More than 50 people packed an open-house meeting at Newport City Hall Thursday night to learn the results of a new study assessing available housing stock.
Patricia Reynolds, Newport’s director of planning and economic development, welcomed those gathered and explained the background on the housing issues and intention of the meeting. She noted that the city council had identified housing as a top priority, particularly for middle-income workers and families.
“We all know the cost of owning or renting a home in Newport has increased dramatically since 2015. The average rent has increased almost 40% and housing costs have increased by 56%,” Reynolds said.
She noted that the city is considered to be 90% built out and the current housing stock has been affected by short-term rentals, vacation homes and investment properties.
The city used funds from a state grant to hire consultants to assess Newport’s current housing stock. The findings highlighted at the meeting show, among other details, that Newport’s current zoning regulations, with large lot sizes, favor suburban development of the 1970s, not a historic city built on smaller lots.
Libra Planners consultant Kim Salerno said that suggests zoning rules may present a key obstacle to building more and varied housing options.
“One thing we’ve learned is that the zoning code is really a kind of archaic, regulatory tool that may not be well-suited to Newport’s physical environment. And it may, may be actually hampering really necessary development,” Salerno said.
As plans and strategies are developed, the city plans to hold additional public meetings to get ongoing feedback from Newport’s residents.
