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Hats off to Bob Kerr. He did an excellent job!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
By: Paul Zwolenski
The MED Zone was written for a site specific "deteriorated
and blighted" area of West Warwick and expanded
to "several towns in the state." The area
identified by Woonsocket for the MED Zone is not in
an existing "deteriorated and blighted" area.
It is proposed for undisturbed green land that holds
greater promise as a true economic engine for high paying
jobs. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
(RIEDC) is attempting to attract biotech and other high
paying jobs to Northern Rhode Island. These are jobs
that can support families and retain educated and skilled
workers in Rhode Island. The area for the proposed MED
Zone and Dowling Village is ideally located for facilitating
the RIEDC's goal of "pad ready site" locations
for high tech companies in Northern Rhode Island. This
will help to grow Rhode Island's economy and local municipal
tax base. This would also help to retained highly trained
and educated workers that have been leaving our state
for more lucrative opportunities in other states.
It would have been great if Mr. Kerr asked the question,
how does the State recoup lost tax revenue as thousands
of shoppers stream away from every existing retail areas
in the state. Woonsocket gets 3.5% of all retail taxes,
the State gets zero% for ten years.
How will the state help displaced retail workers that
loss their jobs in other parts of the State because
business is going north to the Woonsocket MED Zone?
Will the State raise income tax levels to offset lost
revenue?
Why would the residents of the State have to subsidize
private development that is detrimental to existing
small family businesses and the existing "Retail
Meccas" located in cities and towns such as Warwick,
Cranston, Providence, Smithfield, North Providence,
Lincoln, Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland. Are
these communities that are heavily represented in the
State Assembly going to sit on the side lines as business
leaves their area due to an unfair tax
advantage that is being misapplied?
Please do the math. As an example, If one were to purchase
a large ticket item such as a High Definition TV at
$4000 retail in Warwick, the State receives $280 in
tax revenue. That same purchase in Woonsocket gives
the State ZERO dollars as $140 in MED Zone tax revenue
goes directly to Woonsocket. One has to expect shoppers
to descend on Woonsocket/North Smithfield. Heck, I'd
drive a 60 mile round trip to save $140, wouldn't you?
Traffic will be gridlocked. This issue alone is at
least a 5 page disclosure.
EMS will be stretched beyond manpower and budget. Hiring
of additional EMS and Police will erode what ever tax
revenue North Smithfield would receive if "Dowling
Village" comes to fruition. KEEP IN MIND, North
Smithfield would not receive any MED Zone retail tax
revenue.
The environmental impacts are irreversible. Again volumes
can written regarding the dangers associated with this
proposed development in a Water Shed area alone.
To quote a local Town of North Smithfield resident,
"Dowling Village should really be called Dowling
Metropolis."
Please feal free to share my concerns with other interested
parties. I pray there are other interested parties in
the General Assembly.
With Great Concern
Paul Zwolenski
Town Council Member, North Smithfield
Previous Town Planner, and Planning Board Member
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