Newporters have put in a lot of work over the past year to create a vision for our city’s development in the North End, and the vision is coming together. A draft of the North End Urban Plan has been completed by the consultant NBBJ and delivered to the City Planning Department. The Plan, along with a set of zoning recommendations for the North End that would enforce our residents’ vision, are both being reviewed by our staff and will then be received and reviewed by the Planning Board. I have worked hard to make sure that resident participation has been an important and integral component of the development of these products, and the City will continue to engage our residents for the next steps. I am asking for continued participation and feedback from our community both at the Planning Board and Council meetings where the North End Urban Plan is discussed. It is exciting to see the future of our City being shaped by the people who live here.
During the City Council meeting this past Wednesday, we passed a resolution instructing the Planning Board to investigate certain issues with short term rentals and to come back to the Council with recommendations on potential solutions. The items being studied come from a Planning Board memo regarding recent short term rental ordinance changes and they concern sticker parking visitor passes issued to guesthouses, transient guest facilities being allowed in the Limited Business District by special use permit and a renewal process for special use permits issued for guest houses. This Council has taken strong steps to manage short term rentals in our residential districts and this is another step on the path of preserving our local neighborhoods.
The Newport Collegiate Baseball League began its debut season this past Friday at Cardine’s Field. Mike Falcone, the director of baseball operations for the Newport Gulls, formed the league after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. I’m excited to see that baseball has found a way to continue, albeit a little differently than we expected! During the games, Cardines is closed to fans so that the players can social-distance in the stands rather than in the dugouts. That doesn’t mean that fans can’t watch. All the games are streamed live on YouTube, so we can still root on our local teams!
Newport Collegiate Baseball League Opening Day - Photo courtesy of Andrew Falce (IG:@andrewfalce)
I spent part of today with my Vice Chair, Susan Taylor, handing out masks on Bellevue Avenue. Councilor Taylor has worked hard to organize volunteers to hand out masks across Newport on the past few busy weekends and I was pleased to participate today. Having an active presence helps with compliance a lot. I was encouraged to see a good majority of people wearing a mask. If you’re interested in volunteering, please let Councilor Taylor or me know! Wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing your hands continue to be the three most important things we can all do to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
Sincerely,
Jamie Bova
Newport Mayor and Council Chair
