[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6270388,"mediaKeyId","3035136-e371c4cb11bcf8bcba3506afd35981f7","parentId",3035136,"title","Council weighs citywide approach to October private parking rentals; refers proposed registration and surcharge to Planning Board","audioSeconds",3742,"startMs",5608000,"endMs",9350000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3035136-e371c4cb11bcf8bcba3506afd35981f7&start=5608&end=9350","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3035136-e371c4cb11bcf8bcba3506afd35981f7/thumbnail_5608000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6270388/Salem-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Council-weighs-citywide-approach-to-October-private-parking-rentals-refers-proposed-registration-and-surcharge-to-Planning-Board","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6270388-aef59a9fabb9e8bd25253683d5016053/orig.mp4?Expires=1775414297&Signature=FiA2It~Q2ouOjDNLRGtdnx3v-~w1FSUAJah2nkGtZ4R4QhCCqNgsGEuFEutxuCPeUpin~37ITDIE2PT6FOdytuBcBuI2cmIv828hJTrue~tjTSh~WU5tdYACNNmrG~OklEvXtLiX3-Bw2k6VP7WaotWZrncvVGr1lN6i2XHMbqXMi--idXpEN7JP~HwZf82q3umoXfSysKe1xBnkdpGaChhj5KVDd0ehm6muek4ZMJvjenbLGSXpYu2gW4wjVPCSe~wiOq9GbHaXrbUxk7pSgIVno5Q59G2GcijZpqOpnW7ur3foWnuiEpekJdv6fULmpuiSANPe4VdOiX2vwJb1eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Salem City, MA","date","2025-04-17T09:26:04.157Z","article","City staff presented a proposed revision April 16 to Salem’s temporary October “Halloween” parking overlay that would remove the overlay’s arbitrary quarter-mile geometry around the B5 district and replace it with a citywide registration system for private parking rentals during a limited period around Halloween.

Staff described the current program as administratively costly and geographically inconsistent: under the ordinance adopted in prior years, permitted private lots added roughly 1,400 spaces in October but enforcement generated numerous complaints and about 73 zoning tickets last season. The proposal presented to the council would allow property owners to register spaces with the city for the limited October period (the Friday before Oct. 1 through the Monday after Oct. 31), require a $100 annual registration fee and permit both commercial and non-resident private residential properties to participate except on streets with resident-parking protections. Residential streets that already have resident parking protections would remain ineligible to prevent displacement of residents who lack driveways.

Staff said the registration would require basic contact and site information and would be accompanied by regulations the Transportation Commission would adopt that could cover display of a permit, time limits, and enforcement rules. Staff also described a home-rule petition under consideration to authorize a $2 per-space-per-day surcharge on spaces rented to the public; that surcharge would fund the city’s transportation enhancement fund, including shuttle and bike-share support. Staff emphasized that if the city simply prohibited private October parking outright, enforcement would still be required citywide; a regulated registration system was presented as a way to reduce enforcement time per complaint and provide predictable rules for participants and neighbors.

Councilors and members of the public expressed mixed views. Supporters — including downtown business owners and several residents — argued the proposal levels the playing field, captures revenue that could pay for transportation improvements and takes pressure off downtown traffic by creating more lawful parking capacity. Opponents and some neighborhood councilors said the change risks shifting congestion into residential neighborhoods, will be difficult to enforce, and could create late-night disturbance and safety concerns without strict time controls. Several councilors requested regulations that would require a visible permit, time restrictions for when rented vehicles must leave, and a publicly accessible registry to reduce complaint-driven enforcement.

