§ 45-22.2-8 - Adoption of comprehensive plans.
SECTION 45-22.2-8
§ 45-22.2-8 Adoption of comprehensiveplans. – (a) The preparation and adoption of a comprehensive plan shall be conductedaccording to the following provisions in addition to any other provision thatmay be required by law:
(1) A single municipality shall establish and designate itsplanning board or commission as the agency having the sole responsibility forperforming all those acts necessary to prepare a comprehensive plan for themunicipality. Planning boards established under chapter 22 of this title shallcontinue to be governed by those provisions to the extent that those provisionsdo not conflict with the requirements of this chapter.
(2) Municipalities which choose to conduct joint planning andregulatory programs pursuant to this section shall designate and establish alocal planning committee which has responsibility for the comprehensiveplanning program.
(3) The conduct of the comprehensive planning program for allmunicipalities shall include:
(i) Conduct of public hearings and any other methods tosolicit and strongly encourage citizen input into the comprehensive planningprocess; and
(ii) Preparation of the comprehensive plan, including theimplementation program component, and recommendations to the municipallegislative body regarding the adoption of the plan or amendment.
(b) In order to encourage citizen participation in thecomprehensive planning process, planning boards, commissions, or committees aredirected to adopt comprehensive plans only after soliciting and consideringpublic input. Public hearings by the planning board, commission, or committee,and the municipal legislative body are required to be held prior to theadoption of the comprehensive plan. Adoption of the comprehensive plan by amunicipal legislative body is in the same manner provided for the adoption ofordinances in the manner provided for in the legislative or home rule charterof the municipality except that the plan need not be published in its entiretyin a newspaper of general circulation. Any local comprehensive plan adopted asprescribed in this section before the effective date is deemed to have beenadopted in accordance with this section.
(c) A comprehensive plan is adopted, for the purpose ofconforming municipal land use decisions and for the purpose being transmittedto the director for state review, when it has been enacted by the legislativebody of the municipality pursuant to the manner provided for the adoption ofordinances in the municipality's legislative or home rule charter. Allordinances dealing with the adoption of or amendment to a municipalcomprehensive plan shall contain language stating that the comprehensive planordinance or amendment shall not become effective for the purposes of guidingstate agency actions until it is approved by the state of Rhode Island pursuantto the methods stated in this chapter, or pursuant to any rules and regulationsadopted pursuant to this chapter. The comprehensive plan of a municipalityshall not take effect for purposes of guiding state agency actions untilapproved by the director, comprehensive plan appeals board, or the Rhode Islandsupreme court.
(d) The intent of this section is to provide for thedissemination and discussion of proposals and alternatives to the proposedcomprehensive plan by means of joint legislative and planning commissionhearings which disseminate information to the public and which seek bothwritten and oral comments from the public.