Salem City Council voted 8-2 to change the city seal, responding to complaints about its 187-year-old imagery. Council President Alice Rose Merkl supported the Seal Task Force recommendation to remove the Spice Islands trader figure, which the Asian American and Pacific Islander community said
Salem City Council votes to advance data center ban and parking-minimum repeal for two-family homes. At a joint Planning Board hearing on September 9, the Council voted 10-0 to refer both Ordinance #385, prohibiting all data centers citywide, and Ordinance #387, eliminating parking minimums for
Salem Zoning Board approves four residential relief permits in September session. Chair Nina Vyedin led the board in unanimously approving special permits for residential additions at three properties and a variance for a residential subdivision, with all four petitions passing four to zero. The
Salem Redevelopment Authority approves four downtown projects, announces Courthouse complex closure. The board unanimously approved the Salem Inn expansion at 11 Summer Street, an ADA-accessible ramp at 14 New Derby Street, and signage projects at 192 Essex Street and the Peabody Essex Museum.
Salem seeks Planning Board guidance on data center prohibition and parking minimums. Mayor Dominic Pangallo presented a comprehensive data center prohibition across all zoning districts, citing environmental legacies and infrastructure impacts of large facilities. Separately, the city referred a
Design Review Board and SRA present Lappin Park redesign to community concerns about visibility and shade. Consultants presented a 95-percent-complete design featuring ADA-accessible circulation, tree replacement, and stormwater management. DRB Member Catherine Miller requested a detailed grading
Salem recorded 15 property sales between Aug. 7 and Sept. 5, with 12 listing a price ranging from $326,150 to $945,000 and a median of $636,000. The period's top sale was 5 Daniels St. at $945,000, sold by Janet L. McLaughlin, trustee, to Dana Jensen. Essex Street had two sales, the only street
Salem Race Equity Commission pauses discrimination reporting form work pending liability research. Chair Regina Zaragoza Frey reported that Assistant City Solicitor Omar Bennani identified potential liability issues related to monitoring and responding to form submissions. The commission agreed to
Salem Harbor Port Authority approves $200K dredging planning grant. Designated Chairperson Captain Fred Ryan and Port Director Captain Bill McHugh led the board's decision to accept a $200,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center for harbor dredging planning and navigation modeling.
Planning Board approves subdivision waiver, continues major projects. The Salem Planning Board approved a subdivision waiver for The Infinity Group Investments, LLC at 25 Bow Street, allowing property division without meeting full Ord Street frontage requirements. The board endorsed an ANR plan for