Allows the town of Tiverton to determine its density bonuses based upon its underlying zoning.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would give the town of Tiverton, Rhode Island, more local control over how it handles "density bonuses" in its zoning rules. A density bonus is a tool that allows a developer to build more housing units on a piece of land than the standard rules would normally permit — often in exchange for including affordable housing or other community benefits in the project. Currently, state law may set certain requirements or formulas for how these bonuses are calculated.

Under this bill, Tiverton would be allowed to set its own density bonus calculations based on its existing local zoning rules, rather than following a state-determined formula. In other words, the town could decide for itself how many extra units a developer might receive as a bonus, based on what the land is already zoned for at the local level.

This bill primarily affects the town of Tiverton, its local government officials, and developers or property owners who are planning housing projects in the town. It could also indirectly affect residents who have a stake in how much and what kind of housing gets built in their community. The bill has been introduced and sent to the House Committee on Municipal Government & Housing, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.