Park Regulations

Park Regs

CITY OF WARWICK
PARK REGULATIONS

 

Source: https://library.municode.com/ri/warwick/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORWARHIS

If there is any discrepancy between this version and the officially published municipal regulations, the latter shall prevail.

 

Sec. 1-4. - General penalty; continuing violations.
Except as otherwise provided for in this Code, whenever in this Code or in any other ordinance of the city any act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor, or whenever in such Code or ordinance the doing of any act is required or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful or an offense or misdemeanor, where no specific penalty is provided therefor, the violation of any such provisions of this Code or any ordinance shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500.00 or by imprisonment not exceeding 30 days. Each day any violation of any provision of this Code or of any ordinance shall continue shall constitute a separate offense. The municipal court of the city may impose penalties as set forth in G.L. 1956, § 45-2-19, for all ordinances over which it has jurisdiction, except that the penalty for violations of sections 76-88 through 76-220 of chapter 76, pertaining to traffic, shall, unless specifically stated otherwise in such sections, be a fine of $30.00, and such fines may be paid by mail unless otherwise indicated.

(Code 1971, § 1-4)
Cross reference— Imposition of penalties by municipal court, § 42-10.

State Law reference— Jurisdictional limits of municipal court, G.L. 1956, § 45-2-19; general penalty for violation of ordinances, G.L. 1956, § 45-6-2; penalty for violation of sewer authority rules and regulations, P.L. 1962, ch. 254; special penalties for violation of certain Code provisions, G.L. 1956, § 45-6-6.2.

Sec. 4-8. - Restraint of dogs required at all times.
The owner shall keep his/her dog under restraint at all times and shall not permit such dog to be at large, off the premises or property of the owner, unless under the control of a competent person.

(Code 1971, § 3-8)

Sec. 4-9. - Dogs prohibited on school property, Oakland Beach Common and city athletic fields; removal of waste deposited by dogs.
(a)    [Dogs prohibited in schoolyards, Oakland Beach Common and athletic fields.] No dogs are allowed in schoolyards or on school property whether at large or under restraint, except so-called Seeing Eye dogs; further, for reasons of public health and safety, dogs shall not be permitted on city athletic fields or on Oakland Beach Common.

(b)    Duties to dispose. It shall be the duty of each person who owns, possesses or controls a dog to immediately remove and then dispose of any feces left by his/her dog on any sidewalk, street or other public area. It shall further be the duty of each person who owns, possesses or controls a dog to immediately remove and then dispose of any feces left by his/her dog on any private property neither owned nor occupied by said person.

(c)    Duty to possess means of removal. No person who owns, possesses or controls such dog shall appear with such dog on any sidewalk, street, park or other public area without the means of removal of any feces left by such dog. Furthermore, no person who owns, possesses or controls such dog shall appear on any private property neither owned nor occupied by said person without the means of removal of any feces left by said dog.

(d)    Method of removal and disposal. For the purpose of this regulation, the means of removal shall be any tool, implement or other device carried for the purpose of picking up and containing such feces, unexposed to said person or the public. Disposal shall be accomplished by transporting such feces to a place suitable and regularly reserved for the disposal of human feces, or to a place specifically reserved for the disposal of canine feces.

(e)    Exemption. This regulation shall not apply to a licensed dog accompanying any handicapped person who, by reason of his/her handicap, is physically unable to comply with the requirement of this section.

(f)     [Violation.] Any violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of $50.00, which fine shall be paid directly to the city's municipal court as provided in section 42-13.

(Code 1971, § 3-9; Ord. No. O-95-5, 4-10-95; Ord. No. O-04-21, § I, 8-3-04; Ord. No. O-09-29, § I, 10-15-09)

 

Sec. 4-13. - Keeping or feeding wild animals; destruction of escaped wild animals.
(a)    No wild animal may be kept within the city limits, except under such conditions as shall be fixed by the animal control officer; provided, however, that wild animals may be kept for exhibition purposes by circuses, zoos, and educational institutions, in accordance with such regulations as shall be established by the animal control officer. Any wild animal which escapes and is found at large may be destroyed by the animal control officer or any police officer of this city.

(b)    The feeding of wild coyotes within city limits is prohibited and punishable utilizing provisions of section 1-4 in the Code of Ordinances.

