2023 -- S 1039

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LC002746

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Kallman, McKenney, and Burke

     Date Introduced: May 19, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

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     (a) No zoning ordinance shall be adopted, repealed, or amended until after a public hearing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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parties specified in subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this section, at least two (2) weeks prior

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to the hearing. The newspaper notice shall be published as a display advertisement, using a type

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size at least as large as the normal type size used by the newspaper in 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 intent

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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 the

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

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

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in the course of the hearing.

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

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

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     (c) Where a proposed text amendment to an existing zoning ordinance would cause a

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conforming lot of record to become nonconforming by lot area or frontage, written notice shall be

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given to all owners of the real property as shown on the current real estate tax assessment records

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of the city or town. The notice shall be given at least two (2) weeks prior to the hearing at which

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the text amendment is to be considered, with the content required by subsection (a). If the city or

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town zoning ordinance contains an existing merger clause to which the nonconforming lots would

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be subject, the notice shall include reference to the merger clause and the impacts of common

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ownership of nonconforming lots. The sender of the notice shall utilize and obtain a United States

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Postal Service certificate of mailing, and the certificate or an electronic copy thereof shall be

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retained to demonstrate proof of the mailing.

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

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

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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 where

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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, as well as affected tenants, whose

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property is located in or within not less than two hundred feet (200′) one thousand feet (1,000') of

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the perimeter of the area proposed for change, whether within the city or town or within an adjacent

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city or town. Notice shall also be sent to any individual or entity holding a recorded conservation

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or preservation restriction on the property that is the subject of the amendment. The notice shall be

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sent by registered, certified, or first-class mail to the last known address of the owners, as shown

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on the current real estate tax assessment records of the city or town in which the property is located;

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provided, for any notice sent by first-class mail, the sender of the notice shall utilize and obtain a

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United States Postal Service certificate of mailing, PS form 3817, or any applicable version thereof,

 

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to demonstrate proof of such mailing.

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

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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 the

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

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water department or agency, special water district, or private water company that has riparian rights

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to a surface water resource or surface watershed that is used, or is suitable for use, as a public water

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source and that is within two thousand feet (2,000′) of any real property that is the subject of a

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proposed zoning change; provided, that the governing body of any state or municipal water

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department or agency, special water district, or private water company has filed with the building

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inspector in the city or town a map survey, that shall be kept as a public record, showing areas of

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surface water resources and/or watersheds and parcels of land within two thousand feet (2,000′)

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thereof.

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

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municipality shall establish and maintain a public notice registry allowing any person or entity to

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

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public notice annually of the existence of the electronic registry by publication of notice in a

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newspaper of general circulation within the city or town. In addition, each municipality is hereby

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encouraged to provide public notice of the existence of the public notice registry in all of its current

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and future communications with the public, including, but not limited to, governmental websites,

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electronic newsletters, public bulletins, press releases, and all other means the municipality may

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

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     (j) In granting a zoning ordinance amendment, notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-24-

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

 

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the subject land is rezoned and impose limitations, conditions, and restrictions, including, without

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limitation: (1) Requiring the petitioner to obtain a permit or approval from any and all state or local

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governmental agencies or instrumentalities having jurisdiction over the land and use that are the

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

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

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responsible town or city official shall cause the limitations and conditions so imposed to be clearly

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noted on the zoning map and recorded in the land evidence records; provided, that in the case of a

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conditional zone change, the limitations, restrictions, and conditions shall not be noted on the

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zoning map until the zone change has become effective. If the permitted use for which the land has

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been rezoned is abandoned or if the land is not used for the requested purpose for a period of two

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(2) years or more after the zone change becomes effective, the town or city council may, after a

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public hearing, change the land to its original zoning use before the petition was filed. If any

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limitation, condition, or restriction in an ordinance is held to be invalid by a court in any action,

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that holding shall not cause the remainder of the ordinance to be invalid.

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     (k) In addition to the above requirements regarding hearing notices, in the event of a

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commercial development or a zoning change for city or town owned property, the following is

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required:

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     (1) A sign posted at the site considered for development or zone change containing:

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     (i) Date and purpose of hearing;

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     (ii) Notice of hearing displayed in two (2) languages spoken by residents of the affected

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area; and

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     (iii) A display sign area easily viewable by foot and vehicle traffic.

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     (2) The hearing notice shall be posted on the city/town website as well as any social media

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site of the city/town.

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     (k)(l) 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 increase the distance to one thousand feet (1,000') for notice given to real

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property owners and tenants for zoning changes. It would also require commercial developments

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and cities/towns to post hearing notice signage at property as well as notice on websites and any

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social media site operated by the city/town.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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