At the close of public comment the council voted to close the hearing and referred the proposed amendment to the Planning Board for review and recommendation. Staff said draft regulations and a map of resident-parking-protected streets would be provided for further review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council and Planning Board Joint Public Hearing April 16th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff proposed replacing Salem’s B5-centered Halloween parking overlay with a citywide October-registration system for private parking rentals, excluding streets with resident-parking protections; council closed the hearing April 16 and referred the proposal to the Planning Board.","taxTitle","Salem City, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",70531,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6270393,"Salem moves to align ADU rules with state Affordable Homes Act; council refers detailed changes to Planning Board",4824,802000,5626000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3035136-e371c4cb11bcf8bcba3506afd35981f7&start=802&end=5626","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3035136-e371c4cb11bcf8bcba3506afd35981f7/thumbnail_802000.jpg","/articles/6270393/Salem-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Salem-moves-to-align-ADU-rules-with-state-Affordable-Homes-Act-council-refers-detailed-changes-to-Planning-Board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6270393-25c0c4946a9b2f1a89740be47ba368a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775414297&Signature=m0izVii2RQUfX95rUQp04Uh38lxsEX~uNgIs8bpym9yu2gqRPvsaDk6ofhfib60w2V3GQbgfk3RoKxMhy3OXLnS1ftH9kTdo7QwniG9mQQuzpFtRGQ~CACEt9Xf7q5raiGw1aNUaruDPd31hGlhlYS29GSg5f9STkBpo686j3IfM4zlsi2XZzRSUCq9ciVVZUeig3xX80F-1XNUkbtR9m0bb5Kmg8kIicy7w4l1vWq2L5uCXUIeL9AaEl1~nbHcCFJK-V2geMrUgiY4UxW2~NzPCgeUg6Iu0Rzjja6T3gdORiRXuNK2KZrPnr2NekX5p~l7YqcVE4XbjzsSNVTh5ng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amanda Giancola of Salem’s Planning Department presented proposed zoning amendments April 16 to bring the city’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules into alignment with the state’s Affordable Homes Act and the implementing regulations from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Giancola said the state law (the Affordable Homes Act, chapter 150 of the acts of 2024) amends Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 3 to treat ADUs as a protected use. Under the state regulations, municipalities cannot require discretionary approvals such as special permits or owner-occupancy as a condition for an ADU in any district where single-family homes are allowed as of right or by special permit. The Planning Department’s draft strikes local owner-occupancy and certain tree-mitigation and termination provisions that were part of the city’s prior ADU rules and reassigns dimensional standards to a new section (3.2.8).

Key elements of the draft ordinance presented by staff:
- Definition aligned with the Affordable Homes Act.
- ADU size limits remain: 900 square feet or 50% of the principal dwelling, whichever is smaller.
- No local requirement for owner-occupancy or familial relationship between owner and tenant (prohibited by state law).
- Parking not required for ADUs in the draft.
- Short-term rentals remain prohibited in ADUs and the principal dwelling when an ADU exists.
- An optional local mechanism to preserve an affordable-rent option: homeowners may apply annually to the assessor for a tax exemption tied to demonstrating the unit is rented at 70% of HUD fair market rent (the exemption is optional and must be elected by the property owner).
- Multiple ADUs: one ADU would be allowed as of right; proposals to allow additional ADUs on the same lot would require a special permit (per state rules); the draft suggests limits and special-permit review thresholds for lots with multiple units.
- For nonconforming lots (staff said about 90% of Salem residential lots are nonconforming), staff proposed a Section 6 finding by the Zoning Board of Appeals that any structural work to create an ADU is “not substantially more detrimental” to the neighborhood; that process would involve public hearings before the ZBA rather than a special permit.

Attorney Robin Stein of KP Law explained that the state regulations define “single-family zoning district” as a district where single-family houses are allowed as of right or by special permit and that communities should follow the state regulatory definition unless a court rules otherwise. Stein also reviewed how Section 6 of Chapter 40A applies to structural changes on nonconforming parcels and said the proposed finding language tracks existing state law.

Councilors and planning board members asked detailed questions about the B1 and B5 districts, how the state regulation interacts with local use tables, the tax-exemption option and how nonconforming lots would be handled in practice. Public commenters urged retention of local affordability protections and questioned the Executive Office’s regulatory definition of “single-family zoning district.” Staff provided ADU permitting data: 22 active building-permit applications; 14 certificates of occupancy issued since February 2022; a total of 36 ADUs built or in process (some applications incomplete or stopped).

