We Need to Act Now to Show Justification for The Town of Narragansett’s Proposal for Our Gem of a Village: Galilee
I hope this paper will prompt those who read its content to call the contact numbers listed at the end of this paper, so the Town of Narragansett’s Proposal is not thrown out and disregarded by the RIDEM and the selection committee on the decision date of December 15th, 2021. I hope all who contact the RIDEM, the State Properties Commission, and the Governor’s Office will prompt them to either select the Town of Narragansett’s Proposal or ask them to delay the selection date until a proposal like the Town of Narragansett’s will be generated from another developer if for whatever reason the RIDEM does not want to grant the Town of Narragansett the winning proposal. This document is also supported by the Friends of Galilee Committee that has advocated tirelessly all their lives to create a revitalization plan for the Village of Galilee. The entire Narragansett Town Council authorized and approved the Town Planner, Mike DeLuca to create the Narragansett Proposal that would consist of a mixed-use development like that discussed in this paper, and it was discussed at length at our Narragansett Town Council Meetings and at the Zoom informational meetings with the RIDEM. Dr. Ewa Dzwierzynski of the Narragansett Town Council has been one of the leading advocates for the Town of Narragansett’s Proposal. The Narragansett Pier Residents’ Association also fully supports the Town of Narragansett’s Proposal. It takes the entire State of Rhode Island including all those who may live outside of Rhode Island and who love Galilee, to save our Village of Galilee. Please take several minutes out of your day and call the contacts at the end of this page to make your voices heard. The RIDEM, the State Properties Commission, and the RIDEM all need to be contacted.
On the RIDEM website, 4 proposals have been submitted related to the 5-acre parcel that is leased out in Galilee by the RIDEM. The proposals were from the Town of Narragansett, Quonset Area Aqua Development Inc., PRI X, and The Atlantic Red Crab Company. I feel the proposal by the Atlantic Red Crab Company was mainly suggestions for others to explore, so commentary will not be provided on the Atlantic Red Crab Company. Based on the research I have read; The Town of Narragansett’s Proposal is most supported by previous research studies and sage individuals who have extensive knowledge of the land lease area in Galilee.
The justification for Narragansett’s proposal may highlight the following:
1. The Town of Narragansett’s Proposal creates a mixed-used development plan that is supported by the University of Rhode Island team of researchers composed of landscape architects, marine affairs professors, our own town planner Mike Deluca, and the Friends of Galilee. It also supports the previous plans supported by the research done by additional state agencies such as the Master Development Plan for Galilee, and the Galilee Special District Zoning Ordinance Plan as part of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
2. A Maritime Museum/Marine Education and Visitor Center will provide needed education on Marine Affairs and the fishing industry as well as a place for research. It will also provide students and visitors knowledge on how to sustain our fragile ecosystem, the history of our fishing village, and the fishing industry, and it can provide tours on or around the fishing boats. Fishermen can be invited to give speeches and lectures, and an aquatic biome center in a portion of the building can be considered. The Director of South County Museum, Heather Pouliot Kisiliwicz and others affiliated with the museum have noted a portion of this area would be a quintessential location for a Maritime Museum. In addition, the funding can come from grants that support the Museum and possibly from our Universities as the University of Rhode Island has a world-renowned Graduate School of Oceanography. The RFP calls for a development that benefits the fishermen in the area. I feel none of the other plans will help our area fishermen.
3. The Boutique Hotel can include a multi-purpose banquet/conference room for parties such as weddings, graduations, reunions, research conferences, and classroom presentations. Having a Boutique Hotel with a large conference/banquet room will allow for the hosting of special events and conferences where guests will have the option of booking rooms which will bring in revenue even during the off-season. The view of Galilee from at the upper level of a boutique hotel will be spectacular. I can state unequivocally a Boutique Hotel will bring in very good revenue to help sustain the lease and the infrastructure of the development to lower not increase taxes for the Town of Narragansett. We can see the Break Hotel near Galilee has been successful. I do not see James Durkin putting up a for-sale sign to sell the Break Hotel because he is losing money year after year. I know Mr. James Durkin is an outstanding businessman and entrepreneur, and he would not have taken on an investment that would take 99 years to make his hotel profitable, so why is Mr. Procaccianti asking for a 99-year lease? We also have numerous hotels along Ocean Road and South County that are very profitable. Some have argued it is a short season for a hotel. All hotels and related businesses operate on a short season in South County, and they are doing very well. A Boutique Hotel is endorsed in the University of Rhode Island Research Study as a viable suggestion for the area. For those who have a history of Galilee, we know the Dutch Inn/Lighthouse Inn did have a good run of profitability for many years. Unfortunately, the Dutch Inn/Lighthouse Inn was not modernized, so it was left in disrepair. It is sad, the Procaccianti Group purposely neglected the property where they otherwise could have revived it.
