In June of 1999, the Charlestown Planning Commission placed a budget request to begin work on a municipal Openspace Plan, the fourth phase of Charlestown's growth management plans. In September of 2000, the Commission voted in favor to commence this planning process. While determining its approach to creating an openspace policy, the Charlestown Openspace Prioritization Project was conceived in an effort to address the inventory of places the Charlestown community deems significant for openspace preservation. This Project seeks to accomplish three clearly defined goals:

Comprehensive Plan Support for Openspace Acquisition

The 1988 Comprehensive Land Use and Planning Act established Rhode Island Comprehensive Plans as regulatory documents that direct local land-use planning processes by providing the formal rationale for all ordinances of a given municipality. Adopted in 1992, and officially approved by Statewide Planning in August of 2000, Charlestown's Comprehensive Plan articulates principles to which all future state and municipal policies must be consistent. Nearly every section of Charlestown's Comprehensive Plan includes language about the protection of openspace. Therefore, it provides guidance for the local planning community about priorities for openspace planning. Below are two elements of the Comprehensive Plan that support this prioritization project.

"Identify areas for increased protection through dedication or acquisition of development rights or property by the town, state, or nonprofit agencies"

-Cultural Resources Section

"Protect important views through design standards or acquisition of development rights or easements."

-Open Space and Recreation Section

Although the Town Planner and Planning Commission decided that their Openspace Plan would not require an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan, the Plan should be updated to include research efforts to improve inventories of natural features and cultural resources.