Politics & Government

Town Council Members Argue Against New Zoning for Omni Drive

The Middletown Town Council held a public hearing on the proposed retail project Monday night and will take a final vote Oct. 17.

Real estate developer Vincent Mesolella left Monday night’s Middletown meeting less optimistic about his proposed Omni Drive redevelopment project that he’s been working on these last three years. Still, he vowed to pursue the project whatever the outcome.

“It did not sound very encouraging tonight. I had heard some of their objections would be to large retail but I was surprised tonight to see they seem opposed to any zoning change there,” Mesolella said after his project’s zoning request went before the council for discussion.

Monday night's public hearing was held for the council to consider changing the zoning at the 28-acre Omni Drive industrial park on West Main Road from light industrial to general business. Mesolella, of R.E.I. Inc., a real estate investment and development firm, is seeking the zoning change to move forward in developing a proposed retail shopping plaza on the site, located on West Main Road just south of the Portsmouth town line between residential areas.

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Mesolella is proposing a "village style" retail plaza comprised of village green with band stand amidst seven buildings, the same number of buildings currently located there. One of those buildings would house an anchor store, a larger retailer such as a Target, Kohl's or Lowe's, or a grocery store, he said.

The zoning change request is needed before Mesolella's project can move forward. His request will require a Second Reading at the next council meeting on Oct. 17 before the Town Council takes its final vote.

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Several council members voiced objections and concerns Monday night, to both the zoning change and the concept itself.

Councilor Barbara VonVillas, who lives near Omni Drive, shared concerns over increased traffic from retail customers, potential industrial jobs replaced by lower wage retail jobs, and negative impacts to already established businesses throughout Middletown.

"There will be those construction jobs at first but those go away and what you're left with are the lower paying retail jobs," VonVillas said. She said she's also concerned about customers being taken away from the smaller businesses throughout Middletown.

"There’s only a certain amount of money to be made or expenditures to be made in any one area…It kills everyone else who’s trying to make money,” she said.

Councilor Bruce Long argued that the current zoning should remain as light industrial to accommodate future businesses with higher paying jobs looking to relocate or expand to Middletown.

 “I think Middletown needs to wait for the right opportunity,” Long said.

Councilor Antone Viveiros echoed those concerns and said that creating a new retail center would make it all the more difficult for existing plazas with empty storefronts to fill those spaces with new tenants. He cited the former Linens N' Things space as one example.

"For years I stood at that podium and argued that the town changes zoning as often as the town changes socks," Viveiros said. He concluded, "I urge everyone to be very careful in changing zoning.”

Despite the council's initial feedback, Mesolella seemed undeterred.

In response to concerns that retail provides lower paying jobs than light industrial or skilled trades, he countered that the town as a whole benefits from the boost in revenue to the commercial tax base, not from income taxes.

He also argued that Aquidneck Island customers are not having their needs met entirely by the already established local businesses and are taking their business elsewhere, not just outside Middletown but off the island.

“Many people are taking their tax dollars to Massachusetts. That is a fact,” Mesolella told the council. With the high cost of gas, they also want to be able to shop locally, he argued.

If the council stays the course and votes down the Omni Drive zoning request in two weeks, Mesolella will be prepared to wait it out and submit a new application in one year, he said.

He also seemed confident that the economic climate one year from now will favor his project moreso than light industrial uses. Without the zoning change to general business, the town will likely see that land remain dormant, he maintained.

"I think we'll see a further deterioration of economic conditions in town and they might reconsider this alternative," Mesolella said. He later added, "They are a council at-large and they should be concerned about their community at-large."

See the complete discussion and Oct. 3 Town Council meeting on video here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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