Engineering

Street Trees

Decisions concerning the health and safety of street trees are the purview of the Tree Warden, per Part III Chapter 17 Article IV of the Code of Ordinances. The Engineering office is the liaison with the Tree Warden. Contact Brynn McNamee at 401-268-1566.

Drainage Problems or Environmental Concerns

Engineering inspects and investigates complaints. Contact the Town Engineer for assistance.

Town Right-of-Way

The Engineering office maintains the plat maps and records the public right-of-way widths. In the unpaved right-of-way, utilities such as electric lines, cable, street signs and street trees are located. Rights-of-way vary with individual roads, though it is generally 10 feet beyond the paved roadway.

Excavating in the Town Right-of-Way Requires Permit

Section 17-47 of the Revised Ordinances for the Town of North Kingstown states that: 'No person shall excavate or dig into any portion of any of the public highways of the town without having first obtained the special permit mentioned in section 17-48'.

Per Sec. 17-48, the director of public works may at any time issue a special permit (Excavation Permit) authorizing any person to excavate or dig into the public highways of the town and requires that a bond of not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) be posted prior to the issuance of any such permit. Written applications for Excavation Permits are to be filed with the Engineering Division which gives preliminary approval, sets the bond amount, and sets the inspection costs for the requested excavation. The application is then forwarded to the Director for his approval and the applicant is notified when approved. The permit is then issued once the inspection costs are paid and the bond is placed on file with the Town.

Please note for NK sewer locations: This utility is not a part of the DigSafe program. Contact the Engineering Department at 401-268-1500, ext. 640 or ext. 642 to have any public sewer locations marked.