Progress with the Gateway & Dog Etiquette (Take Two!)
Events this Month
April 10, Board Meeting. Please join us at our monthly FPNA Board Meeting, 7pm, in the Community Room of the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School, 455 Wickenden Street. The public is welcome.
April 24, Meet Up With Us!* Please join us for drinks and casual conversation at the next FPNA Meet-Up. Neighbors will gather at The Point Tavern at 7pm to share thoughts and brainstorm ideas for the neighborhood. All are welcome! *Note that the date for this event has been moved to April 24.
April 22, Earth Day in Fox Point. On Earth Day, April 22, we will plant shrubs and perennials on the south side of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, near South Water Street, and pick up trash. Please join us! Details to follow on Facebook and in our bi-monthly newsletter, FPNA News (sign up at fpna.net.)
April 26, Spring Neighborhood Meeting. Please join us at our annual Spring Neighborhood Meeting on Wednesday, April 26 at 7pm in the Parish Room of the Sheldon Street Church, 52 Sheldon Street. Hear neighborhood news, an update on the Gano Gateway initiative, and descriptions of new and incoming restaurants and shops in Fox Point. Members and neighbors are welcome. Please join us!
April 29, Makers and Merchants Sidewalk Sale. The Wickenden Area Merchants Association (WAMA) will host the next Wickenden Street Makers and Merchants Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, April 29th from 12-5pm. Wickenden Street will be closed to traffic so local artists can set up shop and sell their work. Laughing Gorilla catering will pour beer and Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails will mix up something special. There’ll be music, food trucks, and fun!
Progress with the Gateway
In Fall 2016, The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) defunded the construction of the so-called Gano Gateway, the roadway at the east entrance to India Point Park, at the intersection of Gano Street and the I-195 highway.
The Gano Gateway is one of the final elements of the massive I-195 Relocation Project. In 2011, plans for the Gateway included upgrades to the road, new parking and lighting under the bridge, attractive landscaping and appropriate signage. Since RIDOT defunded the project, the area has further deteriorated. We now see construction trucks and debris, clogged roadways, and a dangerous 90-degree turn on the south side of the bridge.
The FPNA and partner stakeholders have worked with RIDOT, State legislators, City Councilors and the City Planning Department to ensure the completion of this project as originally planned. In February, the FPNA Board of Directors voted on a list of five priorities for the Gateway, including construction of proper roadwork, installation of lighting and parking under the bridge, attractive landscaping and appropriate signage.
The Gano Gateway is a critical intersection and welcoming point for commuters, neighbors and visitors. The FPNA is optimistic that these combined efforts will ensure a gateway that is safe, functional and attractive. Updates to follow as our work progresses.
Ice Rink a Success
This past winter, Wheeler student Dennis Gastel installed a seasonal ice rink in Gano Park, in coordination with FPNA, Partners for Providence Parks and the Providence Department of Parks and Recreation, and with assistance from peer Alden Weinberg.
As we all know, Fox Point has rollercoaster weather this past winter, with spring-like highs and two big snowstorms. Gastel and Weinberg did all they could to maintain the surface of the rink under these conditions. Thank you, Dennis, for your hard work. The project gave neighbors a fun, healthy way to enjoy Fox Point during the winter months. Let’s do it again next year!
Dog Etiquette: Take Two!
The FPNA has received complaints regarding neighbors with dogs. Neighbors, kindly remember that the City of Providence requires specific dog etiquette on our streets and in our parks. Keep your dogs leashed. Clean up after them without fail. To do less not only violates City Ordinance, but is unsafe, unclean, and disrespectful to neighbors.
One neighbor recommends, “Take Two” bags when you go for a walk. "I often take two bags with me," she said. "One for our dog and another to pick up after neighbors who weren't as thoughtful." If you see an unleashed dog, call Animal Control at 401-243-6040.
Fox Point Neighborhood Association, P.O. Box 2315 Providence, RI 02906, FPNA.net, foxpointneighborhood@gmail.com. –Amy Mendillo