4. Sherry Carberry provided me with an outstanding organization, Eating With The Ecosystem who we can reach out to that will help all those who want us to benefit from our fragile seaside ecosystem. Sherry noted, and I concur: This non-profit organization could be very important in bridging our vision of educating visitors about commercial fishing and providing instruction regarding safeguarding our fragile marine ecosystems. They made the interpretive visitor signs in Galilee. It would be great if they had a place in the visitor center for education, lectures, culinary classes, and to host dinners showcasing the local catch. They have many events listed on their website which may possibly be hosted here in Galilee. Their website is: Eating with the Ecosystem and it can be found at the following link” http://eatingwiththeecosystem.com
5. A multi-level parking garage would bring in needed revenue to help offset the cost of the lease and for any building/construction. A multi-level parking garage will take a smaller footprint of the overall land in comparison to having parking space on ground level. The multi-level parking lot can also have additional benefits. Its top story can be used as an observation deck, and it can also be used as an emergency safety location in case of flooding. These ideas for a multi-level parking garage have been generated and endorsed in the University of Rhode Island Plan. In addition, the parking garage can be much better regulated than ground level parking where there is no accountability of cars. Therefore, the State of Rhode Island will get additional tax revenue that has the potential to be lost in a street-level parking lot. Procaccianti would never have proposed a massive parking lot if parking was not very profitable in this area. Let us utilize it wisely with a parking garage to profit from parking without sacrificing precious space.
6. A recreational park in the outdoor space would enhance the area. When I visited the Pier in Warwick, I found the park-like setting is ideal for those who love the outdoors, and it can also be used for events like concerts. We can have the Director of Parks and Recreations Michele Kershaw and her team determine what type of recreational park would be best for that area based on a best use analysis.
7. A tourism/visitor center would make that area a showcase for Galilee. Tours can be offered with Trolleys that will bring people around all the Gems of Narragansett. I feel the Narragansett Chamber of Commerce Director Peg Fredette and her team should be consulted in the development of a tourist center for Galilee. In Newport, they have many day tours on cruise boats and sailboats, that too may be a consideration.
8. The Town of Narragansett Proposal is the most open with respect to being able to be adjusted by our town listening to the needs of those who live and work in the area of Galilee, so its proposal can be tweaked and adjusted to create the most quintessential mixed-use development in Galilee.
In addition, to the Town of Narragansett putting forth a better proposal, I would add that based on the history of property management, it has done a more effective job managing the properties entrusted to them. Unlike the Procaccianti Group, none of the Narragansett Properties became an eyesore. None of the Narragansett properties were left to be uninhabitable due to purposeful neglect. None of the Narragansett properties are known to attract seagulls because of the property becoming neglected at the hands of the town. Also, the Town of Narragansett has shown that it can manage and take care of all its properties with a profit and not a loss. Our taxes are one of the lowest in the State of Rhode Island. The writers of our Narragansett Town Proposal were spot on. It was noted the Town of Narragansett effectively manages many properties and land in our town. The Narragansett Beach, its cabanas, the Cononchet Clubhouse, the Narragansett Towers, Kinney Bungalow, the Narragansett Parks and Recreation Center, our Senior Center, the South County Museum, our Library, properties and land on Middle Bridge, our Town Hall, and much more have all been well maintained. In addition, none of our properties have been purposely neglected for one to ever consider that a parking lot would be the best use for the property. I feel it is imperative the above is included in the letter, so no selection committee or governmental organization can justify and select another agency or proposal and argue to the Town of Narragansett and its officials that it is unfit to manage a 5-acre parcel in the heart of Galilee.
