The state Division of Planning has approved the city’s Comprehensive Plan, the final step in the process that establishes a guide for development in Warwick for the next 20 years. 

The approval comes after months of thoughtful consideration, public meetings, and consultation with a variety of stakeholder groups afforded the opportunity to review and comment on the city’s vision for the future. An advisory committee, which served as a sounding board for the planning team, met regularly and a consultant team led by Goody Clancy and Associates of Boston worked with the city as well. Earlier this year, the Planning Board and the City Council approved the plan.

Entitled 21st Century Warwick: City of Livable Neighborhoods, the plan contains an overall vision that embodies Warwick’s unique sense of place, culture, and heritage, and establishes a set of goals, policies and actions to implement the vision. The plan is organized into a series of “elements,” or topic areas, including natural resources, historic and cultural resources, open space and recreation, housing and neighborhoods, economic development, transportation and circulation, services and facilities, land use, and “resilience,” an element focusing on how best to adapt to increased hazards from flooding and other potential impacts of climate change. 

“The state approval of the Comprehensive Plan is a testament to the hard work of all who were involved in this process,” said Mayor Scott Avedisian in a statement. “The Planning Department – under Bill DePasquale’s leadership – worked extraordinarily hard for months to develop the plan. I am very proud of everyone’s work and grateful for their efforts.”

“Our goal was to develop a thoughtful, 20-year strategic plan that would establish a framework for socially-responsible, sustainable growth and development,” said Interim Chief of Staff and Planning Director William J. DePasquale Jr. “The process provided a great opportunity for Warwick’s citizens and the business community to discover and help shape a plan that will improve the overall health, welfare and success of our community. The final product reflects the input of many diverse groups who are invested in Warwick’s future prosperity, and I thank the many volunteers, citizens and business people who attended a myriad of meetings over the past several years.”

“This effort represents a productive partnership that was established between the state and city of Warwick in the development of the comprehensive plan,” said Kevin Flynn, associate director of the Rhode Island Division of Planning. “Not only did the state and city each contribute substantial funds to the development of the plan, the staffs of the two respective planning agencies developed a cooperative relationship that worked to meet both the needs of the state and the desires of the local residents. It really was a model of respectful give-and-take that resulted in a remarkably thorough plan that is still easily understandable to non-planning professionals.”

Development of 21st Century Warwick began roughly two-and-a-half years ago, and was paid for in part with funding from the Statewide Planning Program’s Planning Challenge Grant Program. In addition to general public planning meetings, an online survey, and ward-specific public workshops, open houses were held to solicit input and ideas.

The final plan is available at the Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, the Planning Department, located on the second floor of the City Hall Annex, 3275 Post Road, and online at warwickcompplan.com.