Despite last week’s unanimous City Council vote to establish a committee to “solicit and review proposals” for a Rocky Point development, the Small Business Administration (SBA), which has been the legal owner of the 123-acre property since an auction earlier this summer, has no plans to change its own solicitation and selection process.

“That’s nice, the council will do what it has to do,” Mark Hayward, SBA district director, said yesterday, but, “We have a fiduciary responsibility to the courts and the United States of America.”

Hayward said he plans to move ahead with the creation of a panel of city and council representatives that would review the seven “legitimate” proposals the SBA has received for the park. The proposals range from $12 million to $13.5 million and are mostly for residential development of the property. He said the SBA panel would also include community members.

Councilman Carlo Pisaturo (D-Ward 5), the main sponsor of the resolution, said yesterday that “the council and the city will not take direction from the SBA” when it comes to the future of the Rocky Point site.

Pisaturo said the language in his bill calls for a six-person committee – three members appointed by Mayor Scott Avedisian, the other three by Council President Joseph Solomon (D-Ward 4) – “to avoid a political thing.”

When asked why his six-person committee so closely resembles the committee that the SBA plans, Pisaturo said, “I feel like they got that idea from me,” pointing out the fact that he notified the SBA of his bill over a month ago.

Pisaturo added yesterday that he’d like to see the SBA continue to review proposals for development of the site, but he wanted the city to get the first look at any development plans.

“Under the ideal scenario, our committee would make the first decision on a proposal, and then send it on to the SBA,” Pisaturo said. “I just want to make sure that whatever development plan is eventually chosen is agreeable to the city.”

Avedisian said late last week that he had signed the resolution, although “I know the SBA feels that it violates their court order.” He added, “I want to make sure the public has a voice in this process.”

Although he did not have a timetable for appointing committee members or generating proposals, Avedisian did say that he consulted City Solicitor John Earle before signing off on the resolution. When asked for comment yesterday, Earle said that he “was not sure that the opinion of this committee would carry anything other than persuasive value” with the SBA. “I would hope that the Small Business Administration, the council and the Mayor’s Administration would have a full exchange of ideas” before making a final decision regarding Rocky Point.

Councilman Lew Pryeor (D-Ward 8) said he supported the resolution because “it shows no political bias. It really wants to get at what the best use for Rocky Point is, and that’s in the best interests of the citizens of Warwick.”

When asked about the performance of the SBA to date in choosing a developer, Pryeor said he had no real quibble with the process but felt that “the council should be dealt with as a group instead of individually.”

Pisaturo said that he’s “met informally with four or five different developers” about the Rocky Point property. “There’s no question that the interest for development is there,” he said.

Pisaturo said that he’d have no problem supporting the development package “that offers the city the most” in terms of waterfront access and open space.

“I’ve said all along that I don’t want to pay for those things, and I know that the city can get them as part of a good package.”

Despite the fact that the SBA already has a selection process up and running, Pisaturo wants the city to play a high profile role in the selection and approval of a developer.