Council moves on possible planning, zoning board merger in Warren | EastBayRI.com

By Mike Rego

WARREN — Warren’s zoning and planning boards might soon become one, at least the prospect is being considered formally after the town council broached the issue somewhat in depth for the first time at its June 10 meeting.

Municipalities of any ilk, but particularly those on the smaller size as in the case here, now have the option to do so following an amendment to Rhode Island General Laws approved by the General Assembly during its 2024 session and implemented effective January 1, 2025.

The combined board would be composed similar to how each is structured now, with five voting members and two alternates appointed by the council. The members would be seated for five-year terms.

At the end of the discussion, the council did agree to further pursue the matter, pending what will be more public engagement.

Prior to last week’s gathering, the council briefly made mention of the topic at its March 2025 meeting, when an open spot on the planning board was available.

Title 45 – Towns and Cities, Chapter 45-24 – Zoning Ordinances, Section 45-24-56.1. – Administration — Authority to establish a combined review board is the title of the relevant act.

It was cited by Town Solicitor Anthony DeSisto during the June 10 forum as the basis for the possible merger.

The topic was introduced for discussion by Council President Joseph DePasquale, who referenced the struggles Warren has had in keeping and, currently, seeking a full-time planner.

“The town has been looking for a planner for quite some time. And prior to knowing about this legislation, as (council vice president) Ms. (Keri) Cronin actually brought this idea forward, and lo and behold, the legislation was taking place in the (R.I.) House (of Representatives). And Mr. DeSisto was following the issue, and now he can report on it. And I think it’s a new opportunity for the town. It’s definitely gonna be an interesting beginning point.”

Said DeSisto, “I really feel that this particular statute springs from the experience that towns have gone through, including Warren with development, the unified development plan review. That allows for some applications that go before the planning board to development planning review, to also make decisions on zoning matters.

”And I think that the experience of some communities has been positive with that, that’s why this law was passed. and it’s something to consider here.”

The solicitor brought the town charter into the talks, noting Section 17.01B of the charter, which specifically pertains to the planning board and ascribes to it those responsibilities provided by the state and the council. Also from the charter, he cited Section 17.02 pertaining to the zoning board, which also takes its cues from state law and council mandates.

“I think that means this is something that I think you can explore, although I do recommend that there be a charter change on that to reflect this. That’s the first thing on it,” DeSisto continued. “This is a policy consideration on your point. The question is, is whether or not you want to streamline land use applications here, because oftentimes what happens is you know, an application needs planning board approval as well as zoning approval.”

The solicitor further elaborated on the current processes, which begin with master plans being submitted to the planning board, then heads to zoning for its consideration then back to planning for final review.

“What this would do would be a kind of a one-stop shopping for the applicant, and you’d have one board that would be making decisions on both areas,” DeSisto added. “The difficulty is the contra to what you’ll hear it’s something you need to debate is they say, well, zoning is those are discrete issues as opposed to planning and you need to get people with expertise in both.”

When Councilor Louis Rego raised a thought about the existing contrasts between the bodies, DeSisto said it’s really based on the size of the proposed project.

“The way that I look at it is, planning, it’s appropriately named because a subdivision comes in. So now you’re taking a look at a larger area of land and how that’s going to fit in. Not only for that development, but how it fits in with the rest of the community,” he explained.

The solicitor continued, “The zoning board is more based on one lot and whether or not the structure’s on that lot would conform to the surrounding area in terms of setbacks and things of that nature or whether or not the use is appropriate for that lot. I think that’s the main distinction between the two.”


DeSisto said if the council were to pursue the proposal, it should consult with Town Manager Brian Sullivan and Matthew Cabral, Warren’s Building/Zoning Official, during the formative stages as well as the boards themselves.

There was some initial opposition raised at the meeting, including comments by Davison Bolster, the chair of the Warren Affordable Housing Committee.

His remarks included, in part, “Combining the planning board and zoning board seems like a novel idea, in order to speed up development. But Warren has a lot of experience with this, and none of it has been good for its residents, taxes or quality of life. 


“The state thinks it’s a good idea, but like many examples of one-size-fits-all legislation, it doesn’t work for every town. Some small towns may not be able to get a quorum, but these towns may not have a lot of development pressure, so it may work for them. Warren is not one of those towns, surrounded by three scenic rivers, many farms, and a naturally recognized historic district.”

Another resident, Joan Coltrane, also expressed doubts about the proposal, saying, “I’m wondering if it’s wise for a single board of five to seven members to assume responsibility for both planning and zoning. 


“Are we willing to concentrate the authority to make these decisions into the hands of a very small number of individuals, however well meaning, however competent, and however well trained. Do we reduce by half the opportunity for public comment?

“A combined board is, from my perspective, a reductionist approach, which, by definition, overlooks complexity and streamlines the process for the sake of efficiency.”

In wrapping up the agenda item, DePasquale said, “So, we’ve heard a few comments from the public. We haven’t created a plan, and we really don’t understand the scale or scope. But those are great points, and I’m sure you’ll be at the future meetings if the council votes on this issue…So we’re gonna have an investigative approach. We’re going to look at all the information, and we will keep everybody aware of what we’re doing, obviously.”

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