Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a Redevelopment Plan?
A Redevelopment Plan is a comprehensive strategy for improving areas within a community through coordinated actions per the Rhode Island General Law (R.I.G.L.). This is a guiding document and a legal process for the productive development of an area, providing a roadmap of improvement plans and projects, costs for improvements, and potential funding sources needed for implementation.
What is the Redevelopment Plan process?
This is a two-step process that begins with defining a Redevelopment Study Area that considers those lands influenced and affected by the conditions at Johnson’s Pond Dam, as well as local and regional access points to potential recreational opportunities around the Pond. Once the Redevelopment Study Area has been defined, then development of the Redevelopment Plan will occur. The Plan will support the state of good repair of the Dam and its long-term maintenance, provide quality recreational access to the water, support long term maintenance of the entire reservoir, and ensure a high-quality waterfront environment for residential homes abutting the reservoir. Redevelopment Area, Plan Development Content
Where are we in the Redevelopment Plan process?
The RDA and its consultants are still in the early stages of the process, which involves defining the Redevelopment Study Area Boundary in coordination with the community. During the first public meeting on September 25th, we asked members who attended the meeting to provide feedback on the draft boundary created by the RDA.
What are the goals of this process for the Town?
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Enhance access and amenities
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Provide for long-term maintenance and improvements of infrastructure to support public recreational use of the Pond
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Foster the ecological stability of the reservoir environment
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Promote economic development in appropriate areas
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Ensure stable reservoir conditions that support a high-quality waterfront environment for residential homes abutting the reservoir
The Redevelopment Plan for Johnson’s Pond must create a public benefit for Town residents by identifying potential redevelopment projects and strategies for public recreation and use of the Pond.
How is the project being funded?
The RDA has received grant funding through Town Council; this grant was given in the form of proceeds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This funding mechanism was formalized as a memorandum of understanding through the RDA and Town Council, as required by federal law.
What is the RDA’s role?
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Prepare a Redevelopment Plan in accordance with §45-32-(4-13) of the R.I.G.L.
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Improve conditions at Johnson’s Pond to support its long-term stability and public enjoyment through coordinated redevelopment within targeted areas to carry out the purposes of Title 45, Chapters 31 through 33 of R.I.G.L.
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Assist in revitalizing neighborhood and commercial areas
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Work with the public to identify redevelopment projects that benefit the community
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Acquire and sell property and redevelop those areas to carry out the elements of the R.I.G.L.
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Carry out the recommendations and actions in a Redevelopment Plan
What is the Town Council’s Role?
The Town Council will conduct two public hearings to solicit public input: the first on the Redevelopment Study Area Boundary and the second on Redevelopment Plan. The Town Council may adopt the Redevelopment Study Area Boundary by local law as a redevelopment area. The Town Council may also adopt the Redevelopment Plan by local law.
Who is included in the process?
All residents of the community, property owners, state and local public agencies (such as the Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council) and interest groups (such as the Rhode Island Audubon).
Why are we going through this process?
In 2024, the Town moved to condemn and take ownership of the Dam and Pond through eminent domain. The Town found that private ownership of the Pond had been detrimental to the best interests of the environment, public safety, and public use of and benefit from recreational access to the Pond and the quality of life in the Town of Coventry. The Town now owns and maintains the Pond its dam, dam structures and associated property to protect the environment, ensure public safety, and provide recreational facilities for and access to and public use of the Pond.
What other public engagement opportunities
will there be throughout the process?
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Ongoing small group outreach with stakeholders
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First public hearing (on the Redevelopment Study Area Boundary)
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Second public workshop on the Redevelopment Plan
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Submit comments on project website
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Final public hearing (plan adoption)
What is meaningful public access?
Beyond legal permission, this includes a variety of practical considerations such as safety, accessible routes, suitable infrastructure and regular maintenance. It ensures that opportunities for recreation are actually usable and functional for a wide range of people and activities. In Rhode Island, “meaningful public access” (particularly to the shore) generally means not just a theoretical or symbolic right, but a practical, safe, useable, enforceable path or right for the public to reach and use the shore within the bounds of § 46-23-26 and the public trust doctrine. The law provides both a spatial boundary (shore up to 10 feet landward of the recognizable high tide line, with limitations) and substantive expectations for access quality and continuity. Per Town Council Resolution 2024-98, public access shall include, but not be limited to expanded public access, boat ramps, parking, facilities, and the like for public recreation and use.
What does adopting the Redevelopment Plan mean?
This means the Town has officially committed to strategic, long-term maintenance of Johnson’s Pond and the Dam by implementing the strategies and improvements outlined in the Redevelopment Plan.
What is the rationale for the Draft Redevelopment Study Area Boundary?
The Draft Redevelopment Study Boundary is to be developed to include/consider the following:
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Direct Pond abutters
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All established neighborhoods/HOA communities
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Proximate Town-owned and State-owned properties for future public improvements
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Local roadways that provide direct and indirect access to the Pond
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All paper streets and rights-of-way that provide access to the Pond
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Arterial roadways along the Pond’s boundary
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Associated ecological/hydrological connections (within reason)
What is the status of the current lawsuit with Soscia Holdings?
There is ongoing litigation, and we are unable comment beyond that.
How will future improvements be funded?
This is premature to answer without knowing what improvements will be identified in the Redevelopment Plan. We will look at all avenues of funding (Town, state and federal, private-public partnerships) for the various projects and improvements that are proposed in the Redevelopment Plan.
Why does there need to be more public access to the Pond?
Expanding public access was established as a goal of the ordinance adopted by the Town Council (Ordinance 2024-03) to create a public benefit for Town residents by redeveloping the Pond for public use. Means and methods of establishing public access are to be evaluated during the plan development process.
Will this project or future funding increase my property taxes?
Without knowing what improvements the project will include, it’s premature to speculate about costs or how those costs will be met. Funding mechanisms, including taxation cannot be implemented through this process, only recommended, additional bonded or tax financed funding structures are subject to additional public input processes.
Where will additional public access be?
This has not yet been defined and is part of the process of creating a Redevelopment Plan. The community is invited to collaborate with the RDA at upcoming outreach events to help identify and build consensus on future access locations for the Pond.
How much more traffic will there be?
This has not yet been determined as additional public access has not been established.
Who will monitor the Pond after the Redevelopment Plan is completed?
This is being explored as part of the Redevelopment Plan.
What is happening with the old Marina – Indian Trail?
Plans have not yet been established for this area or any other areas on the Pond.
Will the public meetings be recorded and publicly available?
Yes, we have and will continue to record the public meetings and post the links on the website under the “Events” tab.
Why are we discussing putting the public into a possible contaminated waterbody?
As part of the Redevelopment Plan, we are exploring methods and measures to improve water quality so all current and future community members can enjoy the Pond.