2017 -- H 5573

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LC001527

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES - ZONING ORDINANCES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Costantino, Regunberg, and Casimiro

     Date Introduced: February 16, 2017

     Referred To: House Municipal Government

     (by request)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 45-24-53 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-24 entitled "Zoning

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Ordinances" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     45-24-53. Adoption -- Notice and hearing requirements.

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     (a) No zoning ordinance shall be adopted, repealed, or amended until after a public

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hearing has been held upon the question before the city or town council. The city or town council

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shall first give notice of the public hearing by publication of notice in a newspaper of general

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circulation within the city or town at least once each week for three (3) successive weeks prior to

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the date of the hearing, which may include the week in which the hearing is to be held, at which

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hearing opportunity shall be given to all persons interested to be heard upon the matter of the

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proposed ordinance. Written notice, which may be a copy of the newspaper notice, shall be

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mailed to the statewide planning program of the department of administration, and, where

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applicable, to the parties specified in subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) and (f) of this section, at

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least two (2) weeks prior to the hearing. The newspaper notice shall be published as a display

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advertisement, using a type size at least as large as the normal type size used by the newspaper in

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its news articles, and shall:

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     (1) Specify the place of the hearing and the date and time of its commencement;

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     (2) Indicate that adoption, amendment, or repeal of a zoning ordinance is under

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consideration;

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     (3) Contain a statement of the proposed amendments to the ordinance that may be printed

 

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once in its entirety, or summarize and describe the matter under consideration as long as the

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intent and effect of the proposed ordinance is expressly written in that notice;

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     (4) Advise those interested where and when a copy of the matter under consideration may

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be obtained or examined and copied; and

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     (5) State that the proposals shown on the ordinance may be altered or amended prior to

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the close of the public hearing without further advertising, as a result of further study or because

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of the views expressed at the public hearing. Any alteration or amendment must be presented for

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comment in the course of the hearing.

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     (b) Where a proposed general amendment to an existing zoning ordinance includes

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changes in an existing zoning map, public notice shall be given as required by subsection (a) of

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this section.

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     (c) Where a proposed amendment to an existing zoning ordinance includes changes to

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dimensional requirements for a specific zone, public notice shall be given as required by

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subsection (a) of this section, with the additional requirement that, at least two (2) weeks prior to

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the hearing:

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     (1) Written notice of the date, time and place of the public hearing and the nature and

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purpose of the hearing shall be sent to all owners of real property whose property is located in the

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area proposed for change. Notice shall also be sent to any individual or entity holding a recorded

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conservation or preservation restriction on the property that is the subject of the amendment. The

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notice shall be sent by registered, certified, or first-class mail to the last known address of the

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owners, as shown on the current real estate tax assessment records of the city or town in which

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the property is located; provided, for any notice sent by first-class mail, the sender of the notice

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shall utilize and obtain a United States Postal Service certificate of mailing, PS Form 3817, or

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applicable version thereof, to demonstrate proof of such mailing.

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     (c)(d) Where a proposed amendment to an existing ordinance includes a specific change

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in a zoning district map, but does not affect districts generally, public notice shall be given as

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required by subsection (a) of this section, with the additional requirements that:

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     (1) Notice shall include a map showing the existing and proposed boundaries, zoning

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district boundaries, existing streets and roads and their names, and city and town boundaries

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where appropriate; and

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     (2) Written notice of the date, time, and place of the public hearing and the nature and

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purpose of the hearing shall be sent to all owners of real property whose property is located in or

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within not less than two hundred feet (200') of the perimeter of the area proposed for change,

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whether within the city or town or within an adjacent city or town. Notice shall also be sent to any

 

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individual or entity holding a recorded conservation or preservation restriction on the property

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that is the subject of the amendment. The notice shall be sent by registered, certified, or first-class

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mail to the last known address of the owners, as shown on the current real estate tax assessment

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records of the city or town in which the property is located; provided, for any notice sent by first-

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class mail, the sender of the notice shall utilize and obtain a United States Postal Service

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certificate of mailing, PS form 3817, or any applicable version thereof, to demonstrate proof of

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such mailing.

