Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee

Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee December 7, 2016 – Minutes Attendees: Chairman Dominick Pangallo, Adria Leach, Ben Szalewicz, Marcia Lambert, Dana Lothrop, Polly Wilbert, Jack Hoar, Councillor Steve Dibble (arrived 7:30pm), Councillor Josh Turiel, Richard Riggs Absent: none 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of November 2, 2016 Minutes • Approved with edits 3. Construction Updates A. Sophia Gordon Center for the Creative & Performing Arts - Ben Szalewicz, SSU • Temporary certificate of occupancy expected by December 31. Interior finishes are being done now and seating will go in next week. • Sign is not expected for several weeks. • Questions/Comments • Dana: What size is the sign? • Ben: It should be the same as drawn and as presented to the committee. • Adria: We’ll have it measured and verified before installation. • Polly: When will the jersey barriers be removed along the street? • Ben: Around the end of the month. B. O’Keefe Center rink replacement – Ben Szalewicz, SSU • Work is largely done and the ceiling has gone in. The co-gen interconnect is in. • Six rooftop HVAC units will be replaced on top of the Administration building. • Questions/Comments • Adria: Going forward we’ll take the rink updates off the agenda and include updates on the HVAC on the Admin building. • Polly: Are barriers or screening needed for these units? • Ben: No, they’re on the campus side of the building, not facing any neighbors. C. 287 Lafayette Street – Ben Szalewicz, SSU • According to the developer (David Pabich) the panels are all in. Painted gray, not green. Have not heard complaints from the abutters. • Questions/Comments • Polly: Took too long to get them installed. 4. Old Business A. Garage Update – Ben Szalewicz, SSU • All the light baffles have been installed and the new lights are in on College Drive. • Questions/Comments • Councillor Turiel: Any complaints from the abutters? • Adria: No.  • Dominick: Will the garage be open over break? • Adria: We’ll check on that, would be same as was done last time. • Ben: There is snow equipment on the first floor and campus police do drive-throughs of the property, so it will be open to that extent. • Dana: Will there be shoveling on the roof if it snows? • Ben: No, there’s a snow melter up there. C. North Campus precinct study – Ben Szalewicz, SSU • Second neighborhood liaisons meeting took place. Sasaki is refining the comments received into a final draft for January. They’ll be back before SSUNAC in March. • Questions/Comments • Polly: They’re looking at the College Drive/Loring Avenue corner for some kind of residence or dining facility. • Adria: Could backfill space in the dining hall. Consensus from faculty and neighborhood stakeholders was not to build at the College/Lafayette lot. Please continue to respond to the neighborhood survey, it’s online through Dec. 19. Doesn’t work with Explorer 8 or older. • Audience: Would like Sasaki to focus more on Horace Mann Laboratory School. • Adria: The city already did their own study on HMLS. Sasaki’s charge is to study SSU’s space needs to move out of South Campus. • Councillor Turiel: The City is looking at the logistics of the move. It may take legislation to make this work eligible for Massachusetts School Building Authority reimbursement. It may be a couple of years before the move can happen. • Marcia: Is there one point person in charge of the switch? • Councillor Turiel: No, at this point it’s a team effort. After the studies are complete there will likely be a single coordinator. • Adria: DCAMM also needs to be involved, since they own the building. • Polly: Are the Mass in Motion pedestrian counters installed near Raymond Road on Loring? • Dominick: No, they are not the correct size to fit on the telephone poles there. We’ll check on getting bands that fit. • Councillor Turiel: Is Sasaki doing any kinds of counts? • Ben: Not yet, they’re just focused on the space review currently. • Adria: And class scheduling, to see if SSU should spread out classes more. E. Neighborhood disturbances • Councillor Turiel: 12 Hazel Street still an issue, was a disturbance there recently. Police were not called, however. Former receivership property, owner now only rents to students. • Adria: Is that legal? • Dana: Yes. • Adria: Will follow up with Student Life about it. • Dominick: What’s the schedule for the end of semester? • Adria: Last make up finals will be December 22 and residence halls close at 7pm that day. 5. New Business  • Jack: Did Tedeschi recently raise their speed bumps? • Councillor Turiel: Over the summer, to reduce cut-through traffic. • Polly: How many snow permits will SSU provide this year? • Adria: We’ll send an email blast out with the details. • Captain Riggs: It should have been in the newspaper recently. They’re available at Campus Police headquarters. • Dominick: As an FYI, Shetland is not providing off-street snow emergency parking this winter. • Jack: Any update on when the bike trail pedestrian crossing lights will go in? • Councillor Turiel: The poles are up and wiring is in. The beacons are ordered, will follow up with City Engineer. • Jack: People cross straight over Loring from the parking lot driveway and don’t use the crossing. • Adria: University put up a fence to help direct people to the crossing. • Jack: It’s on the lot side, though. Maybe get rid of the path from the Loring Avenue sidewalk to Bertolon and then put a railing up on the sidewalk. • Adria: It’s a state highway, not SSU’s property. • Polly: Offered to send an example of what is used at Arlington Cemetery to direct pedestrians to safe crossing locations. • Marcia: It also seems dark there. • Councillor Dibble: The crossing lights should have been installed last week, but were delayed. Will call City Engineer for update. SSU should take out walkway from Bertolon to the Loring sidewalk. The sign there now is somewhat working as it blocks the path. Asked SSU not to plow the walkway. • Ben: It may be a liability issue if we don’t plow it, may have to. • Councillor Dibble: Requested that University side out a listing of parking numbers, locations, and existing/proposed residence halls by class for Central Campus. • Adria: Yes, working on it. • Councillor Dibble: Sasaki needs to look more at HMLS and not just SSU in their study. • Adria: It’s not their job, Winter Street Architects has already done that study for the City. • Councillor Dibble: We need more details on when Harrington Building programs can leave South Campus and where they will go. • Adria: The Sasaki study will help guide the ‘where’ but not so much the ‘when.’ • Councillor Dibble: At the new theater, is the sidewalk along Lafayette Street narrower? • Adria: The drawings did not show a narrowing of the sidewalk. We are looking into the area to make sure the sidewalk was constructed properly. • Dana: Last Tuesday there was exterior and interior work at the theater going at 6:30am. I’m OK with work starting at 6am if it means it will all get done that much sooner. • Jack: It’s bright with the interior lights on in the theater, will they always be on? • Ben: The contractor has work lights on right now. There will be occupancy sensor for the final interior lighting, but will confirm. 6. Next meeting: Wednesday, January 4, 7:00pm Enterprise Center