Rhode Island General Laws Title 45. Towns and Cities § 45-23.1-3. Regulation of buildings in bed of mapped streets

(a) For the purpose of preserving the integrity of the official map of a city or town, the city or town council is authorized and empowered to provide by ordinance that no permit shall be issued for any building in the bed of any street shown on the official map except as provided in this section.

(b) Whenever one or more parcels of land upon which is located the bed of a mapped street cannot yield a reasonable return to the owner unless a building permit is granted, the zoning board of review in a city or town which has established a board, or the city or town council in any city or town which has not established a board, may, in a specific case after public hearing for which reasonable notice has been given to all interested parties and at which parties in interest and others have an opportunity to be heard, grant a permit for a building in the bed of the mapped street which will, as little as practicable, increase the cost of opening the street, or tend to cause a minimum change of the official map, and the board or council, as the case may be, may impose reasonable requirements as a condition of granting the permit to promote the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the public.

(c) The board or council shall refer the application to the plan commission for a report and a recommendation before taking action, and shall refuse a permit where the applicant will not be substantially damaged by placing his or her building outside the mapped street.