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     (d)(e) Notice of a public hearing shall be sent by first-class mail to the city or town

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council of any city or town to which one or more of the following pertain:

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     (1) That is located in or within not less than two hundred feet (200') of the boundary of

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the area proposed for change; or

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     (2) Where there is a public or quasi-public water source, or private water source that is

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used, or is suitable for use, as a public water source, within two thousand feet (2,000') of any real

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property that is the subject of a proposed zoning change, regardless of municipal boundaries.

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     (e)(f) Notice of a public hearing shall be sent to the governing body of any state or

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municipal water department or agency, special water district, or private water company that has

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riparian rights to a surface water resource and/or surface watershed that is used, or is suitable for

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use, as a public water source and that is within two thousand feet (2,000') of any real property that

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is the subject of a proposed zoning change; provided, that the governing body of any state or

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municipal water department or agency, special water district, or private water company has filed

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with the building inspector in the city or town a map survey, that shall be kept as a public record,

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showing areas of surface water resources and/or watersheds and parcels of land within two

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thousand feet (2,000') thereof.

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     (f)(g) Notwithstanding any of the requirements set forth in subsections (a) through (e)(f)

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above, each municipality shall establish and maintain a public notice registry allowing any person

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or entity to register for electronic notice of any changes to the zoning ordinance. The city or town

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shall provide public notice annually of the existence of the electronic registry by publication of

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notice in a newspaper of general circulation within the city or town. In addition, each

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municipality is hereby encouraged to provide public notice of the existence of the public notice

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registry in all of its current and future communications with the public, including, but not limited

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to, governmental websites, electronic newsletters, public bulletins, press releases and all other

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means the municipality may use to impart information to the local community.

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     (1) Provided, however, notice pursuant to a public notice registry as per this section does

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not alone qualify a person or entity on the public notice registry as an "aggrieved party" under §

 

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45-24-31(4).

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     (g)(h) No defect in the form of any notice under this section shall render any ordinance or

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amendment invalid, unless the defect is found to be intentional or misleading.

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     (h)(i) Costs of any notice required under this section shall be borne by the applicant.

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     (i)(j) In granting a zoning ordinance amendment, notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-

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24-37, the town or city council may limit the change to one of the permitted uses in the zone to

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that the subject land is rezoned and impose limitations, conditions, and restrictions, including,

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without limitation: (1) Requiring the petitioner to obtain a permit or approval from any and all

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state or local governmental agencies or instrumentalities having jurisdiction over the land and use

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that are the subject of the zoning change; (2) Those relating to the effectiveness or continued

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effectiveness of the zoning change; and/or (3) Those relating to the use of the land as it deems

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necessary. The responsible town or city official shall cause the limitations and conditions so

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imposed to be clearly noted on the zoning map and recorded in the land evidence records;

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provided, that in the case of a conditional zone change, the limitations, restrictions, and

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conditions shall not be noted on the zoning map until the zone change has become effective. If the

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permitted use for which the land has been rezoned is abandoned or if the land is not used for the

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requested purpose for a period of two (2) years or more after the zone change becomes effective,

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the town or city council may, after a public hearing, change the land to its original zoning use

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before the petition was filed. If any limitation, condition, or restriction in an ordinance is held to

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be invalid by a court in any action, that holding shall not cause the remainder of the ordinance to

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be invalid.

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     (j)(k) The above requirements are to be construed as minimum requirements.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES - ZONING ORDINANCES

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     This act would require that when a proposed amendment to a zoning ordinance includes

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changes to dimensional requirements for a specific zone, the city or town must provide written

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notice of the public hearing to all owners of real property whose property is located in the area

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proposed for change, as well as to any entity holding a recorded conservation or reservation

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restriction on property subject to amendment.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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