To the editor:

Earlier this month, Keep Metacomet Green contacted several State agencies, including RIDOT, RIDEM, CRMC, the Scenic Roadways Board, and the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. We wrote to alert them to the fact that the developer of the former Metacomet golf course will soon be submitting an initial plan to RIDOT for major alterations to the Veterans Memorial Parkway. We learned of this so-called “30% plan,” which outlines preliminary engineering drawings, at the Waterfront Commission’s meeting in late August.

This news probably didn’t come as a surprise to RIDOT. At the Waterfront Commission meeting, the developer revealed that it had been in private discussions with the agency to “refresh memories” and to re-start the process, which had been put aside for several months while it dealt with an archaeological survey and hazardous materials release remediation on the site. It most likely came as a surprise to RIDEM, though, which actually owns the Parkway, and should have been included in any memory-refreshing discussion.

There is little doubt that it was a surprise to the Scenic Roadways Board, which is tasked with reviewing proposed alterations to any of the nine scenic roadways under its umbrella. According to its regulations, the SRB review process should have been “initiated early in the planning stages… when the widest feasible range of alternatives is open for consideration.” A roundabout was first mentioned by the developer’s traffic consultant in a March 2023 report. To our knowledge, the Board has thus far not been part of the discussion at all.

Since contacting these agencies several weeks ago, we have heard nothing from any of the recipients. Are they all discussing this amongst themselves now? We copied a number of elected officials. We have heard nothing from them. Are they drafting indignant messages to these agencies asking what the heck is going on? We sent a press release to nearly two dozen media contacts. So far, one social media commentator has written about it. Are the others preparing investigative reports? Our guess: Probably not. We base this on the fact that we sent out a similar message to State agencies in July 2025 with the heads-up that this was coming and that they should be paying attention, with similar results.

So, it’s apparently on us, the public, to make some noise. Do you want to see a roundabout with expanded lanes on the Parkway at Lyon Avenue? Nearly 2,000 people have signed petitions online and on paper in opposition to the destruction of the historic Parkway in order to accommodate this developer’s oversized plan. This roadway was never meant to be a commercial road, but a pleasurable, relaxed drive for the benefit of the community.

If you’re happy with this plan, so be it. But, if you’re not, please sign our online petition at https://www.change.org/save_vets_parkway. Or contact me at kmg4ep@gmail.com to sign on paper. And, when candidates come around looking for your vote on Election Day, ask where they stand on this issue. It’s more than saving the precious open space of Metacomet now. It’s about saving our community’s history and quality of life.

Candy Seel
Director, Keep Metacomet Green