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Residential Growth
| Development in Exeter,
RI is mostly rural residential. Recently, residential
growth has not been significant compared to national
or regional rates. However, in order to assess the
potential growth allowed by existing zoning
regulations, Exeter's Comprehensive Plan of
1994 undertook a residential zoning buildout analysis. |
Click
on image to enlarge.
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The majority of lost open space from
1970 to 1990 was to residential development as 1124
housing units and 2216 people came to Exeter during
that time. As outlined by Exeter's 1994 Comprehensive
Plan, the dense developments in Cedar Grove, Boone Lake,
and areas where mobile homes are concentrated, could
potentially have a negative impact on the surrounding
natural environment.
As of 1994, Exeter had a total of
21,666 acres of potentially buildable residentially-zoned
land. To see how this was divided among the four residential
zoning types, click here.
Furthermore, for a graphical depiction of Exeter's potential
for residential growth, click here.
This graph shows the potential development in each type
of zoning district per Planning District. As this indicates,
a total of 5,508 units could be developed which would
result in the increase of 15,508 people. Compared to
Exeter's current population, this increase is almost
3-fold and would require major infrastructure development
and growth. A summary look at the buildout analysis
by zoning district can be seen here.
The greatest potential for growth
is in the RU-4 zone bordered by Ten Rod Road to the
north and Mail Rd. to the south. The RU-4 zone north
of Ten Rod Rd west of the New London TP has the potential
for 413 units. Exeter's Comp. Plan noted that the lack
of a town center or established village areas can tend
to result in scattered growth patterns.
The potential for residential growth
is linked in many ways to the protection of Exeter's
drinking water sources. For example, the lack of public
water and sewer service requires strict development
controls with respect to land use densities and the
siting of developments. Furthermore, conventional subdivision
development does not provide the potential of open space
corridors, the preservation of prime farmland, or increased
protection for sensitive natural features. (Exeter's
Comprehensive Plan 1994)
In response, in 1996 a Growth Management
Study for Exeter, RI by Brenda A. Dillman and Jane Weidman,
stated, "A cluster ordinance, which allows smaller
individual lots...and the permanent protection of common
open space, provides an alternative to a uniform grid
of houses on large lots consuming all the undeveloped
land on the property. The flexibility in siting in a
cluster development can
provide for the preservation of open space areas within
the development site...and also results in a lower overall
construction and infrastructure costs" (21). For
more information about recommendations to control housing
growth in Exeter, click here.
Exeter relies on its residential
properties for the majority of its tax base, and its
residential property percentage of its tax base (76.84%
1993) is noticeably higher than the state average (68.69%
1993). This is one impact of uncontrolled growth.
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