Battle Over Development in RI Communities Plays Out in Newport

Battle Over Development in RI Communities Plays Out in Newport

The battle over “density” in the City of Newport has taken another turn, when a former City Councilor - and realtor - took issue with comments made by the City Planner. 

This week, Kate Leonard - who served on the Council for over two decades and as a realtor with Lila Delman - criticized the City Planner for personally advocating for increased density in the city.  

This is a battle that is playing out in many communities wrestling with growth. Rhode Island needs tens of thousands of new housing units, but few are getting built.

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Leonard shared City Planner Rebeccah Trefethen’s bio on “Urban Future” in which Trefethen is quoted as saying, “The #1 challenge I want to tackle in my city is to…increase density in innovative ways and to become more walkable with multi-modal transportation.” 

Urban Future is a European-based organization that says that is mission is to "support you to change your city for the better. That’s why we love to inspire, challenge, and connect you with the world’s most impressive urban change-makers."

“Is this what we want Newport to be? It is an embarrassment to say her #1 goal is to increase density," said Leonard. "We are the road to becoming Cranston or Pawtucket! Newport is on a destructive path. Our quality of life and protection of the character of neighborhoods is diminishing each year."

According to state data, the population of Newport grew from 24,672 in 2010 to 25,163 in 2020 - a 2% increase. 

City Defends Employee

A spokesperson for the City of Newport defended Trefethen’s comments.

“Increasing Newport’s year-round housing stock has been a stated goal of the City for a number of years, and we’ve been working diligently on both the City Council and staff levels to develop potential strategies to make Newport a more affordable and accessible place to live,” said City of Newport Communications Director Tom Shevlin. 

Shevlin said that Trefethen was in the bounds of her role with her comments. 

“As professional practitioners, City staff is responsible for carrying out the vision and policies set forth by the City Council, and like many communities, one of the biggest challenges we’ve been asked to address over the last several years is Newport’s need for more housing,” said Shevlin. “Since the Council’s 2023 passage of five resolutions that sought to develop solutions to the housing crisis, staff from across multiple departments have been intently focused on advancing policies that are innovative and forward-looking while at the same preserving the character of Newport’s neighborhoods.”

Shevlin added that the public was included in the process. 

“This work is most reflected in the City’s updated Comprehensive Plan Housing Chapter, adopted in 2024 following extensive public engagement and review by both the Planning Board and City Council,” said Shevlin. “The Chapter identifies the creation of more middle-class housing as a cornerstone of Newport’s future and emphasizes the importance of traditional two- and three-family homes—longstanding development patterns that contribute to the City’s compact, walkable, and highly livable neighborhoods.”

Leonard, however, stood by her Facebook post when reached for comment. 

“Staff can make recommendations that Council votes on to approve or not,” said Leonard. “City Council has the authority to propose and approve/disapprove policy. Many employees do not live in town and do not understand the city or its history. The City Manager is also an employee who serves the Council. He/she also hires and evaluates employees. [The] City Council evaluates the City Manager."

“City employees are hired to perform jobs per their job descriptions…they are not there to advocate or create policy,” added Leonard.