But at the top of the portion that was on Clerkbase was what was, to me, the highlight: the Planning Commission really doesn't like Dave's Coffee's "pushing the envelop" of their approved road signage.
Commissioner Kate Waterman was positively irate when she reported that Dave's had TWO sandwich boards posted at their Route One site (next to Galapagos), when they are only supposed to have one. And then there's that damned truck! It made me feel proud to be a Charlestown taxpayer to see these dedicated public servants devote so much energy to stomping down these scofflaws.
I was also fascinated at the long and painful exchange between Town Council President Tom Gentz and Planning Commissar Platner over the issue of posting proposed and draft ordinances on Clerkbase. Gentz was attempting to explain to Platner that the Town Council made a promise to the public at the June 15 Council session that from now on, proposed and draft ordinances would be made more readily available on the Town website, and not just on Clerkbase.
I had reported last week about a very harsh exchanage of words between Gentz and attorney Maggie Hogan over the availability of ordinance language. The Council's pledge grew out of their response to Hogan's complaint.
But Gentz and Plattner went back and forth on this repeatedly. Gentz tried to explain what the Council wants to do (and that Town Clerk Amy Rose Weinreich had a plan to do it). Platner responded with either a lack of understanding or an insistance on adding disclaimers.
The funny thing about that Gentz-Platner exchange is that Platner was right there at the Council meeting when the Gentz-Hogan fight happened and the Council promise was made. So why she (a) feigned lack of understanding or (b) didn't know this was going to apply to Planning is a puzzle.
Town Solicitor Peter Ruggiero told the Planning Commissioners about proposed state legislation that would promote a more uniform (and less arbitrary) development policy, one that promotes "smart growth" and cluster development. Commissioners were irate that the state would once again impose on their concept of Charlestown's rural character, although Platner claimed that Charlestown is already on board with cluster development. According to her, Charlestown already has policies superior to the proposed legislation She said maybe this legislation might help such pitiful places as Westerly or West Warwick (or as Commissioner George Tremblay chimed in, Central Falls), but oh no, not Charlestown.
Finally, Ruggiero told the Commissioners about the memorandum Larry LeBlanc's lawyer Nick Gorham had filed with the RI Superior Court, where he asked the court to rule on the question of whether the Planning Commission violated state law that mandates that its members be appointed, not elected. This memorandum has been in circulation for a week and a half, but the Commissioners pretended that this was the first they had ever heard about it.
Kate Waterman declared that the question of the Commission's legitimacy has already been settled (it hasn't) and seemed to be most concerned about whether she was specifically named for having pre-judged the the Whalerock wind turbine proposal. Solicitor Ruggiero assured Waterman that she was not named, though in fact, there is a whole section devoted to her prejudicial remarks.
Well, this sure as hell isn't Stanley Cup hockey, but Dave's Coffee better look out for the cross-check they're about to get for having one sandwich board too many.
Author: Will Collette
