Riley Plaza Parking Issue

A message from Markwood Management:

Good afternoon all,

Arthur Sargent, owner of Unit 308 at 24 Norman and a Salem City Councilman, called let us know about an issue that will no doubt put pressure on available parking in Riley Plaza.

The parking commission put forth a proposal at the last city council meeting to provide valet service to the Riley Plaza lot.  The issue will not come up for council vote for a while, but Arthur wanted to be sure that we were aware of it.  The council posts its meeting minutes on salem.com, if the issue is discussed in the minutes Arthur will be able to let you know when they are posted.

Please be aware that this proposal may have a very real effect on the availability of parking in Riley Plaza.

Traffic and Parking Commission Meeting November 2nd

There is a City of Salem Traffic and Parking Commission meeting next Thursday, November 2nd at 120 Washington Street 3rd floor at 6:30 PM. (Item vii on the above agenda). The Bus Parking in Holyoke Square will be discussed at this meeting.  Please consider attending to support turning the Bus Spaces back into Automobile Parking spaces.  Please pass the word about this meeting by email and social media.

Please Don't Do This

Two items/ reminders.

Do not park motorcycles, scooters, bicycles or anything else on the dumpster side of the building. The dumpster-side driveway is for short term parking only. Parking things like scooters here impedes temporary automobile parking by taking up space in an already small area.  There is some parking available for scooters, and motorcycles on the E-market side of the building. Contact Markwood if you have questions about this.
 

You need to break down your cardboard so that it fits inside the containers. Cut it with a knife, tear it, fold it in half but do not place cardboard on the ground outside of the recycling containers.

It is extremely lame. If it rains it makes a soggy mess, and the recycling company will not take items that are not actually in the recycling containers. Perhaps you were expecting someone else to do it for you? That is not a service we provide. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT RILEY PLAZA!

There will be no access in or out of the parking lot this Saturday, June 24 between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM.  The lot is being used for a staging area for the annual North Shore Pride Parade.

If you will need to access or exit the lot between those hours on Saturday be sure to make alternative plans.

Some of you have recently sold your Units and we do not yet have email contact information for some of the new owners yet.  We know it is an inconvenience, but if you can convey this information to the new owners, we are sure that they would appreciate it.

As always, we ask those of you who lease your units to forward this information to your tenants.

Markwood Management

A Couple of Things...

Just a couple of things.
#1. Please Return What You Borrow
If you borrow one of the (3) stepladders from the electrical room in the basement, please return them as soon as you are done with it. These ladders are the property of 24 Norman Street and are available for everyone to use, but only if they are actually available.

#2. Park Considerately

If you are lucky enough to find an open parking space in front of the building, please remember that there is space for (3) regular vehicles and (1) handicapped vehicle. Please park in a way that allows for other vehicles to fit in the space ether in front of you or behind you. 

#3. Do Not Leave Things in the Hallways/Stairways
The common areas should not be used to store personal items. This includes bags of trash and litter, furniture, and packages. It should either be in your unit, or on it's way to/from someplace else. Packages delivered to the mailbox area should be picked up as soon as possible, especially if they are large and blocking either the mailboxes or the staircase.

Planning Board Meeting about Proposed Development at 120 Washington Street

Residents of 24 Norman Street, be aware (if you have not already received notice from the City of Salem Planning Board) that there will be a public hearing on Thurday, June 1, 2017 at 7:00 PM in room 313, third floor at 120 Washington Street to review plans to convert the 3rd and 4th floor offices at 120 Washington Street, currently occupied by the city, into (14) residential units and construct a common roof deck on the 2nd floor. The potential impact of this for 24 Norman Street residents is possible sound issues for the back and north side of the building, and especially on available area parking. The 120 Washington Street building has no parking of it's own and no mention has been made of where these (14) residents are going to be parking. Will the city make a deal to sell/lease more spaces in the already crowded Riley Plaza? With the leasing of space in Riley Plaza to the Merchant Hotel, another (2) hotels being built on Essex and Washington Streets and the loss of (8) spaces to tour-bus parking, parking availability promised to be a hot issue in the coming year or so.  If you can, please attend the meeting to find out the details of what is being proposed and to rasie any concerns you may have. This may be your only opportunity to be heard.

