EAST PROVIDENCE — The planned public-private partnership to construct an artificial turf field at East Providence High School hit a minor snag in recent weeks, but is expected to remain on track to fruition.

Both the School Committee and the City Council previously approved the plan, allowing the Bayside United youth soccer organization to construct a mixed use, soccer/lacrosse pitch at the rear of the high school grounds. However, the Council inadvertently skipped a step in the process with its vote.

According to City Ordinance 2-177 in regard to the "construction, etc., of streets, parks, etc., after adoption of plan" the Planning Board must review the proposal. It hasn't.

At the Tuesday night, May 5, Council meeting, the group rectified the situation, voting to send Bayside's proposal to the Planning Board, which in turn is expected to review the plan at its next meeting on Monday night, May 11, in Room 306 of City Hall at 7 p.m.

City Planning Director Jeanne Boyle indicated the Council, despite any opinion from the Planning Board, had ultimate say on the project. She said the Council could either agree, amend or simply ignore what the Board presented.

However, the Council must wait for the Board's decision nonetheless before it can officially vote on the matter again and prior to Bayside actually being able begin the project. Ms. Boyle indicated it would take at least a day or two to prepare the Board's decision.

With that in mind, the Council indicated it will likely call a special session some time next week to help expedite the process. City Solicitor Tim Chapman told the Council its formal approval was a factor in the Bayside group being able to secure the financing of the roughly $1.4 million project.

As mid-May approaches, any further delays could put a crimp in the timeline to get the turf field built on time. Bayside United president John Mark Andrade, during a previous Council appearance, said contractors estimate it would take approximately 90 days for the project to be completed. The aim is to have the field available to his group and EPHS athletes by mid-August.

The ordinance in question reads as follows...

(a) "Whenever the city council shall have adopted the comprehensive plan of the city, or any part or parts thereof, then and henceforth no street, park or other public way, ground, place or area, no public building or structure and no public utility, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be constructed or authorized in the city until and unless the location and extent thereof shall have been submitted to the planning board for its recommendation of approval or disapproval to the city council. If the planning board shall recommend its disapproval of such projects, the board shall communicate its reasons of disapproval to the city council, and the city council may either adopt or reject the decision of the planning board. The city council may refer any matter relative to the comprehensive plan, part or parts thereof, to the appropriate board, commission or department head with instructions to proceed in accordance with the council's directive."

And (b) "The acceptance, widening, removal, extension, relocation, narrowing, vacation, abandonment, change of use or acquisition of land for sale or lease of any street or other public way, ground, place, property or structure shall be submitted to the planning board for its approval or disapproval and such recommendations, with the board's reasons, to the city council as it may deem proper. Failure of the board to act on matters presented to it contained in this section within 30 days from the date of its filing shall constitute an approval and recommendation of the matters presented to the city council."