Here is the email I sent out to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Dear Director Terry Gray, 

      I created a bulleted list on major concerns on the leased land in Galilee.  I, concerned citizens of Rhode Island and South County, the Narragansett Town Council, the Narragansett Town Planner, the Friends of Galilee, our local Representatives Teresa Tanzi and Carol Hagan McEntee are all against the Procaccianti Group being able to renew its lease even as a 6 month extension for the issues stated below. We realize the prior lease ended July 31st, 2021. Therefore, it would be of great misfortune to the State of Rhode Island, South County, and our Gem of a Village, Galilee, if Procaccianti Developers are allowed to retain its lease. The RIDEM gave Procaccianti multiple opportunities to create a viable plan for Galilee, and they failed. They proposed primarily a massive parking lot that will give them the biggest bang for their buck, and it will create a significant loss to Galilee and to all those that visit the area. I realize time is of the essence, so I wanted to send this email out to you now rather than later. Your legal representation, Mary Kay, has attended all meetings between the RIDEM, the Procaccianti Group, the Town of Narragansett Town Council. and our Narragansett Town Planner, Mike DeLuca. I am therefore sending this email out to Mary Kay too. She can attest to the statements noted below. The Narragansett Town Council even reached out to the RI Attorney General's Office. Therefore, I urge you as a Director to please not renew the lease in Galilee with Procaccianti Developers. Our State of Rhode Island has been burnt too many times when Multi-millionaires and Billionaires have influenced their way into dubious dealings with our State, and all the residents of Rhode Island have had to pay the price. The Curt Shilling Studio 38 Deal and the UHIP Fiasco as just two of many examples that I can bring forth. Please do the right thing and pull the lease from the Procaccianti Developers. They will not go broke without this lease. However, if they get the lease, they would significantly hurt all who love Galilee, its town, our residence, and our local businesses. Please feel free to email me or call me if you have any additional questions. My home number is 401-783-2506 and my cell phone number is 401-218-3614.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dr. Albert Alba

1. The Procaccianti - RIDEM lease has been noted to expire on July 31st, 2021. Let us not have the RIDEM renew the lease.

2. A Viable Plan that was created from the research done at the University of Rhode Island and it can be found on the following link: Galilee: A Vision for a Resilient Port – Department of Landscape Architecture (uri.edu) or please see the attached document. The Procaccianti Group has failed to acknowledge the report or speak on its credibility. It is obvious Procaccianti Developers want to invest the least money into bettering Galilee. The Developers would never have let the existing hotel to literally fall and create an eyesore if it had the best interest of Galilee in mind. It as if the whole plan was orchestrated. It is more than coincidental as soon as Procaccianti purchased a 19 million dollar mariner in Block Island, he decides a massive parking lot to bring cars over to Block Island would be best for the Developer, but bad for Galilee.  

3. We have new construction in flood zone areas all across Narragansett. Houses and businesses are being constructed in flood zones throughout the United States, yet the Procaccianti Group says it is not feasible to build buildings in a flood zone.

4. Procaccianti has been on record to state the area is Noisy and Smelly, and is suitable primarily for a massive parking lot. He added the area attracts seagulls. If you create a dump, then the area will attract scavengers and rodents of all types. The only thing that stinks in Galilee is the Procaccianti's Proposals.

5. Procaccianti was given multiple opportunities to bring forth a viable plan, but he failed to deliver.

6. The Procaccianti Group failed to uphold the terms of the prior lease as the hotel on the premises was set up to fail.

7. The lease should be terminated for now and go out for bid. The parcel can even be divided up, so there can be more than one leaseholder if multiple bids come in for smaller parcels of the land. The Town of Narragansett, Narragansett Town Council, Narragansett Town Planner, Mike DeLuca, and the Friends of Galilee should all have a say in the planning process.

8. The PRI X Group should not be able to issue out RFPs.  In a Zoom meeting  Mary - Kay, Chief of Legal Counsel for RIDEM suggested the PRI X Group issue the RFPs.