(c)    Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall cause or allow to be left or stored outside of an occupied dwelling any refuse, garbage, food product, pet food, forage product or supplement, salt, seed or birdseed, fruit, grain in a manner that would constitute an attractant to any wild animal.

(d)    Notwithstanding the above, feeding of squirrels and birds of the order Passeriformes (i.e. "perching birds" including, but not limited to, songbirds) but not including carnivorous birds or waterfowl shall be permitted exclusively from elevated bird/squirrel feeders providing seed, grain, fruit, worms or suet for birds or squirrels located within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling during such times and in such quantities that: (1) Such feeding does not create an unreasonable disturbance or nuisance that affects the rights of surrounding property owners; or, (2) Is not an attractant for rats, skunks, foxes, weasels, or coyotes. Feeding of birds of the family Trochilidae (i.e. hummingbirds) shall be permitted exclusively from elevated bird feeders providing food suitable for such birds.

(e)    Notwithstanding the above, feed that is deposited by natural vegetation or found solely as a result of normal agricultural or gardening practices is not a violation of this section.

(f)     Any person violating any provision of subsection (c) of section 4-13 shall be subject to a warning only for a first violation within a one-year period. A second violation within a one-year period shall be punishable by a fine of up to $250.00. Third and subsequent violations within a one-year period shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00. Any such violation shall be considered a civil offense as opposed to a criminal offense.

(Code 1971, § 3-13; Ord. No. O-09-33, § I, 12-20-09; Ord. No. O-19-1, § I, 3-21-19)

Sec. 40-1. - Disorderly conduct.
No person, acting alone or in concert with others, may engage in conduct which violates any of the following subsections:

(1)    Any person who shall act in a violent or tumultuous manner toward another whereby any person is placed in fear of safety of his/her life, limb or health;

(2)    Any person who shall act in a violent or tumultuous manner toward another whereby the property of any person is placed in danger of being destroyed or damaged;

(3)    Any person who shall in a public place use "fighting words" or language or words which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite outrage and immediate turmoil;

(4)    Any person who shall use violent and forceful behavior at any time in or near a public place, such that there is a clear and present danger that free movement of other persons will be arrested or restrained, or other persons will be incapacitated in the lawful exercise of business or amusement;

(5)    Any person who shall assemble or congregate with another or others for the purpose of causing, provoking, or engaging in any fight or brawl or riotous conduct so as to endanger the life, limb, health or property of another;

(6)    Any person who shall assemble or congregate with another or others for the purpose of causing, provoking, or engaging in any fight or brawl;

(7)    Any person who directs at another person in a public place offensive words which are likely to provoke a violent action on the average person so addressed;

(8)    Any person who shall be found roughly crowding or pushing any person in any public place;

(9)    Any person who shall throw any stone, snowball, or other missile upon or at any person, vehicle, building, tree, sign or other public or private property;

(10)  Any person who shall throw any stone, snowball, or other missile from any vehicle, either moving, stopped, or parked, upon or at any person, building, vehicle, tree, sign, or other public or private property;

(11)  Any person who shall by acts of violence interfere with another's pursuit of a lawful occupation;

(12)  Any person who shall expectorate, urinate, or defecate on any public street, alley, sidewalk or floor of any public building or a building where the public gathers or has access;

(Code 1971, § 13-2)
State Law reference— Disorderly conduct, G.L. 1956, § 11-45-1 et seq.

Sec. 40-12. - Defacing or destroying signs, public notices or lampposts.
No person shall wantonly or maliciously daub with paint or otherwise injure by scratching, marking or writing with paint, blacking or red chalk or in any manner deface any post, lamppost, signboard or sign in or upon any street, highway, bridge, wharf, public place or ground set apart for public purposes in the city, or any ornament or appurtenance of the same, or wilfully tear down, deface or destroy any notice of any public meeting, auction or other sale or any other public notice, or wilfully take down, extinguish or otherwise injure any public lamp or lantern or any private lamp, lantern or sign for the protection of travelers.

(Code 1971, § 13-15)
Cross reference— Vandalism to property in public recreation facilities, § 58-7.