Boston Globe Survey: Dedicated Bus Parking in Holyoke Square

Should Salem continue to maintain dedicated bus spaces in Holyoke Square? - The Boston Globe

If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you are aware that the city council recently narrowly voted to make the north side of Holyoke Square into dedicated tour bus parking, year-round.
This has had an adverse affect on the availability of parking spaces in the neighborhood of 24 Norman Street.

An article posted to the April 21 bostonglobe.com website featured arguments for and against dedicated tour bus parking in Holyoke Square. Arguing YES was Kate Fox, Executive director of Destination Salem, arguing NO was Arthur Sargent, Salem city councilor at large.
The link to the article is here: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2017/04/21/should-salem-continue-maintain-dedicated-bus-spaces-holyoke-square/TlMapKBUM8CIfEvrk3SR2H/story.html

There was also a survey asking "Should Salem continue to maintain dedicated bus spaces in Holyoke Square?". If you have the time and/or a subscription to the Globe website, please go and read the article, and vote. The results as of Friday were 39 votes AGAINST and 18 votes FOR. Although it is a non-binding survey, anything we can do to make our opinion heard will be helpful. You can be sure that the opposing side will be networking in favor of their agenda.

Temporary Parking Changes on Hoyoke

The parking situation on Holyoke Street took a twist two weeks ago when new signs were installed on both the east and west sides of the street. The new signs by the Holyoke Insurance building (Common Ground Enterprises) were changed to seemingly restrict after-hours parking. However, according to Ward Councilor Arthur Sargent;
"The parking spaces on Norman St and Holyoke Sq that are beside Common Ground Enterprises should only be reserved for them during the day (8:00 am to 5:30 pm) Monday thru Friday."
Arthur copied Markwood on emails he received from Lt. Preczewski of the police dept and Matt Smith from the parking dept which confirmed this.  They worked with Common Ground Enterprises to correct the signs to properly reflect The City Ordnance. So you can park on the Holyoke Building side (west side) of the street between 6:00 pm and 7:30 am on weekdays, and all day on Saturday and Sunday without any problems.

The signs on the Verizon building (east side) were changed to allow 2 hour parking on Holyoke.
The apparent compromise on the bus parking area initially looked  promising, but was actually calculated to divide the small-business signers from the residential participants in the petition.
There is currently a petition drive with almost 2,000 signatures to modify or eliminate the tour bus parking. By allowing temporary parking the city appears to be addressing the issue that was driving businesses on Gedney Street to oppose tour bus parking–loss of business due to the lack of convenient available parking in the area.
This change is only temporary, and ignores resident parking needs as it does not allow for weekend parking. Again, according to Ward Councilor Arthur Sargent;
 "The temporary parking where the Bus Spaces are is from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. 
Although this theoretically means that you can park there between 6:00 pm and 7:30 am on weekdays, and all day on Saturday and Sunday, (as that is in line with the city-wide parking ordinance), since this is not reflected on the signage, you do so at your own risk.

Markwood will keep you posted on any further developments.

Holyoke Petition Update

 

A petition to overturn (or modify) the current tour bus parking ordinance for Holyoke Street has been posted to the bulletin board at 24 Norman Street. The tour bus parking is adversely affecting  Gedney Street merchants, and they are also supporting the petition and have their own version posted at Steve's Market. 

In case you missed it, Kate Fox of Destination Salem, (with the support of our Ward 2 Councilor Heather Famico), petitioned to change the City Ordinance pertaining to Tour Bus Parking and make all of Holyoke Square (east side) designated Tour Bus parking.
This process was started last May without informing any of the local residents or merchants of the proposed change. After two council meetings the ordinance passed several weeks ago in a narrow 5-6 vote. Ward Councillors, Sargent, Milo, Lovely and Dibble were opposed. 

If you are feeling concerned about the lack of neighborhood parking now that the east side of Holyoke St. is reserved for tour buses, we urge you to sign the petition. 

This effort is being spearheaded by Joan Zabkar, who successfully headed up efforts to undo the ill-advised installation of parking meters on Gedney St. by Steve's Market. 

Our goal is to collect as many as 4,000 signatures from area residents, merchants, and sympathetic Salem residents from other wards. It is our only chance to undo the ordinance which is in effect year round, 7 days a week between the hours of 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

Please sign the petition!

