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« Fund, spaghetti dinner set up to help teen hit by car | Today | $5M granted for house acquisitions near Green Airport » April 10, 2008Site change suggested for new Blackstone courthouseState Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams and two lawmakers today proposed putting a new Blackstone Valley Courthouse in Smithfield, calling "unacceptable" the traffic-reducing plans for a previously proposed Lincoln location. Williams, Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano and state Rep. Peter John Petrarca announced the courthouse is now eyed for 13 state-owned acres on a part of George Washington Highway between Douglas Pike and Farnum Pike -- not far from Bryant University. The Smithfield spot is "more centrally located" within northern Rhode Island, according to a judiciary news release and has better highway access and traffic control. And the proposal "has been warmly received by town officials there." In his annual State of the Judiciary address last month, Williams announced that construction of the proposed $71-million courthouse will be postponed for a year and commence in fiscal year 2010, because of the state's budget woes. Lawmakers have already approved borrowing money to build the new courthouse. Legislation related to the new location and financing is expected to come before the House Finance Committee at its 2 p.m. meeting today. “I was never happy with the results of the traffic studies in Lincoln,” Williams said in the statement. Williams stated that he Montalbano and Petrarca have talked about the need to find another location. "They have been totally committed to taking care of the concerns of the people of Lincoln. I promised the people of Lincoln, the Lincoln town administrator, the Lincoln Town Council and especially Councilman Keith Macksoud -- that we would examine other sites, and we have done that in good faith," Williams said. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Posted by Mike McKinney CommentsWHHanna | April 10, 2008 7:24 PM link I have a really hard time understanding why we need a Blackstone courthouse. Put it this way, there are courts in Providence, Washington County, and Newport County. Can't get much more central than that. And it isn't like Woonsocket is a million miles away. It's a 15 to 20 minute drive into Providence. Tony P | April 11, 2008 4:08 AM link In upstate NY where I am from we had one courthouse in a county the size of this entire STATE. And one DMV. And one County Clerk's office. And it was 20 minutes to the nearest mall and an HOUR to the nearest GOOD mall. And somehow we all got along fine. I think RI'ers are just lazy. Greg | April 11, 2008 8:52 AM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
Thank you Judge Williams. You are so insistant on blowing seventy one million dollars when the State is on it's knees for money. At least we in Lincoln didn't get it shoved down our throats. I just hope you include the two hundred thousand for the birdie sounds in this contract.