At the end of the hearing the council closed public comment and voted to refer the ADU zoning amendments to the Planning Board for review and recommendation.","City planning staff proposed several changes to Salem’s accessory-dwelling-unit rules to comply with the Affordable Homes Act and state regulations, including eliminating owner-occupancy and adjusting dimensional and termination rules; council closed the hearing and referred the item to the Planning Board.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6270398,"Salem staff update flood-hazard overlay to reference new FEMA maps effective July 8, 2025",542,194000,736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3035136-e371c4cb11bcf8bcba3506afd35981f7&start=194&end=736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3035136-e371c4cb11bcf8bcba3506afd35981f7/thumbnail_194000.jpg","/articles/6270398/Salem-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Salem-staff-update-flood-hazard-overlay-to-reference-new-FEMA-maps-effective-July-8-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6270398-52f4dcb83506fa5e12b89a8eb13f0da6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775414297&Signature=VQt8JwZ~fK4LYgR7-q4bZMlSGW45wzgdBL9VDHiF8YKWBxBo~m75hbCvNrTOy0hLXgDBLVAiRfRHvwDTwTIFsbd1sR5QnIZqUZyYD6BO2ZlCbuB1lzqlTcK-DnXI5ajPcab7Pnry-RP26UaRG5b~KwWVsOfgLYRHtzsrXr2RV5WRPkxqJZ23fMwDoBZiJLkZEV4xngaP0bFDS2D9p~05hUWqPYsAWBjUm~o8zPecqsA5bdvHMGE8GIVUwPEfGj1m0d87oJGTh5lxyLrc-Yh2un11tL0MGWG9H7QR0aNKyJdha2Gxb~ZPQS~trpUPPUF68XLXV7LRbZrW1k4GzvPAvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Devine, senior planner from the San Juan planning department, told a joint meeting of the Salem City Council and Planning Board on April 16 that the proposed revision to the Flood Hazard Overlay District ordinance mainly updates the ordinance to reference FEMA’s revised flood maps and adds a few state-requested text changes.

The changes are limited, Devine said, and do not add or remove any homes from FEMA flood zones; they are intended in part to keep the city eligible for its residents to buy federal flood insurance. He said the new maps go into effect July 8, 2025, and that several inland surface-water areas in Salem will be adjusted on the maps, including Spring Pond behind the Highland Avenue Walmart, portions of Thompson’s Meadow, and South Salem ponds near Vinant Square. Devine said some required wording from the state model ordinance was omitted in last year’s update and the state flood office requested minor textual corrections.

The presentation noted the city’s 2024 adoption of a broader Coastal Resiliency Overlay District and a major flood-management zoning update. Devine proposed the ordinance become effective on the same date as the maps, July 8, 2025, rather than on adoption. He said the state floodplain office also requested adding recreational vehicles to zones where the FHOD applies and requiring adequate drainage be satisfied through other permits that have measurable standards, such as subdivision or stormwater permits.

Councilors and planning board members asked no substantive questions during the public-session discussion, and no members of the public spoke for or against the changes. After a motion to close the hearing and a motion to refer the ordinance to the Planning Board for formal recommendation, the council closed the hearing and referred the matter for review.

Resources cited by staff included FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov) and flood insurance information at floodsmart.gov. Staff provided contact information for follow-up questions.

The council’s action on April 16 was procedural: closing the public hearing and referring the proposed FHOD amendment to the Planning Board for its review and recommendation; the council did not adopt the ordinance that night.","City planning staff presented minor text changes and a map update to Salem’s Flood Hazard Overlay District, saying the new FEMA maps will not add or remove homes from flood zones and will take effect July 8, 2025; council closed the hearing and referred the ordinance back to the planning board.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council weighs citywide approach to October private parking rentals; refers proposed registration and surcharge to Planning Board

Salem moves to align ADU rules with state Affordable Homes Act; council refers detailed changes to Planning Board

Salem staff update flood-hazard overlay to reference new FEMA maps effective July 8, 2025