As ‘the pace of development quickens'

To the editor: The Warwick Smart Growth Alliance has been formed in order to protect the quality of life that we enjoy in our town. We whole-heartedly support existing and proposed efforts to save the best qualities of our rural life before it is lost to development. And we invite all town residents to our first informational forum to learn about our group and new options for protecting our Warwick way of life. We all can see that the Town of Warwick is still special. Instead of the kind of sprawl common these days, we have three downtowns which remain the commercial centers of our three villages. About 2,300 acres of farmlands have already been permanently protected through the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program. And our new zoning code encourages cluster development, leaving important open space in new developments. These are significant achievements of which we can be proud. That is the good news. The bad news is that all the PDR funds are committed. However, there are at least 11 more farmland owners who are seriously inclined toward joining the PDR program. Further, concerns are rising about water quality in various parts of our town, development continues to replace farms, and significant historical buildings are in serious decay. The pace of local development quickens while our toolbox to balance development impacts and protect our quality of life shrinks. But there is hope. Warwick has been given the right to hold a referendum to establish a Community Preservation Fund. The fund would be dedicated to the preservation of farmland, aquifer protection, passive public recreation, and historical preservation. To learn more about this, we urge all concerned citizens of the town to attend our first Warwick Smart Growth Alliance informational forum at the Warwick Conference Center on Hoyt Road, Sunday, April 2 from 3-5 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Andrew McLaughlin Member, Warwick Smart Growth Alliance