East Providence is currently in the process of developing its new 20 year comprehensive plan and has spent the last eight months gathering data that will lead to our city's development roadmap for the next two decades. The comprehensive planning process is extensive and far-reaching. It is intended to cultivate a unified strategy for the city that addresses a myriad of topics that affect the future development patterns of the city and the overall well-being of the community as a whole. The completed plan will deal with policies associated future land use development patterns, but it is much more than that. The plan will also include elements that assign goals and objectives for promoting and improving economic development, municipal infrastructure, circulation/transportation, and recreation and housing development in the city. Other elements in the plan will also include natural resources and open space, historical and cultural preservation and sustainability.
Unlike the city's 2010-2015 update, the city's current plan is a completely new document that seeks to lay a framework that is centered on the realities of current development trends for land use in the 21st century. It is anticipated that our latest plan will promote greater flexibility in land use that will seek to permit more mixed use development along our commercial corridors and promotes greater economic opportunity and more cohesive downtown districts that encourage a healthy coexisting mix of commercial and residential uses. The plan also includes an element that will focus on goals and objectives for the redevelopment and management of our waterfront, an important economic development focus for East Providence whose future development shows the potential to create thousands of new high paying jobs and new residential living opportunities. To date, the city has received strong and enthusiastic feedback and support from members of the pubic who have been involved with the process as we develop a vision for the future of our city.
At this point, the plan's preparation is well underway. A final draft of the plan will be ready by June 2015 and after required public hearings with the planning board and city council, the final draft plan will be submitted to the State for Review. After all reviews completed it would be expected that the plan will be ready for final adoption by late summer.
The city is eager to assist anyone looking to establish a new business or to anyone who may be seeking to expand their existing business. Business owners, developers and other parties who are interested in learning more about our economic development programs and initiatives in East Providence are urged to contact me at 401-435-7531 and to visit the city's website at www.eastprovidence.com or the City's Waterfront District website at www.eastprovidencewaterfront.com for more information on economic activities in our city.
James Moran is the economic planner for East Providence, R.I.