H 8469Cities & Towns

Towns and Cities - Coventry's New Construction Projects Act

This bill sets strict approval deadlines for new housing developments in Coventry and updates how the town counts housing units.

Held for study

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Introduced Apr 17, 2026Committee House Municipal Government & Housing

Plain-English Summary

This bill creates new rules for residential construction projects in the town of Coventry. It sets strict deadlines for developers: they have one year to move from preliminary to final approval, and two years after final approval to request a building permit. If they miss the two-year deadline, they must start the application process over. It also allows Coventry to temporarily count these newly approved units, including "bonus units," toward its total housing inventory as soon as a building permit is requested, helping the town meet its housing goals while construction is ongoing.

For younger readers

This bill makes new rules for building houses in the town of Coventry. When someone wants to build a new neighborhood, they have to get permission from the town. This bill gives them a time limit. They have one year to get all their final permissions, and then two years to actually ask for a piece of paper that lets them start building. If they wait too long, they have to start all over again. It also lets the town count these unbuilt houses on their list of homes right away so the town looks good on paper.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Property developersHousing plannersCoventry town officialsHome buildersFuture home buyers

Impacted communities

Coventry

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Encourages faster development of housing by setting strict deadlines for developers to start construction, preventing wealthy developers from hoarding land without building on it.
Helps the town of Coventry meet its housing inventory goals more efficiently by allowing them to count units earlier in the process, potentially accelerating community development plans.
Provides clear, predictable timelines for both the community and developers, improving the transparency and efficiency of local government planning and public services.
Allowing the town to count unbuilt units toward housing goals might create a false sense of progress, potentially masking a lack of actual, move-in ready affordable housing.
Strict timelines might pressure developers and town officials to rush through important environmental or community impact reviews to meet the one-year deadline for final approval.
The bill focuses exclusively on the town of Coventry, failing to address statewide systemic housing shortages or affordable housing needs comprehensively.

For Conservatives

Streamlines the regulatory process by establishing clear, predictable deadlines for municipal approvals, reducing bureaucratic delays that hinder private developers.
Automatically voids applications if developers fail to act within two years, preventing indefinite government entanglements and freeing up town resources.
Empowers local government to manage its own development and housing inventory metrics without relying on heavy-handed, top-down state mandates.
Imposes arbitrary state-mandated deadlines on local developers, potentially infringing on their right to manage the pace of their private property investments.
Forcing developers to completely restart the costly and time-consuming application process if they miss the two-year deadline imposes a heavy regulatory burden on businesses.
Allows the local government to artificially inflate its housing inventory numbers with unbuilt units, which could be seen as deceptive accounting to satisfy government quotas.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 37 additions

SECTION 1. Title 45 of the General Laws entitled "TOWNS AND CITIES" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 45-53.1-1. Title. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Coventry's New Construction Projects Act." 45-53.1-2. Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) "Bonus units" means additional residential units approved by the town of Coventry as part of a development project in accordance with the town's zoning and development policies.

(2) "Building permit" means a permit issued by the town of Coventry granting authorization for the commencement of construction on a project.

(3) "Certificate of occupancy" means a certificate issued by the town of Coventry confirming that a building has been completed in compliance with all building codes and is safe for occupancy.

(4) "Final approval" means the final authorization given by the town of Coventry following successful completion of all necessary review and approval processes for a development project.

(5) "Preliminary approval" means the initial approval granted to a development project after review and recommendation by the appropriate municipal authority. 45-53.1-3. Timelines for approval and permitting.

(a) In the town of Coventry, the period between the granting of preliminary approval and the granting of final approval for a development project shall not exceed one year.

(b) In the town of Coventry, the period between the granting of final approval and the issuance of a building permit shall not exceed two (2) years.

(c) In the town of Coventry, if the applicant does not request a building permit within the two (2) year period following final approval, the application and vesting shall be considered void. The development process shall need to be restarted, and the applicant will need to resubmit a new application for review and approval. 45-53.1-4. Temporary addition of units to town's total unit count.

(a) In the town of Coventry, once an applicant requests a building permit, the number of units approved for the development, including any bonus units, shall be temporarily added to the total unit count. This count shall be included in the town of Coventry's current housing inventory.

(b) The units, including bonus units, shall be permanently added to the town of Coventry's unit count upon the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the development or three (3) years from the date of the request for a building permit, whichever occurs first.

(c) The town of Coventry shall be allowed to count the units, including bonus units, against other new developments while the construction is ongoing. This allowance shall ensure that the town of Coventry remains in compliance with its housing and development goals, while still providing flexibility to the applicant during the construction phase.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.