It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 24-6-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 24-6 entitled "Abandonment by Towns" is hereby amended to read as follows:

24-6-1. Order of abandonment -- Reversion of title -- Notice. -- Whenever, by the judgment of the town council of any town, a highway or driftway in the town, or any part of either, has ceased to be useful to the public the town council of the town is authorized so to declare it by an order or decree which shall be final and conclusive; and thereupon the title of the land upon which the highway or driftway or part thereof existed shall revert to its owner, and the town shall be no longer liable to repair the highway or driftway; provided, however, that the town council shall cause a sign to be placed at each end of the highway or driftway, having thereon the words "Not a public highway", and after the entry of the order or decree shall also cause a notice thereof to be published in a newspaper of general circulation, printed in English at least once each week for three (3) successive weeks in a newspaper circulated within the city or town and a further and personal notice shall be served upon every owner of land abutting upon that part of the highway or driftway which has been abandoned who is known to reside within this state but nothing herein contained shall in any manner affect any private right-of-way over the land so adjudged to be useless as a highway or driftway, if the right had been acquired before the taking of the land for a highway or driftway. Provided, however, that the town of Coventry and any community, with a population of not less than one hundred thousand (100,000), receiving a request for the abandonment of a highway or driftway from an abutting property owner may sell the highway or driftway to the abutting owner at fair market value; {ADD and provided, further, that the town of North Providence, upon receiving a request for the abandonment of a highway or driftway from an abutting property owner may sell the highway or driftway to the abutting owner at fair market value; ADD} and provided, further, that the city of Cranston, upon receipt of a request for abandonment of a highway or driftway within the city of Cranston, where the sale of the highway or driftway to an abutting owner would result in the creation of a new lot which would be in compliance with the minimum area requirement for construction of a building which is a permitted use, may sell the highway or driftway to the abutting owner at fair market value.

Provided further that nothing in this section shall apply to private ways regardless of their use or maintenance thereof by any municipal corporation.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.