The city planning commissions shall be responsible for preparing
and maintaining a comprehensive plan for the city in accordance with
the guidelines, procedures and requirements set forth in the Rhode
Island Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Act of 1988 as amended,
for making necessary revisions in the zoning ordinance so that it may conform to the comprehensive plan, and
for performing such other duties as may be required of it by ordinance
or this Charter, and not in conflict with state law.
From and after the approval of the master plan or part thereof
by the council, no street or other public way shall be opened, widened,
narrowed or vacated, no park, parkway, playfield, playground or recreational
or off-street parking facility acquired or developed, no school, other
public building or structure, or public utility whether publicly or
privately owned, shall be constructed or authorized, in the city or
any planned section or sections thereof, until and unless the general
location, character and extent thereof have been submitted to the
commission for its approval. All proposals from the acquisition of
land for public purposes shall likewise be submitted to the commission
for its approval. In case of the disapproval in any of the instances
enumerated above the commission shall communicate its reasons to the
council.
It shall be the duty of the commission to prepare and revise
annually a program of capital improvements for the ensuing five years
and it shall submit the same annually to the mayor and the director
of finance at such time as the mayor shall direct, together with its
recommendations with estimates of cost of such projects to be undertaken
in the ensuing fiscal year and in the full five-year period.
Except as otherwise in this Charter specifically provided, the
council shall not be bound by the decisions of the city planning commission,
but such decisions shall be considered as of an advisory nature.