I will now provide my rationale on why we should not accept the alternative proposals.
1. The PRI X Proposal while it discusses a Boutique Hotel, notes they would only build it if the RIDEM awards them a 99-year lease, and if PRI X feels it would be economically feasible to build a hotel. In several previous meetings, PRI X mentioned a hotel is not feasible for the area. He told me, they are one of the premier developers in the world, and they would build a hotel if they thought it was feasible. Mr. Voccola, Procaccinati, Representative, noted Galilee is a “smelly and noisy district” and a massive parking lot is the best use for that area. Procaccianti already noted they did research in the area, and they noted the area is not profitable for a Boutique Hotel. Also, do we want the RIDEM to give Procaccianti Developers a 99-year lease when they failed to maintain the leased land for a much shorter duration? Would one rent out his or her property again after the lessee has trashed your property by purposeful negligence?
2. Procaccianti reneged on its first proposal for an upscale restaurant and events and a year and a half later he put forth a second proposal that was basically a relatively small strip mall with the remainder used for parking. The third proposal presented a small green space with, again, a massive parking lot. Council President Pugh showed how ridiculously small the proposed green space was with a plot map of his own neighborhood and yard.
3. A good portion of the land in the Procaccianti proposal would be used for street-level parking which is aforementioned less regulated and takes up a much larger footprint than The Town of Narragansett’s Proposal for a parking garage. There is a great potential that the income from a cash business may be unaccountable in an unregulated street-level parking lot.
4. One should realize that the Procaccianti Proposal does nothing to help our Village of Galilee, its residents, its area businesses, and it fails to help our local fishermen. I found it ironic that the Procaccianti Developers worked with the RIDEM in putting forth the RFP, yet their proposal is out of compliance with their own RFP.
5. Let us not forget, that Procaccianti purchased a 19-million-dollar marina on Block Island, and a massive parking lot would only serve to bring more people over to Block Island, so they can potentially visit his company’s resort-style, Marina. People become Multi-Millionaires and Billionaires by trying to get the biggest bang for their buck. The more unattractive Procaccianti allowed his leased land in Galilee to become the more they could call the area a stinky and noisy place. In addition, it might be easier to convince everyone nothing else can be viable in that location outside of primarily a street-level parking area with a small strip mall or a small park-like setting.
6. The PRI X proposal Phase 1 will only serve the self-interest of Procaccianti as it will allow his company to create primarily a massive parking lot with a small strip mall for his gain and Narragansett’s loss. Who knows if whenever we will ever see Phase 2. Why would Narragansett or the RIDEM even allow them to be given a 99-year lease as they have already breached the terms of the previous lease with the RIDEM?
The following are reasons why the Quonset Area Aqua Development Proposal should be rejected
1. While the Quonset Area Aqua Development Proposal notes it will bring jobs into the area, the terrifying fact is fish processing plants have been known to give off noxious odors. There have been numerous complaints and lawsuits against fish processing companies due to the stench that these companies produce. Please do a Google search on odors that can be found to be generated by fish processing plants. Two examples are American Heartland Fish Products in Grafton, Illinois, and another example is Seapro Inc. in Rockland Maine. If this proposal was to pass, it may be possible that only then would Mr. Voccola have reason to call Galilee a “smelly district”. I also feel it will fail to enhance the beauty of the area and it will discourage rather than encourage people to visit Galilee. Overall, I feel it will hurt the overall economy of Narragansett and lower property values in the area. Would a fish processing plant make Galilee a more inviting place to visit any time of the year? Would a fish processing plant bring more people into Galilee to support its fishermen to buy their catch or support area businesses? When the library was being built, it was proposed to have a businessman from Connecticut put up a Food Court that would potentially hurt area businesses. Due to public outcry, the developer backed down. Let us not forget what happened to our Pier when Gilbane put up his condominium projects in the heart of the Pier. We were all disappointed with the outcome.