9. It appears more than coincidental the Procaccianti Group purchased a 19 million dollar Marina in Block Island as was noted above.

10. The proposed use for the land may be a Boutique Hotel, a Maritime Museum, Housing, Shopping Plaza with a convenient store for the fishermen, green space, and a consolidated parking lot. Most of these ideas were discussed in the University of Rhode Island Plan. Mr. Mike Deluca and many on the Narragansett Town Council members feel a Boutique Hotel would be good in that area.

11. The argument for the need of a massive parking lot is unfounded and was not recommended by the detailed URI Report. A Multi Level Parking lot that takes up a small footprint of the land would be recommended as noted in the URI Proposal. In addition, the oversized parking lot at Sand Hill Cove/Roger Wheeler Beach can be used for parking with a trolley / shuttle service  bringing people in and out during peak seasons.

12. We need a viable plan that will attract people to Galilee to vacation and stay in Galilee and not to use Galilee as a stopping ground to send people off to Block Island.

13. There is an online Petition at Change.org. There are close to 1400 people who took the time to vote in opposition to Procaccianti continuing with its prior lease, and they are against the massive parking lot plan. Council President Jesse Pugh should how ridiculously small the proposed green space / park area that was proposed by the Billion Dollar Developer with respect to the overall parking lot area.

14. The Narragansett Town Council adamantly voiced their opposition to the proposed plans offered by the Procaccianti Group. In addition, the Narragansett Town Planner who supported the Galilee Research Project for Galilee vocally opposed the massive parking lot deal. In addition, he suggested a hotel would be feasible for that area.

15. Representatives Teresa Tanzi and Carol Hagan McEntee both vocally opposed their opposition to a massive parking lot in Galilee. In addition, they are against Procaccianti issuing RFPs. It would be like the wolf guarding the chicken coup.

16. The lease expired on July 31st, so all interested parties are urging the RIDEM to not renew or give an extension to the Procaccianti Group.

17. Please see the attached URI Galilee Plan if you would like to print it out.

18. RIDEM should reach out to the URI Researchers and those designers that created the revitalization plan.

19. RIDEM should research architects and developers throughout the United States who built viable development plans in Flood Zones.

20. It would be deeply troubling if the RIDEM awards an extension and allows the Procaccianti Group to issue RFPs when Procaccianti already Breached the original terms of the lease, and they went on record that primarily only a large parking lot is suitable for that area of leased land.

21. Please view the following YouTube video created by Dr. Ewa Dzwierzynski: https://youtu.be/2PoQRnFfzLE

22. The Assistant Director of the South County Museum, Heather Pouliot Kisilywicz noted a Maritime Museum would be ideal in that area. It was also noted they would be willing to get funding for such a museum. There has been full support for such a Maritime Museum in the Heart of Galilee with the exception of the Procaccianti Developers. In addition, the Galilee Revitalization Plan recommends a museum and an environmental educational visitor center.

23. Just prior to the Procaccianti Group buying the 19 Million Dollar Marina in Block Island, it was illegally expanded. The Rhode Island Attorney General had to reverse the decision. Two coastal resource council members had to resign.

24. As the Rhode Island Attorney General is investigating malfeasance for Procaccianti breaching its terms of the prior lease, we hope RIDEM is not going to approve any lease extension while there is a pending investigation.

25. Procaccianti said it will be difficult to build in a flood zone, but he was going to build a small strip mall. If he was going to rebuild a small portion of the Dutch Inn to make it a strip mall, why did he not rebuild the entire hotel to make it habitable and an asset rather than a liability based on its current condition? . The Bohemian Grand Hotel in Charleston, SC was revitalized in a flood zone. The owners of the Bohemian Hotel spent multi millions of dollars to restore the hotel rather than letting it become an eyesore and uninhabitable. Maybe we can get a developer that can still restore and revitalize the existing hotel if it is not too late.

25. Let us Hope and Pray the RIDEM will not renew or grant an extension to the Procaccianti Developers.