5 Things, Feb. 3: Winter Walk; Dry & Cold

It's Friday, Feb, 3, 2012. Here are your 5 Things To Know Today.

Stroll: Tomorrow starting at 10 a.m., the Providence Parks Department and the Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy host a Winter Walk to the top of Neutaconkanut Hill, just over the line in Providence. Dress for hiking in the woods. Hot chocolate to follow. Questions? Call Susan, 946-6594 (RCFitz2@cox.net) or  Elli, 943-1219 (ElliP5@cox.net) Win: Tonight is Bingo night at the Johnston Senior Center. Fun starts at 5:30 p.m. Progressive jackpot, refreshments, excitement. Cold: The JohnstonPatch Weatherbug forecast calls for sunny skies and temps in the upper 30s during the day. Overnight lows in the 20s. Clous roll in Saturday night. Check: Find local gas prices and traffic conditions on our Traffic & Gas page. Wind Power: On this date last year, …

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Council President Agrees: Johnston Needs Own Wind Turbine Ordinance

Council President Robert Russo says he's in favor of passing a town ordinance governing wind turbines.

Although they didn't come up as an agenda item at this week's town council meeting, the proposals for wind turbines to be built in Johnston off Greenville Avenue were still mentioned — Councilwoman Stephanie Manzi asked Town Clerk Vincent P. Baccari Jr. to research the progress of applications in other towns. According to town officials, the earliest that the local applications could be addressed is late spring or early summer. Town Solicitor William Conley is currently working with a study group to develop a framework for handling applications in the future — it was the lack of such rules that led the zoning board to suspend its review of the applications on Jan. 27. (Read about how North Kingstown has been dealing with the issue: The …

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Joseph Hutnak

9:50 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012

Hi Joe: Thanks for weighing in on this issue — while I won't go so far as to say that the wind turbine proposals are dead, they are certainly quite far from being seriously discussed. Quick update from tonight's council meeting: The item for changes to the town ordinance that would govern wind turbines — which has been on the agenda every month since last April — was not acted upon once again, …   more ›

Polisena Supports Town Ordinance For Wind Turbines

The mayor says the sooner, the better, for new regulations covering wind turbines.

Whatever happens in the coming months with regard to wind turbine applications in the state, Mayor Joseph M. Polisena said he hopes the Town Council will complete work on new regulations so that Johnston is ready to handle such proposals. "I really want to see an ordinance in place so the town, whether it's today or 10 years or 20 years from now, has something in place," Polisena said during  phone interview Monday morning. The Johnston Zoning Board on Jan. 27 referred applications for wind turbines off Greenville Avenue to the Town Council; since then, North Kingstown officials have asked the state to impose a moratorium on any wind turbine plans until the state's Wind Energy Facility Siting Advisory Group completes its work in creating a…

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From the Editor's Desk

In Context: Applications For Wind Turbines In Johnston

The way North Kingstown has been handling an application there, and the state's need for regulations, may affect local plans for two turbines off Greenville Avenue.

When the Johnston Zoning Board decided last week not to hear applications by Wind Energy Development LLC for two wind turbines off Greenville Avenue near Interstate 295, board members stated that it was because of the town's lack of what they called a "vehicle" for considering the proposal. Since then, Town Solicitor William Conley has explained that, within the next 90 days, the town is planning to update its regulations so that the zoning board can then review Wind Energy Development's plans in Johnston. Outside town, though, there are a few developments that could affect how Johnston goes about creating a regulatory structure for wind turbines: So, how could these two factors affect the proposals in Johnston? The most obvious way is …

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Question Is 'Where,' Not 'If,' On Wind Turbines

Town officials are expected to draft new language for the handling of two wind turbine applications.

Following the Johnston Zoning Board's decision last week not to act on two applications for wind turbines off Interstate 295 near Greenville Avenue, the town will take steps to put a process in place for handling them in the future, according to Town Solicitor William Conley. Interviewed by phone on Tuesday afternoon, Conley said the main question was establishing the process — as opposed to stopping wind turbines in Johnston. "It's not wheter or not we will (have wind turbines) — it's more about having the proper use ordinances in place, not about prohibiting them," Conley said. Conley explained that the 90 days set by the zoning board for council action will allow town officials to "put together regulatory structures to handle …

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