Why is RhodeMapRI (RI Rising) A Threat to Every RI Taxpayer?
A committee of un-elected bureaucrats has set the stage to impose mixed-use, high density housing in every neighborhood in Rhode Island. Under the cloak of “sustainable” and “economic development,” a plan focused on creating a two-tier property tax that heavily favors subsidized housing over single family homeownership will be forced upon the citizens of Rhode Island. The result will be a situation in which only the wealthy can afford to live as we do today.
RhodeMapRI, now called RI Rising, considers single family homes as “sprawl” that cause inefficiencies in our state’s infrastructure, which it deems unsustainable. The solution posed by the plan is to create as much need as possible for people to move into growth centers (mixed use, high density housing) where infrastructure can be limited by cutting back the need for sewers, public water distribution, and all other utilities.
By imposing a two-tier property tax in which those who live in subsidized housing pay a very small percentage of the property tax burden, the cost of single family homeownership would necessarily skyrocket. As people cannot afford to live in their homes anymore, and the value of their homes decrease due to the high tax burden, RI citizens have only one choice – move into a growth center.
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The goal of RhodeMap is clear and expressly stated in its supplemental document Land Use 2025 in which it states:
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"If we are successful, this Plan’s recommendations are followed, 63 percent or more of the State’s landscape would remain as open, undeveloped land in 2025. One of our greatest challenges will be to permanently preserve as much greenspace as possible in both the rural areas and within the built environment." (Pg. 85 of Land Use 2025)
This is the intent of RhodeMap, and it is my intent to fight it in order to preserve local zoning and sovereignty for every Rhode Island citizen.
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Read the RhodeMapRI / RI Rising plan removed online by the state here.
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Read an analysis of the RhodeMapRI the state planners do not want you to see here.
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Read Rhode Island's Land Use 2025 planning document (supplement to RhodeMapRI) here.
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