Sec. 40-32. - Littering.
(a)    No person shall throw, drop, deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of litter upon any public property or private property not owned by him or her located in the City of Warwick ("city") or in the waters of this state or upon private property in this city owned by him or her except:

(1)    When the property is designated by the state, any of its agencies or the city for the disposal of solid waste or litter, and the person is authorized to use the property for that purpose; or

(2)    Into a litter receptacle in a manner that the litter will be prevented from being carried away by the elements. For the purpose of this section provision, the term "litter" means garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, automobile parts, furniture, glass, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature thrown, dropped, discarded, placed, or deposited by a person on public property, on private property not owned by the person, or in or on waters of the state, unless the person has:

(i)     Been directed to do so by a public official as part of a litter collection drive;

(ii)    Discarded, thrown, dropped, placed, or discarded the material in a litter receptacle in a manner that prevented the material from being carried away by the elements; or

(iii)   Been issued a license or permit covering the material pursuant to G.L. 1956 tit. 23, ch. 18.9 and ch. 19.1.

Any person convicted of a first violation of this section provision shall, except where a penalty is specifically set forth, be subject to a fine of not less than $85.00.

(b) Any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this section provision shall, except where a penalty is specifically set forth, be subject to a fine of not less than $300.00 nor more than $500.00. In addition to or in lieu of the fine imposed upon a second or subsequent violation of this ordinance provision, the person so convicted may be ordered to pick up litter for not less than four, nor more than 50 hours.

(c) Jurisdiction to punish violators of the provisions of this ordinance provision is conferred on the Warwick Municipal Court.

(d) Any person convicted of a violation of this section provision shall, in addition to all other penalties, be liable for the removal or cost of removal of all litter illegally disposed of by that person.

(e) The funds received by the Warwick Municipal Court or city official for violations of this ordinance provision shall be deposited as general revenues in the Warwick Municipal budget.

(Ord. No. O-14-20, § I, 12-16-14)

Sec. 40-56. - Smoking prohibited on public beaches.
(a)    No person shall smoke a cigarette, cigar, or other tobacco-related product on, or within 20 feet of any beach under the jurisdiction of the city. Signs giving notice of the prohibition and stating that police will take notice shall be posted along the beach and in the areas of approach to the beach.

(b)    No person shall dispose of cigarette butts, cigar butts, or any tobacco-related waste on, or within 20 feet of any beach under the jurisdiction of the city. Signs giving notice of the prohibition and stating that police will take notice shall be posted along the beach and in the areas of approach to the beach.

(c)    Every person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a mandatory fine of not less than $150.00 nor more than $300.00 upon a first conviction; by a mandatory fine of not less than $300.00 nor more than $400.00 upon a second conviction; and by a mandatory fine of not less than $400.00 nor more than $500.00 upon a third or subsequent conviction.

(d)    The court may, in addition to the fine imposed upon a conviction, require as a condition of probation, in addition to any other condition of probation, that any person convicted of a violation of subsection (b) of this section, pick up litter on, or within 20 feet of any beach under the jurisdiction of the city for not less than eight hours.

(e)    Any person convicted for a violation of this section may, upon a showing that payment of the total fine would pose a hardship on the defendant or his or her family, be sentenced to perform public community restitution on any beach within the jurisdiction of the city in lieu of the total fine that would otherwise be imposed.

Ord. No. O-16-15, § I, 7-9-16)

Sec. 58-3. - Fires restricted in public facilities.
No person shall start an open fire in any park or recreation area, or start a controlled fire without first obtaining a permit from the department of parks and recreation. Fires must be kept in designated areas only, shall be limited to a reasonable size, and shall be extinguished before leaving the area. The dumping of ashes from portable picnic grills is prohibited except into receptacles provided for this purpose.

(Code 1971, § 15½-3)

Sec. 58-4. - Littering prohibited in public facilities.
No person shall cast litter in or upon any portion of any park, beach, playground or recreational area except in provided receptacles.

Violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of $50.00 for the first and second offense by a person. The fine may be paid by mail or in person at the city municipal court. Upon the third and each subsequent violation of this section, a person shall be subject to the penalties set forth in section 1-4 of the Code.

(Code 1971, § 15½-4; Ord. No. O-00-16, § I, 5-11-00)
Cross reference— Garbage, debris and rubbish, ch. 22.

Sec. 58-6. - Noise-making devices prohibited in public facilities.
Sirens and all other noise-making devices are not to be operated within the confines of any public recreational areas.

Violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of $50.00 for the first and second offense by a person. The fine may be paid by mail or in person at the city municipal court. Upon the third and each subsequent violation of this section, a person shall be subject to the penalties set forth in section 1-4 of the Code.

(Code 1971, § 15½-6; Ord. No. O-00-16, § I, 5-11-00)
Cross reference— Noise, § 40-13.

Sec. 58-7. - Vandalism to property in public facilities.
No person shall take, injure, destroy, cut, mark or deface any plant, shrub or tree within a public recreation area, or deface any building or public property therein.

(Code 1971, § 15½-7)
Cross reference— Defacing or destroying signs, § 40-12; graffiti, § 40-25.

Sec. 58-10. - Possession or consumption of alcoholic liquors at public facilities.
(a)    It shall be unlawful for any person to have possession of or drink alcoholic liquors, as further defined herein, at public bathing and swimming facilities, beaches, playgrounds, ballfields, park and recreation areas, and all other public areas in the city, unless specifically authorized by the board of public safety, upon consultation of the director of parks and recreation.

(b)    The words "alcoholic liquors," as used in this section, shall mean only spirituous malt, vinous, fermented, brewed (whether lager or rice beer) or other liquors, or any compound or mixture thereof by whatsoever name called or known, which contains alcohol and is used as a beverage.

(Code 1971, § 15½-10)
Cross reference— Consumption of alcoholic beverages on streets or sidewalks, § 40-22.

Sec. 58-11. - Glass bottles prohibited in public facilities.
It shall be unlawful to possess or use glass bottles, jars or containers in recreational areas.

Violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of $50.00 for the first and second offense by a person. The fine may be paid by mail or in person at the city municipal court. Upon the third and each subsequent violation of this section, a person shall be subject to the penalties set forth in section 1-4 of the Code.

(Code 1971, § 15½-11; Ord. No. O-00-16, § I, 5-11-00)

Sec. 76-88. - Riding motor vehicle or bicycle on sidewalk; motorized devices on roadways, sidewalks and public property.
(a)    No person shall operate a motor vehicle, a motor-driven cycle or a bicycle upon any sidewalk or footpath in the city. Nor shall any person operate a motorized device as defined in section 76-1 in or upon any roadway, sidewalk, footpath or public property of the City of Warwick, provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prohibit the operation of such motor vehicles as may be duly registered in accordance with state law along any roadway between a public highway and the designated parking area for such public property for the purpose of parking such motor vehicle or returning to such public way.

(b)    When a minor operates a motorized device, the minor's legal guardian shall be legally responsible for the minor's violation of this ordinance.

(c)    Violations of this section may be punishable by a fine not to exceed $100.00. Each violation of this section mentioned shall be a separate violation punishable as provided herein.

(Code 1971, § 22-79; Ord. No. O-05-28, § II, 9-20-05)

 

Sec. 76-89. - Operation of vehicles in park, waterfront, beach and recreational facilities.
(a)    No person shall operate a motor scooter, minibike, motorbike or other like vehicle in the city park or on the premises of any city-operated waterfront, beach or recreational facility.

(b)    No person shall operate a minibike, automobile, motorcycle, motor scooter, motorbike, recreational vehicle, camper, dune or sand buggy, so-called, or other type of vehicle or device propelled by an internal combustion engine in or upon any city-owned or city-operated beach or waterfront area.

(c)    Off-road use of a minibike, automobile, motorcycle, motor scooter, motorbike, recreational vehicle, camper, dune or sand buggy, so-called, or other type of vehicle or device propelled by an internal combustion engine in or upon any city-owned or city-operated beach or waterfront area is prohibited.

(d)    Police, fire, rescue and other emergency vehicles are exempt from the provisions of this section.

(e)    Valid registered motorcycles shall be allowed to enter the areas normally utilized by other motor vehicles.

(f)      Any person guilty of violating the provisions of this section shall be punished as provided in section 1-4.

(Code 1971, § 22-80)

Appendix A Zoning

802. - Sign permit required.

          A permit shall be obtained from the building official for all signs under this section

Source: https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/250-100-00-1

Park and Management Area Rules and Regulations (250-RICR-100-00-1)

1.13 Camping for All Camping Areas…

             B. Camping is allowed only in designated areas with official written permission from individual park facility.