The decision by the Department of Environmental Management’s office of Water Resources to permit the alteration of freshwater wetlands off Gooding Avenue, filling in some 1.15 acres, is disappointing.

In making that determination — which paves the way for the construction of a chain hotel — DEM has let down abutters and neighbors along Silver Creek who for years have dealt with flooding issues on their properties. They let down environmental advocates, from groups including the Bristol Conservation Commission and Save The Bay. They let down the Town of Bristol, whose Community Development staff has worked tirelessly for years improving the Silver Creek watershed; and they let down all who enjoy Bristol Harbor, the water quality of which is directly tied to the health of Silver Creek.

This proposed hotel development could not be happening at a worse time for Silver Creek. The new Mt. Hope High School, objectively a far greater community need than a Mainstay/Sleep Inn, is also sited along the creek, and is being engineered to ensure it has less impact on the watershed than the existing campus. Unlike this proposed hotel, the new high school is not being built on undeveloped land, within a DEM-designated “Rhode Island Natural Heritage Area” that could provide valuable natural habitat for wildlife.

While most agree there is a need for more tourist beds in Bristol during high season, mostly weekends, there are other, less pristine sites that could be redeveloped for such a purpose. The proposed location on Gooding Avenue would not be considered walkable to downtown by most tourists and would likely have limited appeal to visitors looking to spend the weekend in a classic New England “seaport.”

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