The Coastal Resources Management Council recently approved an application for demolition and construction work for the Palmer Pointe affordable housing development. 

The East Bay Community Development Corporation has submitted plans to build 12 affordable residential multi-family structures, a management office/maintenance garage, paved roadway, parking areas and walkways on the former Sowams Nursery property near 91 Sowams Road.

Bristol-based developer EBCDC purchased the 10-acre parcel of land in Aug. 2015 for $1.2 million. 

EBCDC is planning a 40-unit development on the former Sowams Nursery property that will include 12 multi-unit buildings and a few single family residences. According to previous reports, Palmer Pointe will offer affordable housing to people who qualify — a similar arrangement to EBCDC's Sweetbriar development which is located on Washington Road in West Barrington.

The town has issued a preliminary comprehensive permit for Palmer Pointe.

EBCDC is awaiting a Rhode Island Department of Transportation physical alteration permit for improvements to Sowams Road. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management issued a water quality certification for the project, and RIDEM's office of waste management issued a remedial approval letter for EBCDC's remedial action work plan. 

During the 30-day public notice period last summer, several people submitted letters to CRMC stating concerns about the Palmer Pointe project. The concerns included potential Palmer River contamination from run-off, wetland disturbance, residents' health and safety, increased tax burden, traffic congestion, housing density, water quality, pedestrian safety, crime and security, soil contamination.

"Staff is of the opinion that the housing density, tax burden, traffic congestion, pedestrian safety, existing infrastructure and security topics are more appropriately addressed at the local planning levels," stated the report from CRMC.

The CRMC report also requested a number of stipulations for the project, including "as a condition of this approval, no future dock or shoreline access path is allowed …"

Property details

The former owners of the property had initially drafted a plan to develop about a dozen single family homes on the nursery land, but the town's planning board rejected the plan. That led the Silveira family to sign a purchase and sale agreement with officials from EBCDC, but the deal was stalled for more than a year as a residents' group CODDER 02806 filed a lawsuit against Palmer Pointe. A judge later sided with the developer.

CODDER 02806 has questioned the density of the Palmer Pointe development. Information provided by officials at CODDER 02806 also challenge the zoning for the former Sowams Nursery property and the possibility of contaminants in the soil (due to the pesticides and fertilizers used on plants while the nursery was in operation).