Salem council approves 112-acre rezoning to mixed-use, clears Salem Central development agreement

Salem — The Salem City Council on June 17 unanimously approved rezoning about 112 acres from A‑1 (agricultural) to MU (mixed use) for a Salem Central project near SR‑198 and Loafer Mountain Parkway, and adopted a related development agreement that sets design standards and conditions for the site.

City Planner Lisa Webster presented the rezone proposal and the draft Salem Central development agreement during the council’s public hearing. The agreement identifies roughly 8.6 acres for commercial use and includes conditions recommended by the Development Review Committee and the Planning & Zoning Commission, including: punctuation edits to unit-type descriptions; a requirement that the proposed Salem Central sign receive separate approval; Exhibit D updates to require that at least 30% of the residential façade materials be approved stucco; and a prohibition on street parking on roads with less than 36 feet of asphalt.

At the public hearing, resident Jackie Larson questioned whether the council had sufficient legal authority and transparency to approve the rezone and said the council appeared to be acting on a general plan she believed had not been adopted. Landowner Kevin Lyman, who owns the largest parcel in the proposed area, told the council he supports the change, saying, “we feel like this is a good change and a good idea.” City Attorney Walter Bird said he saw no legal risk to adjacent property owners in this rezoning process, and Webster noted the city recently updated its annexation policy and had publicly noticed related meetings.

Councilperson Craig Sacco moved to approve the rezoning; Councilperson Paul Taylor seconded. The motion passed 5–0. Council later voted 5–0 to approve the Salem Central Development Agreement with the conditions described above. Councilmembers who spoke during debate expressed support for clear development standards and for maintaining a minimum commercial component in mixed‑use projects.

The rezone follows a council work session earlier the same evening in which staff outlined a proposed Mixed‑Use Zone concept targeting a 70% residential and 30% commercial ratio, and councilmembers asked staff to remove apartment developments from permitted uses within the new zone, preferring other residential types that align with the city’s vision. City Planner Webster requested council review of the draft ordinance before it returns as a formal land‑use action.

Next steps: The approved development agreement will be finalized with the stated conditions. Staff recommended visual examples of façade treatments to help council evaluate permitted stucco percentages before final ordinance language is set. No litigation or appeals were announced at the meeting; attendees who raised procedural concerns were answered by staff and the city attorney.