LOOKING FOR ANSWERS: Ward 5 Councilman John DelGiudice, (right), poses questions of Joseph Shivell of Toll Brothers, left, and his company's attorney Robert Stolzman at Wednesday's meeting. The company plans to submit formal plans for a development at Rocky Point Park this week or next. (Warwick Beacon photo) For more photos, click here

By John Howell

The information many people had wanted to learn didn’t come until almost the end of the meeting.

“What will the units sell for?” queried one of the 50 Warwick Neck residents who had come to City Hall last Wednesday to hear developers outline plans for the former Rocky Point Amusement Park.

A representative for the luxury home builder Toll Brothers was hesitant to give firm figures as it will be many months before the sale of the park is finalized and construction on the first of more than 350 condominiums and townhouses begins.

But there was an answer.

The condos, he said, would sell in the low $400,000 to low $600,000 range. The townhouses would sell for more the mid-$400,000 to high $600,000.

There were no oohs and ahhs. Rather, the amounts were less than what some had thought they would be, and when the meeting came to an end people gathered around aerial photographs of the park and a single architectural drawing. They had more questions, and Joseph Shivell, director of land services for Toll Brothers and Mark Rhoades, architect with CBT (Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc.) of Boston had answers.

Of the 123-acre former park more than half the land will be preserved as open space. The property is to be divided into two basic developments: a village-like grouping of six buildings each containing about 44 condo units at the site of the amusement park and the townhouses in groups of three to five units each on what was the park’s north parking lot and into what is now Rocky Beach.

Rhoades described the design of the condo buildings as Victorian amusement park. That had people questioning what he had in mind. Rhoades pointed to the roofline of towers and peaks. He said he had looked at a number of properties throughout the state, settling on a Newport property built by the Vanderbilts as the theme for the Rocky Point development. Shivell pulled out a board with a picture. There were nods and smiles.

There were also more details:  the condos will range in size from 1,200 to 2,000 square feet. Each of the U-shaped three-story buildings would face Narragansett Bay with views south to the Newport and Jamestown Bridges or east to Bristol and Barrington. The U-shape would offer a courtyard for each building and parking would be below grade, under the buildings and out of sight. A walking promenade will follow the route of the road that now loops along the waterfront.

Townhouses would be larger, offering 2,100 to 2,500 square feet and three bedrooms. Shivell said five unit types are proposed with three out of each five units having a master bedroom on the first level. This is a big attraction to senior buyers, he said.

There were more questions.

What would be the condo fee?

Shivell hadn’t gotten that far into it, but said there would be an association and that fees could be in the $350 to $400 a month range. And yes, he responded to another question, there would be a clubhouse and a swimming pool.

Some of those listening joked as to who would be the first to buy. There were laughs, but it was obvious that even though it could be years, there’s interest in buying a piece of one of the best views in Warwick.

A lot has got to happen before a shovel goes in the ground, the least of which being a resolution of the number of housing units to be built. When the Small Business Administration was named receiver of the property and placed it up for auction, they and the city administration set forth a series of conditions that would become part of the purchase and sales agreement. Those conditions included 350 housing units, public access to the property, preservation of open space and possible use of the Rocky Point dock as part of state plans for a ferry serving bay island parks.

Mayor Scott Avedisian is surprised Toll Brothers is looking to build 395 units; he had expected the company would have come in with a much higher total, putting the city and the company in an adversarial role.

“All other conditions remain intact. I’ve got to give them credit for that,” he said at the conclusion of the meeting. In particular, he cited Toll Brothers’ plan to preserve more than half the sites acreage for open space.

Attorney for Toll Brothers Robert Stolzman said the objective is to integrate the development into the neighborhood. The western side of the site, a rocky and wooded area running along Palmer Avenue, is to be left in its natural state. At the foot of Rocky Point Avenue next to the entrance to the park will be a small public parking area where people can leave their cars and join trails that will wander the southern end of the property.

Stolzman, who served as emcee for the meeting, also fielded questions about the development and its impact. Aware of coyotes in the area, he said developers would have animal control personnel address the issue. As for the dock, Toll Brothers plans to keep a structure, but not as long as it had once been now that the state’s interest in establishing a ferry service to bay islands has waned.

In response to a question about water pressure, former Ward 5 councilman and Warwick Neck resident Carlo Pisaturo pointed out that the neck has a water tower and that it should not be a problem. Sewers, and how the development might be connected to the city system, was another question raised. Toll Brothers Vice President Skip Kelleher said no decision has been reached regarding sewers.

Arnold S. Goodstein, the man behind the winning bid for the park, was also in attendance Wednesday night. Chief Executive Officer of Summerville Homes in Summerville, South Carolina, Goodstein’s company has developed more than 30 projects with a total of more than 5,000 dwelling units.

Goodstein learned of Rocky Point while visiting his son, who is currently a senior at Brown University. He said he saw the potential for a housing development and pursued the matter forming Vanderbilt LLC, the company that entered the SBA auction. He now has an agreement to sell the land to Toll Brothers after it has gained all the necessary state and local approvals.

He said he would have developed the project, but Toll Brothers is up here and they know the market.

Goodstein was pleased with the meeting. He called it marvelous and in marked contrast to many of the less civil meetings he’s attended in South Carolina. He called questions thoughtful and reflective of concerns over the impact of the project.

Joseph Shekarchi, attorney for Goodstein, said that in addition a newspaper advertisement for the meeting 100 invitations were sent to area residents. He was pleased with the turnout, adding that there will be four or five public hearings as the planning department, City Council and Coastal Resources Management Council considers the project. He is hopeful the permitting process can be completed this year. No formal plans have been filed with the city yet.

Shivell said once the project has a green light, Toll Brothers would do the site preparation up front, although the build-out of the complete project could take four to five years. In such a manner, he explained, all demolition, any required blasting and major construction for utilities would not interfere with those people buying the first completed units.

Cleanup costs of the property were pegged at $2.5 million to $3 million.

As for the projected cost of the entire project, Kelleher said, the tax contributions to the city are going to be significant.