Providence councilman 'cautiously optimistic' that Fane tower veto can be overridden

PROVIDENCE — The City Council will vote Tuesday afternoon on overriding Mayor Jorge Elorza’s veto of a zoning change essential to the construction of the 46-story Hope Point Tower proposed for downtown.

The zoning change, approved by the City Council last month, would allow developer Jason Fane of the Fane Organization to exceed local height restrictions and build a tower up to 600 feet tall.

The mayor vetoed the change, in part because Fane would not guarantee that the city would have final approval over the tower’s design.

But Ward 10 City Councilman Luis Aponte, who supported the zoning change, said he is “cautiously optimistic” that the council can override the veto.

“This is a major project in our city at a time where we really need to figure out ways to expand our tax base," he said.

Ward 13 City Councilman Bryan Principe, who voted against the zoning change, said he doesn't think his colleagues would have called the meeting if they didn't believe they could pass the override, but he's holding out hope that it will not go through.

"They're seeking to give the developer the right to not follow our laws," he said.  

The council needs a supermajority, or 10 votes out of 15 members, to pass the override. When the council voted on the change to the zoning ordinance, nine members voted in favor, five voted against and one abstained.

Earlier this week, Ward 11 City Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, who previously voted against the change to the zoning ordinance, issued a statement saying that she could see both sides of the issue and wanted more information about how the tower would affect Providence.

Harris said in a text late Thursday night that she was meeting with stakeholders and that her council colleagues likely scheduled the special meeting in case the information she receives persuades her to flip her vote.

"It is very important to me that I get this right," she wrote.

Council President David Salvatore, who abstained from voting on the change to the ordinance, has previously said he is against an override of the mayor’s veto.

 — mlist@providencejournal.com

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