Peter Voskamp

Town Planner Jane Weidman was on hand at Scenic Block Island’s annual meeting Saturday to explain the proposed zoning ordinance changes that are an attempt to rein in the proliferation of what many consider to be excessively large homes — or “McMansions” — on Block Island.

Weidman and the Planning Board hammered out the proposals at the Town Council’s behest during the previous year. The Town Council will hold a public hearing on the changes on October 6.

The proposed solutions include new non-negotiable dimensional limits — for height and footprint — as well as a set of five dimensional “triggers” that would force an applicant to seek a special use permit with the Planning and Zoning boards in order to build the house applied for.

These triggers involve footprint, living and gross area and retaining walls. (See box on Page 21.)

This new system would be called Development Plan Review.

If the changes are adopted, then when an applicant approaches the town for a special use permit it would result in a kind of de facto architectural review, suggested architect Dan Costa.

David Lewis, a conservationist who has followed the process closely, said that the community should embrace the changes as a “starting point.” He said that the proposed changes were needed “building blocks” and a “catalog of preferred characteristics.”

He applauded the Planning Board members on hand — Kevin Hoyt, Margie Comings and Mary Newhouse — for their efforts.

Bill Penn pointed out that part of the island is already subject to architectural review in the form of the Historic District Commission, of which he is a member.

Lewis responded that from his standpoint the island was not presently in favor of a formal, island-wide architectural review process, and the town is not prepared to enforce it. Pointing out that he meant no offense, Lewis added that it’s not unusual to hear residents say, “thank goodness we don’t live in the Historic District.”

He went on to say that from October 7 forward the town could have a “living laboratory” to learn “is this what we intended?”

Comings agreed that an architectural board of review “ain’t gonna fly” on Block Island.

“Let’s not cut off our nose despite our face,” she said, adding, “work on the things we can get done.” She pointed out that the Planning Board operated on the new regulations with a sense of urgency due to an expected increase in tear-downs.

The special use permit process would provide the opportunity for dialogue, Lewis said, and architects based off-island would get a feel for what works on the island. “And,” Lewis added, “Adam Smith’s invisible hand will guide the design.”

Nevertheless, Penn pointed out, there are more than 200 historic homes that exist outside that district under no extra layer of protection.

Planning Board Vice Chairman Kevin Hoyt said that the board members “absolutely intend to work on the inventory of historic homes to protect them.”

Covering coverage

Weidman walked the audience through the proposed changes via a PowerPoint presentation.

She explained that lot coverage was a sticking point for the Planning Board.

As far as lot building coverage — the percentage of a lot that may be covered by buildings — Weidman explained that she and the Planning Board worked on many versions of a sliding scale, an approach that was eventually scrapped.

In the end, however, with input from the Town Council, the Planning Board agreed to tweak the current allowed percentages in an effort to prevent “bulky structures on substandard lots while encouraging detached garages and multiple buildings to meet housing needs.”

In the Residential A zone (which consists of most of the island outside of town), the proposed building lot coverage would be 3 percent for a principal structure (it is currently 4 percent), with the maximum allowed on the lot to be 4 percent. Total lot coverage — which could include pools and tennis courts — remains 10 percent.

For the Residential B zone (High Street, Old Town Road, and parts of Center Road), those numbers also remain 8 percent for lot building coverage, and 16 percent for lot coverage.

Weidman also discussed roof pitch.

With these changes houses would be required to have a minimum roof pitch of 7/12. For purposes of comparison, Costa pointed out that a pitch of 12/12 was 45 degrees, which is considered the classic island roof style.

Peter Wood mentioned that the famous flat-roofed “Bauhaus” home off Champlin Road designed by Christopher Owens would not be allowed.

Weidman explained that the pitch limits were designed to prevent boxy looking homes that may be proposed because the height limit has been lowered.

That said, she added that the council and the Planning Board “don’t want to plan for everyone.”

“It’s the lowest common denominator” in the absence of formal town-mandated architectural review, Costa said.

In response to a question about dormer roofs, Weidman said they had not been considered in this round. Comings reminded the audience that the changes are part of a “working document” that remains open to additional suggestions.

Complex dimensions

In offering examples, Weidman attempted to show both how problematic building lot coverage can be and how the proposed changes would and would not affect the sizes of different structures on the island.

She pointed to her favorite island home — a 1,060 square foot building on a 0.21-acre lot on Indian Head Neck — which has 12 percent building coverage, far more than what would be allowed.

The iconic Bit O’Heaven near Black Rock would fit the new criteria: it has a 950-square-foot footprint (1,700 square feet with porch); living area of 1,800 square feet and has 3,400 square feet of gross area

The new Murphy House on Corn Neck Road is 86 feet long, which would have triggered the building plane limit of 75 feet. (It’s not considered a wall plane because it’s broken up by a porch roof.)

Property owner Andrea Cioccolanti stood to say that different building lot percentage standards should be considered for substandard lots. She explained that the Zoning Board has not been receptive to her plan for a 21-foot by 47-foot house with 9 percent building lot coverage on less than a half acre of land. (See related story, Page 7).

Costa responded that the issue of lot building coverage is “a minefield to keep everyone moderately happy.”

Lewis concluded by saying that they need to look back in 18 months from now to see how it worked. He also saluted the Planning Board for the “torture they’ve put themselves through.”

Awards

At the outset of meeting Scenic Block Island presented two awards to people who have worked to preserve the “beautiful jewel” that is Block Island. Beth Rowe and Mary Anderson presented the awards to Bob Downie and the Gasner family. Downie, who writes a regular column on island history in the Block Island Times, has produced a series of books and lectures highlighting the island’s past.

Downie “is such a special person,” Anderson said.

The second award went to the Gasner family for providing a “great visual beginning to Corn Neck Road” in the shape of a grouping of understated and tasteful houses that adhere to historical island styles.

In accepting the award, John Gasner explained that he first came to Block Island in the 1960s — before it was “quaintified.” He was drawn to the old buildings across from Dunn’s Bridge, and remembered the curtains flowing out of the broken windows at the boarded-up Manisses. When preparing to build his homes his attitude was “let’s keep the same feeling.”