Phone (401) 333-8433
aranaldi@lincolnri.org

Albert Ranaldi, Jr., Town Planner

The Role of the Town Planner:

I am privileged to be the first official Town Planner for the Town of Lincoln.  It is exciting to work with the many active and dedicated elected officials, appointed board members and committees, and special interest groups as well as the many passionate individual citizens in Town.  Lincoln has a wealth of historic, natural, and modern day assets.

The primary goal of a town planner is to find the balance between the increasingly conflicting demands made on the land, a limited resource.  We seek to reconcile the present and future demands of housing, recreation, transportation, open space, industrial and commercial development, and the environment.  Taking into account the views of a wide range of interested public and private groups is a key aspect of a town planner's role.

Planning is a broadly based discipline.  Town planners develop policies and plans for the use of land and resources.  We work closely with professionals in other fields such as engineering, architecture, property development, environment and conservation, historic preservation, and community service providers.  A town planner needs to have the ability to consider the economic, social, environmental, and cultural values of a community.  Many of our Town's values are outlined in the newly updated 2003 Comprehensive Plan.

The Comprehensive Plan:

A comprehensive plan (see Documents links, top of right column) is a broad strategy regarding the major areas in which town government affects the functioning of a community.  Rhode Island legislation has defined those broad areas as land use, housing, economic development, natural/cultural resources, open space and recreation, municipal services and circulation.  A comprehensive plan sets long-term goals for what a community wants to be like in the future.  Lincoln last prepared a comprehensive plan in 1992 and 1974.  The Town most recently updated its plan in 2003.

The major theme running through the 2003 updated plan is that of "balance".  Lincoln has focused on developing a good balance between growth and conservation.  This plan seeks to support and continue past successes.  The Town recognizes that good management puts the Town in a much stronger position to address the challenges of the future.

To maintain this balance, the plan addresses issues at several levels.  The plan gives special attention to the large parcels of land that could change dramatically in the next decade.  It explores ways to maintain the Town's strong tax base.  It also identifies continued strategies for reaching the Town's 30% open space goal.  Finally, the plan identifies actions to strengthen the character of Lincoln's existing neighborhoods and business areas.  Together, these actions give the Town a strategy that continues Lincoln's history of balance in its planning efforts.

Economic Development:

The Town of Lincoln offers a blend of the best traditional New England quality of life with a strong, supportive business climate.  Currently, approximately 23% of Lincoln's taxed land base is comprised of business uses. Within the Town can be found a regional shopping mall of over half a million square feet and a regional office park with over 900 thousand square feet.  There is a broad range of industrial space, including "incubator" space in a large nineteenth century mill complex, a 40 year old industrial park, several corporate headquarters, and a 1980's - 90's industrial park.  Almost the entire town is served by public sewer and water service.  Yet, Lincoln looks -- and thinks of itself -- as rural.

Since 1974 the Town of Lincoln has managed business growth and development according to the policies set forth in the 1974 Comprehensive Community Plan. The intent of these policies has been carried-out throughout the past decades.  In the early 1990’s, the Town joined forces with other northern cities and towns to establish three of the first four State of Rhode Island Enterprise Zones.  The Moshassuck Valley Enterprise Zone includes extensive manufacturing and commercial areas in the City of Pawtucket, as well as a Saylesville mill district in the southern portion of Lincoln.   The benefits of this worthwhile State program can be seen throughout Town.  Businesses within this zone are prosperous and beam with pride.  This pride has extended to other businesses outside of the zone. 

New England Economic Development Services, Inc. is the local point of contact for management for the Town.  The Rhode Island Enterprise Zone Program offers State tax credits, which can be used by qualified enterprise zone businesses to reduce their corporate income tax liability.  Tax credits are earned by creating full-time jobs for Rhode Island residents.  Geography for the Town’s zone is defined by federally designated Census Tracts, and eligibility for membership in the program is address specific.  Eligibility for participation in the program should be confirmed with New England Economic Development Services, Inc.

Affordable Housing Plan:

Rhode Island is in the midst of a housing crisis.  Statewide, personal income increased 25% between 1998 and 2003, while the median sales price of a single-family home increased 87.6%.  Lincoln is acutely experiencing this statewide housing crisis.  Rapidly escalating housing prices are making affordable homeownership and rental housing increasingly difficult to find for many Lincoln residents.  In the first half of 2004, the median sales price for a single-family home in Lincoln was $326,700.  This represents a 52.6% increase since 2000.  At this price, these homes are affordable to families earning a minimum of $103,200 per year.  Approximately 24% of Lincoln's households could afford a house at this price.  The average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in 2003 was $972, which is beyond the reach  of the average renter.  Thirty-one percent of Lincoln renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.  Lincoln's low-income residents have the greatest difficulty finding housing they can afford.

Due to rising housing costs, children who grew up in Lincoln cannot afford to live there as adults.  Young families are essentially shut out of the housing market.  Elderly residents who have lived and worked in Lincoln for decades are finding few affordable living opportunities.  The Lincoln Housing Authority has a 2 - 5 year waiting list for its 246 elderly housing units.  Employees working in Lincoln cannot afford to live in Lincoln.

In an effort to address the Town's affordable housing needs, the Lincoln Town Council commissioned this Affordable Housing Plan (see Documents links, top of right column).  The Affordable Housing Plan builds upon and supplements the Housing Element of the Town's Comprehensive Plan.  The purpose of the plan is to establish clear guidelines as to the amount, type and location of affordable housing development to meet the 10% low - moderate income housing goal stipulated by the State's Low and Moderate Income Housing Act.  The plan identifies strategies and recommendations to ensure that the Town's diverse housing needs are met.

Land Development and Subdivision Regulations Revisions:

The Planning Board members have been working hard on the most recent update to the Land Development and Subdivision Regulations (see Documents links, top of right column).  The proposed revisions addressed recent state law updates, clarified administrative procedures, and corrected typographical errors.  The regulations were recently approved in May of 2005.