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CITY OF SALEM NOTICE OF JOINT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE SALEM CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING BOARD April 13, 2022 AT 6:30 P.M. via remote participation with instructions posted to www.salem.com/calendar in accordance with Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021. Pursuant to Chapter 40A, Section 5 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the City Council will hold a joint public hearing with the Planning Board via remote participation, in accordance with Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021, as amended by Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2022, on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 6:30 P.M. Please see agenda when posted for zoom link. The purpose of the public hearing is to provide interested parties with an opportunity to comment on the following two proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment summarized below. 1. Amending Section 8 Special District Regulations by: A. Adding a new Section 8.7 Bridge Street Neck Overlay District. The amendment proposes an overlay district superimposed on all underlying zoning districts within the Bridge Street Neck Overlay District boundaries. The boundary extends to all parcels north of Webb Street that abut Bridge Street, in addition to properties on Pierce Avenue; Waite Street; Rear Bridge Street; Cromwell Street; East Collins Street; and Lathrop Street. The overlay provides the option for redevelopment through the underlying ordinance or the overlay ordinance. The zoning amendment proposes to prohibit Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) in the overlay district and thus prohibit PUDs in the underlying districts that the overlay superimposes. If redevelopment in the district proposes a use that is permitted by the overlay but not by the underlying zoning, it shall be considered a permitted use and is not eligible for a special permit pursuant to Section 3.3.2 of the Salem Zoning Ordinance. The overlay proposes to allow several neighborhood serving uses throughout the district by right including; two-family dwelling; dwelling unit above first floor retail, personal service of office use; business or professional office; medical or dental office; retail store; personal service establishment; restaurant; bank financial agency; industrial; brewery, distillery or winery with tasting room; and arts and crafts studios. Uses proposed to be allowed by special permit include multifamily dwelling; computer hardware development; light manufacturing; and research, laboratories, and development facilities. The ordinance includes site and building design as well as façade design guidelines that will be applicable upon adoption of the ordinance. The guidelines are included to strengthen the neighborhood, reinforce its intimate and historic scale, and contribute to the vitality, activity, and continuity of a walkable place. Development standards are also included with specific dimensional standards for lots; open space requirements; building standards; ---PAGE BREAK--- building design standards; parking standards and screening requirements. The ordinance includes a special permit process to for waivers from the development standards. An administrative plan review is required for projects less than 2,000 gross square feet and façade improvements. Site plan review is required for projects with an addition of 2,000 square feet or more and any project that requests a special permit design wavier. Specific criteria for site plan review, administrative review and the design wavier special permit are included as well as action of the permitting authority. The Planning Director is the permitting authority of administrative plan review. The permitting authority of site plan review and use special permits is the Planning Board whereby the Design Review Board is advisory to the Planning Board. The permitting authority of the development standard waiver special permit is both Planning Board and the Design Review Board. B. Amending Section 2 Districts by inserting Bridge Street Neck Overlay District in Overlay Districts, Section 2.2. C. Amending Section 3.1 Table of Principal and Accessory Use Regulations by inserting three asterisks to Planned Unit Development with the following table note. ***Planned unit development is not permitted in the Bridge Street Neck Overlay District. 2. Section 8.2 – Entrance Corridor Overlay District of Section 8.0 Special District Regulations is hereby amended as follows: A) Delete paragraphs 1 through 3 with Section 8.2.5 Parking Areas in their entirety and replace them with: Landscaping shall include one medium to large shade tree of three and one-half inch to four-inch caliper diameter at breast height (DBH) for each three parking spaces unless otherwise waived pursuant to Section 8.2.9 of this section. Trees shall be planted in plant beds bounded by six-inch granite curbing. 2. No plant bed shall be less than fifteen (15) square feet, and no dimension of such plant bed shall be less than forty-two (42) inches, measured from inside face of curb to inside face of curb or wall. 3. A planting strip of no less than forty-two (42) inches wide shall separate vehicles parked face to face in a parking area. Such planting strip shall include one three and one-half-inch to four-inch caliper tree every twenty-seven (27) feet.” B) Insert a new section 8.2.9 Design Waivers. Upon the request of the Applicant, the Planning Board may grant a Special Permit pursuant to Section 9.4 to waive the following requirements in the interests of design ---PAGE BREAK--- flexibility and overall project quality, and upon a finding of consistency of such variation with the overall purpose and objectives of the Entrance Corridor Overlay District. Applicants shall annotate plans to identify this distinction prior to approval. A. In lieu of the standard three and one-half-inch to four-inch caliper DHB shade trees required per Section 8.2.5(1), the Planning Board may grant a waiver to allow up to 20% of the trees located within an ECOD to be smaller two-inch to three-inch caliper DBH ornamental trees and or container grown multi-stem and hedge species with a corresponding applicant payment to the Tree Replacement fund per Salem Code of Ordinances Ch. 43 Sec. 61, amount to be determined by the Tree Warden.” The complete text of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance are on file and available for inspection by calling or emailing the City Clerk’s Office, 93 Washington Street, Salem, MA at [PHONE REDACTED] or [EMAIL REDACTED] or the Department of Planning & Community Development, 2nd floor, City Hall Annex, 98 Washington Street, Salem, MA. [PHONE REDACTED] or [EMAIL REDACTED]. ATTEST: ILENE SIMONS CITY CLERK WILLIAM GRISET PLANNING BOARD CHAIR Adv: 3/30/22 & 4/6/22