Let Us Have The Town of Narragansett Take Over The Leased Land In Galilee.
Here is the letter I recently sent to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management regarding the leased land in Galilee. It was forwarded to the Governor of Rhode Island too. The Town of Narragansett recently submitted an RFP to the RIDEM for the leased land. It is the hoped the Town will be able to take over the leased land to created a mixed use development. Let us hope the RIDEM will allow the Town of Narragansett to assume the lease or purchase the land outright. Please continue to support the Petition created that will serve as a powerful message to the RIDEM to not allow the Procaccianti group to retain the lease in Galilee.

Dear Director Gray,

I am wondering about the status of the RIDEM Land Lease in Galilee. The time for the submission of the proposals for the RFPs has recently passed. I have heard the Town of Narragansett is hoping to be able to put forth a submission. I do feel with the Procaccianti being allowed to have their hand in issuing the RFPs it has discouraged potential developers from bidding on the property. At one of the prior proposals, it was requested that it would be ideal if the Town of Narragansett can take over the lease. I feel that would be a great idea. Alternatively, the Town of Narragansett may consider purchasing the land. I would be supportive of either of the above options. However, I do feel if the Procaccianti Group is allowed to retain the lease after its 6 months extension it will be difficult to have any viable development in the area. If the option for Narragansett to take over the lease is not possible, then the lease land should be put out for bid for other developers who want to work with the Town of Narragansett. Our 2 representatives, Carol Hagan McEntee and Teresa Tanzi, and all our elected officials and concerned residents in Narragansett feel that the RIDEM should divorce itself from the Procaccianti Group by terminating their lease. We were shocked that they were granted a 6 month extension after Procaccianti failed to put forth any viable options outside of a massive parking lot, It is obvious to all concerned citizens, the Procaccianti Group only has their self interest by proposing primarily a large parking lot in that area. The residents in Narragansett and South County have had great division before on matters such as student rentals or the fight for a modern library, however, we all have great unity in wanting a viable development in Galilee. We also have great unity in that we want the Procaccianti Group removed from its lease. I therefore hope you will listen to the will of the people and its elected officials who want what is best for Galilee. We all know Mr. Procaccianti is a multi billionaire and he has deep pockets. We hope the RIDEM will rise above the wealthy developer with deep pockets wanting to put forth his company's ill conceived development for his gain and South County's loss. When I visited the Pier in Warwick, I was impressed by the millions the RIDEM invested to support the beautiful Pier. Please do not allow Procaccianti to cause harm to Galilee, its businesses, and its residents by pushing his company's agenda. I also was in contact with the Director of the South County Museum, Heather Kisilywicz, and she noted a Maritime Museum would be ideal in a portion of that area. Funding for the project will be made available. We all agree with her. Here is a link of a google doc that brings forth some viable options for the leased land. It was prepared and supported by a licensed architect and his wife who have a background in land development. https://docs.google.com/.../18aJuFVAkLWlkk9q4KCev.../edit There is an online petition showing support for a viable revitalization plan in Galilee. There are 1926 supporters that signed that petition, and it is growing everyday. We hope and pray the RIDEM will do the right thing and remove the Procaccianti Developers from its lease, and it will empower the Town of Narragansett and its sage political leaders, Town Manager, town engineers, building planners, and its concerned citizens, so we can create a viable plan for Galilee and for everyone who loves, lives, works, and visits Galilee. Respectfully Submitted, Dr. Albert Alba PS Below is the latest update I posted at the Change Petition Website Dr. ALBERT ALBA Narragansett, RI, United States NOV 18, 2021 — I want to thank everyone who has signed the petition in support of wanting a viable development for Galilee. The RIDEM put out an RFP and the submission deadline was November 15th, 2021. The RIDEM had the Procaccianti Group still involved issuing the RFPs in conjunction with the RIDEM even though the Town of Narragansett is opposed to Procaccianit's continuation with the lease. Procaccianti's proposal was to use the leased land in Galilee as primarily a parking area to bring tourists over to Block Island. To add insult to injury, an open air parking lot is primarily a cash business, so the ability to account for the thousands of dollars in taxable revenue would be difficult. Mr. Procaccianti is a multi-billionaire, and he put forth a nickel and dime proposal for his gain and Galilee's loss. Let us not forget, last December Procaccianti Developers purchased a 19 Million Dollar Marina in Block Island, so it is no wonder he wants to retain the lease in Galilee for a massive parking lot to flood people over to Block Island, so potentially tourists can visit his Marina that has a huge hotel, restaurant, and many other amenities. The Town of Narragansett has been in contact with the RIDEM in the hope they will listen to the desires of our residents and town officials. Procaccianti Developers were given a short term lease renewal even though they failed to put forth a viable plan for Galilee, and their spokesperson referred to Galilee as noisy and smelly . It is my hope and the Town of Narragansett's elected officials that the RIDEM will release Procaccianti from the lease after the short term (6 month extension) expires in the near future. Please encourage at least one friend or family member to add his or her signature to this petition, as the more signatures presented the more powerful a message of support for a viable development plan for Galilee will be evident. Below is a link to the RIDEM that has the RFP that was posted on their website. Here is a link to Procaccianti's recently purchased Champlin's Marina: Champlin's 19 Million Dollar Marina.  Block Island Marina Resort | Champlin's Resort (champlinsresort.com)