'Village Center' Plan Goes in Front of Barrington Planning Board

A formal plan for the creation of a “village center” in Barrington will be unveiled to the Planning Board tonight, Nov. 5.

Representatives from the Birchwood Design Group, a Providence landscape architectural firm, and Surface Matter Design, a Providence graphic design studio, will make the presentation at the 7 pm meeting. It will take place in the Council Chamber in Town Hall.

The “village center” will include that stretch of Barrington that lies between Maple Avenue, West Street, Waseca Avenue and Wood Avenue with a connection to the Barrington Shopping Plaza and the East Bay Bike Path. It will include new streetscapes, signs, more convenient off-street parking, crosswalks, sidewalks and a “wayfinding” plan that connects merchants and businesses in that part of Barrington.

Birchwood and Surface Design have already met with the Barrington Business Association and held a “public walk-about and design workshop” to collect feedback on the proposed “village center connectivity plan.”

The two consultants also will create a map for the barren kiosk on the bike path near the shopping plaza and a new kiosk to be built at the new park being created at Police Cove. 

The cost to create the “village center” must still be determined. Sources of funding for the project could be federal and state grants, capital improvement funds or bonds. 

Here is the complete agenda for the meeting: 

BARRINGTON PLANNING BOARD

November 5, 7 p.m. 

Council Chamber, Town Hall

AGENDA

1.            Call to Order

2.            Roll Call and Determination of Quorum

3.            Consent Agenda

3.1            Approve Minutes: October 1, 2013 Regular Business Meeting (CA)

4.            Public Hearings

None

5.            Old Business

5.1            (Hearing is closed) Rumstick Road – Preliminary Plan. Proposed 2-lot subdivision of 3.38-acre parcel. Waivers include development of a private road for purposes of creating a new lot. Relief has been granted by Zoning Board of Review for insufficient frontage provided for new house lot. Zoned Residence 25. (Plat 24, Lot 239)

6.            New Business

6.1            Presentation: Barrington Village Center Connectivity Plan (Birchwood Design Group and SurfaceMatter Design)

6.2            Reappoint Bob Stillings, Greg Spiess and Noah Szosz to the Technical Review Committee

7.            Reports & Special Items: None

8.            Reports from Planning Board Members: Comprehensive Plan Subcommittee members; Housing Board of Trustees liaison; Committee for Renewable Energy in Barrington liaison; Police Cove Park Committee members; Technical Review Committee members; Harbor Commission liaison; Capital Improvement Program Subcommittee members; Wayfinding & Streetscape Committee members

9.            Comments - Board Members, Council Liaison & Town Planner

10.            Adjournment