode Island Republican Party issued a news release suggesting the bill could benefit clients of Shekarchi's law practice.

As an example of a potential conflict, the GOP referred to the planned conversion of the Sheraton PVD Airport Hotel on Post Road in Warwick into apartments.

Shekarchi represented the developer of the project, which got permission from the Warwick Zoning Board of Review to include fewer off-street parking spaces than called for by zoning.

"If Shekarchi’s legislation had been in effect in 2021, Shekarchi would never have needed to negotiate with Warwick’s Planning Department over the parking space requirement," the Republican Party wrote. "Shekarchi needs to disclose if he has or expects to have any clients who would benefit from this legislation. You don’t usually see a state legislator push for a bill that overrides his own municipality’s zoning code. From now on, when Shekarchi pushes a piece of legislation affecting local zoning, the people of Warwick need to ask themselves this question: 'Who does Shekarchi really represent, you or his client?'"

In an email response, Shekarchi wrote that the adaptive reuse legislation "does not impact any of my current or past clients" and would not go into effect until Jan. 1 of next year.

"This bill is supported by the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, among many others," Shekarchi wrote. "We have a severe housing crisis in Rhode Island and this is one of many bills that will make a difference. I am not going to let a Republican national committeeman deter me from creating more housing opportunities in Rhode Island."

Rhode Island's Republican national committeeman is Steve Frias, a member of the Cranston Planning Board who has objected to several bills in Shekarchi's housing package for limiting local control of land use.

In addition to preventing cities and towns from blocking residential conversions, the Alzate bill would also prevent them from limiting project density to less than 15 units per acre if they include below market-rate housing. At least 20% of the units in each project would need to qualify as affordable to get that density bonus.

Also on Tuesday, the House passes 68-to-1 a bill introduced by Rep. Leonela Felix, D-Pawtucket, that would create a pilot program for communities that incentivize construction of affordable housing near mass-transit hubs.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Old buildings more easily changed to homes under bill OK'd by RI House