South Kingstown Moves Forward With New EMS Facility

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — The South Kingstown Town Council approved the purchase of a parcel of land for the town's new emergency vehicle facility. If approved, the parcel will house the town's ambulances.

The land is part of a parcel owned by the South Kingstown Land Trust on Ministerial Road. The purchase agreement set the price at $10,000.

While the town has entered a purchase agreement, the sale will not officially go through until "full due diligence" is performed, including public comment, a site suitability review and permitting.

The Land Trust proposed the parcel after talks about proposed construction of a new EMS facility on the Union Fire District's property on Matunuck Schoolhouse Road. The Trust could not provide an easement on the Weeden Farm property adjacent to the Union Fire District land due to legal issues, and proposed the other property as an alternate.

The Land Trust's Board of Directors unanimously approved the offer, Executive Director Julia Landstreet told the town, because it would serve the town's "greater good" to have the new EMS facility.

The town will continue to consider the Union Fire Department's construction proposal until the due diligence process is complete at the Ministerial Road site.

"The Town is extremely fortunate to have two fully invested community partners in the Union Fire District and the South Kingstown Land Trust, with sincere interest in contributing to meeting a critical need in the community," Interim Town Manager Theresa Murphy said. "In this instance, the ‘greater good’ is ensuring emergency medical services, that meet acceptable response times, are available to all residents."