Growing controversy

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Right to Farm Act makes no mention of Carolyn Rafaelian, the founder, CEO and chief creative officer of Alex and Ani.

But Rafaelian's 150-acre Little Compton vineyard was the reason a group of Little Compton residents traveled to Smith Hill on May 10 to protest the proposed legislation at a hearing of the House Municipal Government Committee.

The bill, H 6172, introduced by Deputy Majority Leader Gregory J. Costantino, D-Lincoln, would limit the ability of municipalities to restrict activities such as weddings on farmlands.

"It's a work in progress," Costantino said Monday.

Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard, at 162 West Main Rd., holds weddings and concerts outdoors during the summer, but the Town of Little Compton has restricted the number of outdoor events that can be held there.

Jim Tumber, whose house at 170 West Main Road, the original vineyard farmhouse, is next to the vineyard entrance, said he attended the May 10 hearing, and two lawyers representing the vineyard were the only people who came to speak in favor of the Right to Farm Act. (Committee records show that only one person signed in to speak in favor of the bill: Nicole Benjamin, an attorney with Adler, Pollack & Sheehan, representing Dionysus Acquisition LLC, d/b/a Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard.)

Benjamin did not return a phone call asking for comment, and a spokeswoman for Alex and Ani, Marina Paccione, said Rafaelian would have no comment on the legislation. Benjamin has also previously refused comment on the town's restrictions on vineyard operations.

Costantino said a substitute, compromise bill is in the works, and he hopes to bring it to the House floor. But he said it is "absolutely not true" that the bill was filed on Rafaelian's behalf, despite the suspicions of some opponents. "It's not her bill," he said. Costantino said he filed the bill because his district includes farmlands, and added that he does not accept political contributions.

Tumber said he has been leading local efforts to oppose the proliferation of special events at the vineyard because they infringe on the community's quality of life, as well as his own ability to enjoy peace and quiet.

"I'm at Ground Zero," he said. 

Little Compton residents are not the only opponents to the Right to Farm Act.

David Booth, who lives near a grape farm in Jamestown, also attended the hearing to oppose the bill. He said he is worried that if the law is enacted, "my neighbor will be able to do anything he wants. But this is a much bigger story," he added.  

If towns can't limit activities on farms, Booth said, anyone in Rhode Island could decide to use their farmland for weddings or "loud rock concerts."

"Unfortunately, our sources tell us the speaker and majority leader are pushing this bill," Booth added in an email. "We can’t understand why, except to help rich friends. The Farm Bureau is against it. The League of Cities and Towns is opposed."

"The speaker and the majority leader have not weighed in on this issue," said spokesman Larry Berman. "They are letting the process play out. It has only had a hearing, and it is under consideration, like hundreds of other bills."

Costantino said the hearing made him understand why people in Little Compton oppose unlimited concerts and weddings at the vineyard.

"I guess her operation is a big issue for them," he said. But he said he is still hopeful a compromise can be worked out.

"Let's start the conversation," he said.

— cdunn@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @ChristineMDunn