The Salem City Council Committee on Ordinances, Licenses & Legal Affairs, meeting jointly with the Committee of the Whole on Nov. 6, referred the Smart Growth Overlay District ordinance back to the full City Council with a positive recommendation after clarifying how a proposed LifeBridge/Harbourlight housing project will handle local board representation, initial-occupancy preference and future unit vacancies.

Councilor Cohen moved to refer the ordinance for second passage; Councilor Varela seconded and the committee voted in favor. The transcript does not include a roll-call vote tally or the number of committee members voting yes.

Why it matters: councilors said the project is intended to create homes with supportive services, not emergency shelter beds, and they sought assurances that Salem residents would retain influence and access to the units created. The committee’s questions focused on three areas: (1) whether the LifeBridge board will include Salem residents; (2) how a 70% Salem local-preference rule is applied now and over time; and (3) how vacancies will be filled after initial occupancy.

Jason Etheridge, representing LifeBridge, told the committee the organization "has always had at least 1 member from the city of Salem on our board of directors" and said the board is "willing to pass a resolution to submit into its minutes, backing up the fact that we do desire and would continue to desire someone from Salem on the board of directors at all times for our organization." Etheridge agreed to provide a written statement for the next full council meeting.

Elena Eimert of the Planning Department explained the statutory limit and operational constraints: "that 70% is only applied at initial occupancy," she said, and state rules do not provide a path for the local preference to be applied in perpetuity. Eimert added that the preference is described in the project proponent’s submission to the city and then reviewed by the state as part of project approval.

Andrew DeFranza of Harbourlight Homes walked the committee through how the lottery and wait list work in practice. He described a two-stage effect: local preference is applied during the initial lottery, producing a sequenced wait list that is then used to fill future vacancies. DeFranza said accessibility- or federally restricted units (for ADA needs, for example) can alter the order when a vacancy requires that accommodation. He summarized the practical implication: "everybody should apply in the beginning" because applicants are sequenced from the initial lottery and that ordering drives offers later on.

Councilors and staff discussed practical outreach steps to maximize Salem residents’ chances over time, including pre-application assistance to help applicants gather documents (IDs, birth certificates, Social Security numbers) and targeted community outreach. DeFranza and Etheridge said coordinated outreach and application support would be necessary to improve local residents’ odds on the wait list.

On services provided, Etheridge clarified that LifeBridge focuses on homeless individuals rather than family shelter: "we do not serve homeless families in our shelter," he said, adding that family homelessness is handled through the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and centralized state processes. He said LifeBridge’s population is mixed and often includes people working and reunited with families over time.

Several councilors emphasized the project creates long-term homes rather than temporary shelter and that the visible, public face of homelessness (for example people at Riley Plaza) is not representative of everyone who experiences homelessness. The committee concluded its questions by referring the ordinance back to the full council for final passage.

Votes at a glance: the committee voted to refer the Smart Growth Overlay District ordinance back to the full Salem City Council for second passage with a positive recommendation. Motion: "Refer Ordinance (Smart Growth Overlay District) back to the full council for second passage with a positive recommendation." Mover: Councilor Cohen. Second: Councilor Varela. Outcome: approved (individual vote tally not specified in transcript).

Next steps: committee members said they expect LifeBridge to deliver the written commitment on board representation by the next full council meeting and encouraged coordinated outreach plans to ensure Salem residents understand application timing and documentation requirements.