Adamsville

1. Three-state-line jurisdictional check (~5d)
   Adamsville is the only village of Little Compton (Newport County, RI) but its compact village core directly abuts Tiverton (RI) to the north and Westport (Massachusetts) to the east. Adamsville Road carries the RI-MA state line in places — some addresses on the north side are MA (Westport) and follow the 9th Edition Massachusetts State Building Code, not Rhode Island IRC 2018. A wrong-state filing wastes weeks. Confirm the parcel jurisdiction with the Little Compton Tax Assessor before any application work begins; the Little Compton Town Hall holds the authoritative parcel boundary records.
2. Zoning district confirmation at Little Compton Town Hall (~5d)
   Confirm the zoning district at Little Compton Town Hall under Town of Little Compton Code Chapter 14 (Zoning). Adamsville village is almost entirely in low-density rural-residential zoning consistent with the rest of Little Compton, which is one of the lowest-density municipalities in Rhode Island. Coordinate with Building Inspector and Zoning Official Dean Simmons (dsimmons@littlecomptonri.org) on dimensional compliance for the planned ADU footprint.
3. RIDEM OWTS septic design (~45d)
   There is NO public sewer anywhere in Little Compton, so every Adamsville ADU requires a RIDEM Onsite Wastewater Treatment System permit. Engage an RI-licensed OWTS designer to evaluate whether the existing field can absorb an ADU's added load. The Adamsville village core has small lots that often cannot accommodate field expansion and may require an advanced-treatment system ($30,000 to $55,000). Designer site work typically runs 30 to 60 days.
4. Well capacity confirmation or new well drilling (~30d)
   All Adamsville parcels are on private wells; there is no public water utility in Little Compton. Confirm existing well yield supports the ADU or arrange a new drilled well under a RIDEM Office of Drinking Water permit (state fee $200 to $500). Salinity-intrusion risk is documented in some shoreline-adjacent Little Compton areas and pre-drill water-quality testing is recommended for parcels south of Adamsville Road toward the Westport River estuary.
5. Adamsville Historic District / SHPO review (if applicable) (~30d)
   The Adamsville Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes the village core, the 1788 Gray's General Store (claimed as continuously operated from 1788 making it one of the oldest general stores in the United States), and the 1925 Rhode Island Red Monument (commemorating the breed developed in Adamsville). The NRHP listing is federal-only — Little Compton has no local historic district commission and no Certificate of Appropriateness requirement — but any project seeking federal historic-tax-credit treatment must consult with the RI State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) before exterior work.
6. Building permit submission via ViewPoint Cloud (~3d)
   Little Compton uses the ViewPoint Cloud e-permitting platform at littlecomptonri.viewpointcloud.com (the same OpenGov / ViewPoint Cloud product used by other RI municipalities). Upload stamped building plans, site plan, RIDEM OWTS approval, RIDEM Drinking Water well permit, and energy compliance documents. The portal routes the application to William L. Moore, Building Official, at the Little Compton Building Department.
7. Building Department plan review (~25d)
   William L. Moore, Building Official ((401) 635-8384, wmoore@littlecomptonri.org) reviews IRC 2018 with RI amendments compliance. Dean Simmons performs the Zoning Official check on Chapter 14 dimensional compliance. The Little Compton Building Department is small but responsive and is familiar with Adamsville's mix of pre-1900 historic structures and post-2000 infill construction. Plan-check cycles average two rounds for non-overlay parcels.
8. Little Compton Fire Department new-construction review (~14d)
   Per the 2018 Little Compton permitting process update, the Little Compton Fire Department coordinates a new-construction review covering hydrant access, knox-box requirements, and engine response routing. Adamsville is at the far northeast corner of Little Compton's response district and engine response from the LCFD station can take 12 to 18 minutes — a fact that affects insurance fire-class rating for new ADUs.
9. RIDEM OWTS permit issuance (~30d)
   RIDEM issues the OWTS construction permit on its own state-level clock (state fee $350 to $1,200 depending on system type). Permit must be in hand before Little Compton issues the building permit. RIDEM staff conduct site visits but Adamsville is roughly an hour from RIDEM headquarters in Providence, so site-visit scheduling adds time.
10. Construction inspections (~45d)
    Five inspection cycles: foundation, framing/MEP rough-in, insulation, MEP finals, overall final. Little Compton's inspector covers the entire town from one office and Adamsville is the geographically furthest village from Town Hall, so site visits are typically batched. Lead times average three to five business days. Cross-border Westport MA contractors must hold valid RI Contractors' Registration Board licensing for in-RI work.
11. Certificate of Occupancy issuance (~5d)
    Once all finals pass, the Little Compton Building Department issues the Certificate of Occupancy. Department phone: (401) 635-8384. Building Official email: wmoore@littlecomptonri.org. The CO is recorded with the Little Compton Town Clerk.

• Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental permitted; thin year-round tenant market in Adamsville.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions Adamsville STR market driven by South Coast / Sakonnet beach proximity. Little Compton requires registration. Owner-occupancy of principal dwelling required per state ADU statute.
• Office rental: with-restrictions Office rental requires home occupation permit.
• Home office: yes Owner home-office permitted; quiet rural setting popular with remote workers.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal studio permitted; Adamsville's artist/writer community is well-established.
• Agriculture: yes Adamsville sits in Little Compton's agricultural-rural zoning; agricultural accessory uses are explicitly permitted (chicken coops, small barns, garden structures).
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted.

• Water: Private wells (no public water in Adamsville or Little Compton) · 45d connect · $11,000
  ALL Adamsville parcels on private wells. RIDEM Office of Drinking Water permit required. Little Compton's groundwater quality is generally good but coastal proximity creates salinity-intrusion risk in some areas.
• Sewer: On-site wastewater treatment systems (septic) — no public sewer anywhere in Little Compton · 60d connect · $26,000
  Mandatory RIDEM OWTS permit and design by RI-licensed designer. Adding ADU usually requires field expansion or new system. Tight-soil parcels may need advanced-treatment ($30-55k).
• Electric: Rhode Island Energy · 28d connect · $2,400
  Rural service; longer drops and pole costs than denser areas.
• Gas: Propane (no natural gas in Adamsville) · 21d connect · $3,000
  Propane tank installation only; no natural gas main service in Little Compton.

Realistic total: best 8mo · typical 12mo · worst 18mo

Adamsville draws from a thin rural contractor pool (LC+Tiverton+Westport MA cross-border). Septic-system design adds 4-8 weeks. Materials trips longer (no nearby big-box).

Modular pathway inspectors are novice with modular

State ADU loans:

• RIHousing financing

R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 voids HOA / condo restrictions conflicting with state ADU minimums. Adamsville HOA prevalence is very low; rural village context.

• historic-district
  Adamsville Historic District (NRHP-listed) covers the village core including Gray's General Store (1788) and Rhode Island Red Monument (1925). Federal listing only — no local HDC review — but federal historic-tax-credit projects require SHPO consultation.
• wetland-overlay
  RIDEM Freshwater Wetland buffers (50-200ft) common in rural Little Compton. RIDEM permit required for work within buffer.
• other
  Adamsville borders RI/MA state line and overlaps with Westport MA. Confirm parcel jurisdiction carefully — some addresses on the north side of Adamsville Road are in MA (Westport) and follow MA building code, not RI.