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City Plan Commission (CPC)

About

This citizen board is charged with developing the city’s plans for preservation, revitalization and growth of the city. Working with the citizens of Providence and the staff of the Department of Planning and Development, the commission develops the city’s Comprehensive Plan and ensure that all planning documents are based on the goals and policies of the plan. The Commission also works to insure that development in the city is consistent with the city’s plan by reviewing all land development projects, applications for zone change and requests for street abandonment.

Duties & Responsibilities

The City Plan Commission is responsible for planning activities in the city, including but not limited to:

  • Preparing and adopting a Comprehensive Plan, including any amendments, for the City of Providence.
  • Providing advisory opinions to the City Council on all amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, including map changes.
  • Providing advisory opinions to the City Council on all amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, including map changes.
  • Providing advisory opinions on any other matters referred by the City Council or Mayor, including requests for abandonment of city streets and creation of easements across city rights-of-way. Reviewing Redevelopment Plans for consistency with the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
  • Reviewing and approving all proposed subdivisions and land development projects.Reviewing and approving the annual Capital Improvement Program and Budget.
  • Reviewing Institutional Master Plans for health care and higher educational institutions.

Other responsibilities as identified in Rhode Island General Law, the Providence Zoning Ordinance and Home Rule Charter.

The Providence Zoning Ordinance is Chapter 27 of the City’s Code of Ordinances. The link above will take you to a searchable version of the entire code of ordinances, you can select Chapter 27 from the expandable menu on the left side of the screen.

Review Process

The Commission is responsible for reviewing several different types of development:

  • Capital Improvement Program Budget
  • Comprehensive Permits
  • Comprehensive Plan
  • Creation of easements
  • Development in RP- Residential Professional Districts
  • Institutional Master Plans
  • Land Development Projects
  • Redevelopment Projects
  • Street Abandonments
  • Subdivision of Land
  • Zoning Ordinance Amendments

Membership

The City Plan Commission (CPC), as established by Section 1013 of the Providence Home Rule Charter, is a board consisting of seven volunteer members who are city residents. Five of the members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council in accordance with the following requirements:

  • Experience in real estate, development or finance (one member)
  • Experience in city planning, architecture or urban design (one member)
  • Experience in human services or environmental sciences (one member)
  • Representation of general citizenry of the city (two members)

The Mayor and the Council President or their designees serve as ex-officio members.

City Plan Commission Current Members:
Christine West, Chair
Michael Gazdacko, Vice Chair
Harrison Bilodeau, Secretary
Manuel Cordero, Mayor’s Designee
Christian Potter, Council President Designee
Miguel Quezada
Nicole Verdi

Meetings & Agendas

The City Plan Commission typically meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 4:45 pm at 444 Westminster Street, 1st floor conference room to review pending applications. Due to the coronavirus pandemic the CPC’s meetings are currently being conducted in a hybrid format via the online platform “Zoom.”

City Plan Commission’s 2021 meeting schedule.

Click here for agendas & minutes of the City Plan Commission.

Meeting Documents

For previous meeting’s materials click here.

The City Plan Commission is holding a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 4:45 p.m., at the Joseph Doorley Municipal Building, 1st Floor Meeting Room, 444 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.

THIS IS A HYBRID MEETING.
Commission Members are required to attend in person at 444 Westminster Street, 1st Floor, Conf. Room, Joseph A. Doorley, Jr. Municipal Building, Providence, RI 02903. Masks are required to be worn regardless of vaccination status.

All others (applicants or their representatives/members of the public) may also remotely view and participate in the meeting on the Zoom platform using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87233568540, or may participate by telephone by dialing one of the following toll-free numbers: 833 548 0276, 833 548 0282, 877 853 5247, or 888 788 0099. The Webinar ID is 872 3356 8540.

Meeting Materials:

Agenda for 11/16/21

Please contact Choyon Manjrekar at  or 401.680.8525 if you encounter difficulty accessing the files.

Applications and Forms

Contact Information

Robert Azar, AICP, Deputy Director:
401.680.8524

Choyon Manjrekar, Principal Planner
401.680.8525

City Plan Commission
Department of Planning & Development
444 Westminster Street, Suite 3A
Providence, RI 02903-3215
Phone: 401.680.8400
Fax: 401.680.8492

Office Hours
January-June and September-December
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

July-August
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Annual notice of the Providence Public Notice Registry for changes to local regulations

Pursuant to amendments to Rhode Island General Law 45-23-53 and 45-24-53, notice is hereby provided that the City of Providence maintains a public notice registry allowing any persons or entity to register for electronic notices of any changes to the local Zoning Ordinance or to Subdivision Regulations, where public notice is required.

Register to be notified of changes to local Zoning Ordinance or Subdivision Regulations:

Planning - Public Notice