Rhode Island General Laws Title 45. Towns and Cities § 45-24.6-4. Special economic development districts authorized

(a) For the purposes stated in § 45-24.6-1, the general assembly may, by statute, establish, designate, lay out, and define, as special economic development districts, areas that are, may be or have been the subject of, or substantially affected by combined federal, state, local, or private action, in the same manner as municipalities are presently empowered to establish, designate, lay out, and define zoning districts, and which lands are developable or blighted state-owned tracts or parcels of land, and which, at the time of the creation of the district, consist of twenty (20) or more contiguous acres in size. Properties owned or controlled by the department of environmental management shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

(b) The boundaries of a special economic development district established, designated, laid out, and defined according to the provisions of this chapter, may be amended only by an act of the general assembly.

(c) The powers of the district to achieve the purposes of this chapter shall be exercised by a commission as herein provided as a public corporation and instrumentality of the state, to adopt, implement, and administer a plan of development.

Each district commission shall consist of seven (7) voting members. The governor of the state of Rhode Island shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the senate, the seven (7) voting members of the commission. The commission shall have the sole authority to adopt, implement, and administer a plan of development for the special economic development district.