City Council

CITY OF SALEM AUGUST 20, 2025 JOINT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING BOARD The Salem City Council will hold a Joint Public Meeting with the Planning Board in-person in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 93 Washington Street, 2nd floor, Salem, MA on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM. in accordance with Chapter 40A, Section 5, of the Massachusetts General Laws for the purpose of discussing Ordinance to amend an Ordinance relative to Zoning - Right Sizing, Multi Family Parking. In person shall be the primary method of public access to such meetings. A secondary method of public access may be provided, if technologically feasible through Salem Access Television, and/or remotely through zoom. Please see below. The public hearing is to provide interested parties with an opportunity to comment on these Zoning Amendments. The complete text of this zoning ordinance amendment is available for inspection below, in the back-up documentation, at the City Clerk’s office, 93 Washington Street, Salem or the Planning Department, City Hall Annex, 98 Washington Street, Salem (during normal working hours). Please click the link below to join the webinar:: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89420199155?pwd=hrKijBQShQqvipGEXHK9fVEc9y6j3V.1 Password: 519776 Go to the website link: https://zoom.us/join. Enter meeting/webinar ID# 894 2019 9155 as directed on the webpage and click “Join.” Follow the on- screen instructions to join the meeting. Participants can dial a toll-free phone number at 888-475-4499 or 877-853-5257 (Toll Free) to join the meeting. When prompted, enter meeting/webinar ID # 894 2019 9155 and follow the instructions to join the meeting. The public may also watch the meeting live on SATV on Channel 22. Depends on size and quantity of zoning ordinance if in full or summarized Below are summaries of each zoning ordinance amendments. SUMMARY Ordinance to amend an Ordinance relative to Zoning - Right Sizing, Multi Family Parking.. ATTEST: Maureen E. Fisher Assistant City Clerk KIRT RIEDER PLANNING BOARD CHAIR “Persons requiring auxiliary aids and services for effective communication such as sign language interpreter, an assistive listening device, or print material in digital format or a reasonable modification in programs, services, policies, or activities, may contact the City of Salem ADA Coordinator at (978-619- 5630) as soon as possible and no less than 2 business days before the meeting, program, or event.” “Know Your Rights Under the Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. c. 30A ss. 18-25, and City Ordinance Sections 2-2028 through 2-2033.” Page 1 of 56  CITY OF SALEM AUGUST 20, 2025 JOINT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING BOARD A Joint Public Hearing of the Salem City Council and the Planning Board was held in-person in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 93 Washington Street, 2nd floor, Salem, MA on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM in accordance with Chapter 40A, Section 5, of the Massachusetts General Laws for the purpose of discussing Ordinance to amend an Ordinance relative to Zoning - Right Sizing, Multi Family Parking. Notice of this hearing was posted on August 6, 2025 at 3:47 P.M. Absent were: Council President Conrad Prosniewski presiding. The following Planning Board Members were present: Also, in attendance were: An Ordinance to amend the City of Salem Zoning Ordinance. Section I. Amend Section 5.1.8 Table of Required Parking Spaces by a. Delete the following sentence: “In R3 Districts, the restriction on off-street parking will not apply to age restricted housing projects built under the jurisdiction of the Salem Housing Authority and financed by a federal or state subsidy.” b. Deleting the phrase “Dwellings (RC, R1, R2. R3)” in the first row of the table and replacing it with the phrase “Dwellings, single-family; Dwellings, two-family;” c. Adding a second row to the table as follows: “Dwellings, multifamily” Section II. Amend Section 5.1.9 Central Development (B5) District by deleting Section 5.1.9.2 in its entirety and replacing it with the sentence “New residential dwelling uses in the B5 District shall provide parking in accordance with Section § 5.1.8.” Section III. Amend Section 5.4.3 Mandatory Provision of Affordable Units by a. Deleting Section 1.a. in its entirety and replacing it with the sentence “In any development subject to this Section § 5.4, at least ten (10) percent of the dwelling units shall be Affordable Housing Units.” b. Deleting the word “DHCD’s” in Section § 5.4.3.c.ii. and replacing it with “the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD)” c. Deleting the phrase “most current” from the second paragraph of Section 4. d. Deleting the phrase “the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)” from the second paragraph of Section 4. Page 2 of 56  CITY OF SALEM AUGUST 20, 2025 JOINT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING BOARD e. Inserting the sentence “The payment shall be equal to the total development cost limit in the most recent Qualified Allocation Plan in which a development cost limit is defined, adjusted for inflation to the present year.” at end of the second paragraph of Section 4. Section IV. Amend Section 5.4.4 Housing Bonus and Parking Reduction by a. Deleting the phrase “and Parking Reduction” from the section title. b. Deleting the first sentence of the section. c. Deleting the title of Section 1, “Housing Bonus.” d. Inserting the phrase “with the exception of those obtaining a special permit pursuant to Section 5.4.3.2,” following the phrase “Developments in compliance with the requirements of this Section § 5.4” in the second paragraph of the section. e. Deleting Section 2 Parking Reduction in its entirety. Section V. Amend Section 6.11.8 Parking and Loading by a. Inserting the sentence “For multifamily dwelling units, refer to Section § 5.1.” at the beginning of the section. b. Deleting the phrase “For new residential dwelling uses” in the first paragraph and replacing it with “For all other new residential dwelling uses”. Section VI. Amend Section 7.1.2 Standards by deleting Section 6 in its entirety and replacing it with “Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with Section § 5.1. No parking space shall reduce the effective width of the driveway providing access to more than one (1) dwelling unit to less than sixteen (16) feet.” Section VII. Amend Section 8.4.9 Parking Requirements by a. Deleting Section 4.a. in its entirety and replacing it with the sentence “For artist lofts and living space as described in Section § 8.4.5, one (1) space per unit for patrons of artist spaces with a studio where items are sold.” b. Deleting Section 4.b. in its entirety and replacing it with the sentence “All other uses in the NRCC shall follow the parking requirements as listed in this Zoning Ordinance.” c. Delete Section 4.c. Section VIII. Amend Section 8.7.8.4 Development Standards. Parking Standards by deleting section B.i in its entirety and replacing it with the text “For multifamily dwellings, refer to Section § 5.1. All other new residential uses shall have 1.0 spaces per unit.” Section IX. Amend Section 9.5.3 Application by Page 3 of 56  CITY OF SALEM AUGUST 20, 2025 JOINT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING BOARD a. Inserting the phrase “and a Transportation Demand Management Plan” following the phrase “as requested” in the first paragraph. Section X. Amend Section 9.5.6 Review Criteria by deleting Section 1 in its entirety and replacing it with “Adequacy of parking facilities, number of parking spaces proposed for each development, and adequacy of the Transportation Demand Management Plan;”. Section XI. This Ordinance shall take effect as provided by City Charter. APPEARING IN FAVOR: APPEARING IN OPPOSITION: Councillor Hapworth Moved that the public hearing be closed Voted Councillor Hapworth Moved that the matter be referred to the Planning Board for Voted their recommendation On the motion of Councillor Morsillo the meeting adjourned at P.M. 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