2. An industrial plant on the leased parcel should not be allowed as it is not zoned industrial. The area of land is also zoned GB – Galilee Business, so a seafood processing plant would be in violation of the zoning for the 5-acre parcel. We need to emphasize this fact to the RIDEM, the State Properties Commission, and the Governor.
3. In addition, a seafood processing plant is not a mixed-use development that was recommended in the University of Rhode Island Study and many other research studies for the area. Only the Town of Narragansett’s Proposal is in agreement with the Development Plan of the Port of Galilee issued by the RI Department of Economic Development in 1997, the Galilee Special District Plan issued by the Town of Narragansett in 2000, and the Galilee Special District Zoning Ordinance adopted by the Narragansett Town Council as part of the 2003 Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
4. I would add, if the products sold in the processing plant are obtained from fisheries throughout the State of Rhode Island such as Newport, Bristol, and other areas, and if the plant decides to open a side shop to sell its seafood, it can potentially hurt our fishermen and our fish markets who sell their catch off their boats.
5. Any type of industrial building will be producing some type of noise and exhaust. Will a seafood processing plant help Galilee, its residents, and all that visit our Gem of a Village? The answer is a resounding no. While the processing plant will make the owners wealthy, it will be at the expense and loss of Galilee. Where will all the carcasses go when the thousands of fish are being stripped of their guts and wasted parts? It is obviously not a pretty picture that we want for our village and nearby residents. I do not think the owner of the fish processing plant would want to locate the plant next to their neighborhood.
6. If the Quonset Area Aqua Development Proposal is so good, let it be developed in an industrial area like Quonset, not in the village of Galilee which is near residential property and restaurants. Let us recall what happened when the Studio 38 Deal was allowed to be built in Rhode Island when no other state wanted to bring in the company. I am not a businessman, but to me, the Quonset Industrial Park would be a much better fit for a seafood processing plant in comparison to having it placed in our beautiful seaside village.
Please make your voices known by stating your objections to a fish processing place in the Heart of Galilee.
At the Change.org website, the online petition that supports the mixed-used development plan as outlined in the Narragansett Proposal for Galilee now has over 2144 signatures. The petition supports renditions much like the Town of Narragansett’s Proposal.
I feel if the Narragansett Town Council's plan is not selected as the winning RFP, then it can be argued that the RIDEM has a conflict of interest in allowing the PRIX to generate the RFPs with the RIDEM.
It would be very troubling if the RIDEM and/or the State Properties Committee does not choose the Narragansett Proposal as it is the only plan that shows a mixed-use development that will enhance the area, and it is in line with previous research studies, the RFP, and it shows a plan to help the fishermen. It is the only plan that suggests a mixed-use development as recommended in the University of Rhode Island research studies, and the RFP notes the proposals should help the entire Village of Galilee not only one business at the expense of others and all those who visit.
I feel if we fail to act, the RIDEM and the State Property Commission can claim the town did not voice any objections to the other proposals, so the proposals submitted must have been considered legitimate proposals for the Town of Narragansett.
It would be much more difficult for the RIDEM and/or the State Properties Committee to reject the quintessential Town of Narragansett Proposal for any unjustifiable cause when a letter is submitted that clearly shows the benefits of the Town’s Proposal over any of the others submitted.
I encourage everyone who has a love for Galilee to call the following individuals to support the Town of Narragansett’s Proposal.
Please call
The RIDEM and leave a message for Director Terry Gray and Legal Counsel Mary Kay. The RIDEM phone number is 222-4700.
The State Properties Committees Number is 222-1280. Please leave a message for the Chairperson Marco Schiappa and Director Brett Smiley.
The Governor’s Office and ask to leave a message for our Governor. The Governor’s Office Number is 222-2080
This time of year, one of my favorite movies is, It’s a Wonderful Life. Let’s not have our Town and our Beautiful Village be taken over by the modern-day Mr. Potters. Only through everyone working together in the movie was the Town able to stop Mr. Potter from ruining their beautiful town of Bedford Falls. Let’s continue to work together to save Galilee. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thank you all in advance for your continued support.
This paper is in memory of my dad, Albert Alba, Sr. who advocated and presented his ideas to improve Narragansett for all who visit, live, and work in our Beautiful Town.
Dr. Albert Alba, Jr.