h. a. Fisher Homes to Donate 18 Acres Near Rocky Point Park to Warwick

WARWICK, RI — Councilmen Edgar Ladouceur (D-Ward Five) and Steven Colantuono (R-Ward One) have introduced a resolution authorizing the donation of nearly 18 acres to the City to be preserved as open space, according to Mayor Scott Avedisian’s office.

In a release distributed to media Thursday morning, Hugh A. Fisher of h. a. Fisher Homes, LLC, at 831 Bald Hill Road is seeking to donate 119 lots in between Rocky Point Avenue and Meadowview Avenue, which would create an additional open space and wildlife corridor while enhancing existing pedestrian connections to nearby Rocky Point Park.

The donation, if authorized, would further goals outlined in the City’s Comprehensive Plan, including pursuing improved connectivity of parks, open space, recreation land, and water resources with neighborhood and other community destinations; protecting Warwick’s critical wildlife and wildlife habitat; protecting, preserving and enhancing natural resource areas adjacent to developed or potentially developed areas; and working to promote efforts to protect and enhance tree resources.

 “This generous donation would add to the significant amount of land that has already been preserved and protected from development in that neighborhood alone, including the nearly 124 acres at Rocky Point, and 8.5 acres of farmland adjacent to the park property known as Rocky Point Farm,” Avedisian said. “It will also ensure the protection of our valuable natural resources, and further efforts to increase pedestrian connections to Rocky Point. I thank Hugh Fisher for his willingness to make this donation and Councilmen Ladouceur and Colantuono for sponsoring this legislation. I am hopeful that the full Council will vote in favor of the resolution.”

 “When Hugh Fisher first approached me about this donation, I was more than happy to be able to work with him, Planning Director Bill DePasquale, and Principal Planner Dan Geagan on this initiative,” said Ladouceur.  “This is a great thing for the environment and it’s a win-win for the City and the taxpayers, and, especially, the residents of Ward Five.”

In October 2012, the City celebrated the opening of the Meadowview Avenue walking and biking path, a 10-foot wide, 400-yard path that connects the park property to Warwick Neck, enabling walkers and cyclists to avoid busy Warwick Neck Avenue and providing better access to the Highland Beach side of the property. The avenue, long closed to traffic, once served as part of the historic trolley line that connected Rocky Point to Providence and the Oakland Beach and Buttonwoods neighborhoods. Funding for that project came from RIDEM grant funds and City funds. Fisher supported that project by donating six lots located along the southern side of the street.