A Parking Petition

A petition to eliminate the tour bus parking on the east side of Holyoke Street that was recently instituted is in the works and will be available to sign at Steve's Market very soon. Apparently the residents of 24 Norman Street are not the only ones in the neighborhood who are upset about the lack of due process, representation and transparency in the city council decision to take away an entire street of local and resident daytime parking in favor of tour buses. The decision, instigated by Kate Fox of Destination Salem, and supported by our ward councilor, Heather Famico, adversely affects not only us, but customers of the businesses on Gedny Street, and even the residents of 10 Norman Street and Barton Square. If we get enough signatures on the  petition, we have a good chance of overturning this decision, as the city councilor vote to do this was very close (6 councilors voted for it, 5 voted against it) I will keep you posted as things develop.

IMPORTANT MEETING TONIGHT!

The recent petition to change the City Ordinance pertaining to Tour Bus Parking and make all of Holyoke Square (east side) Tour Bus parking passed for first passage 2 weeks ago.
Councillors, Sargent, Milo, Lovely and Dibble were opposed.
It only takes (2) votes to make a City Ordinance Change. It will not become law until a 2nd vote is taken this Thursday night at the Oct 13th City Council meeting. The meeting will be on the 2nd floor of City Hall in The City Council Chambers.
Anyone interested can attend the meeting (at 7:00) and they will be able to speak on the issue, if they sign up on the Public Comment Sign Up Sheet located in The City Clerks office (room #1 on the first floor of City Hall) before 6:30.

UPDATE: PARKING MEETING TONIGHT!

There will be a meeting of the Salem City Council tonight, Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 93 Washington Street to discuss a new parking arrangement for Holyoke Street.
This meeting is about turning parking spaces on Holyoke Street into tour bus parking spaces.
This means we could potentially lose all of the parking spaces on Holyoke.

The council will also be deciding weather to change this:
"ORDINANCE to amend traffic, chapter 42 Sec, 11: Bus Stops, by deleting Holyoke Square, Bus Stops on the easterly side in a northerly direction, beginning twenty feet from Gedney Street and extending eighty feet. Tour bus parking two hour limit."

and replace it with this:

Holyoke Street, Bus Stops, on the easterly side in a northerly direction, beginning 20 feet from Gedney St. and extending 160 feet. Tour Bus parking Two Hour limit.

Ward Councillor Famico has moved to adopt the first passage. Which means we would keep at least some of the spaces.

If you care about parking on Holyoke Street at all, please consider attending this meeting, or if you cannot make the meeting please call your city councillors. Their phone numbers are on the Salem.com website. Or e-mail them at citycouncilors@salem.com.

Street Parking Changes

In preparation for the annual onslaught of Halloween tourism, Saturday morning the Salem DPW painted several new designated areas on both Holyoke and Norman streets that may greatly impact parking availability both during the month of October, and going forward into winter.
Although the only officially-designated place residents of 24 Norman Street are allowed to park is Riley Plaza, (with our hang tags) many tenants frequently park in the unmetered spaces along Norman Street, directly in front of our building or the shopping plaza next door, or on nearby Holyoke Street.  We recently lost a potential space to a badly-placed handicapped parking space in front of the building. Saturday we lost another one, the space directly in front of that space by the ramp, or "driveway" on the market side of the building. (see photo below)

We are also potentially losing all of our parking on the Verizon building side of Holyoke Street. The Salem DPW painted in two large spaces for tour buses to park on Holyoke.

Although tour buses and Verizon trucks have parked there in the past, this may indicate that a new, officially-posted "Tour Buses Only" area may be enforced with ticketing, or towing. Weather this will be only during the month of October, or permanently, remains to be seen.
There was no notification from the city to Markwood Management that any of these changes were taking place.
With the new Merchant hotel leasing parking space in Riley Plaza, two new hotels scheduled to open within the year (one on Essex Street, one on Washington Street) and the city seemingly favoring merchants and tourists over residents, parking scarcity is once again becoming critical issue. 

For now, just be aware of these changes and be careful to look for any new signs or posted regulations. We will post any new information we receive here on the blog.

Towing Reminder and a Warning

A car was towed from the side driveway this morning that had been parked in there overnight.
This is unfortunate and a real hassle for the person who parked it there, but this situation could have been avoided if:

• The vehicle license plate number and vehicle description had been on the list of 24 Norman Street resident's vehicles.
• The person who left it there had contacted Markwood Management and informed them of the reason it was left there overnight.

The side lot is for short-term parking only. That means picking up and dropping off passengers, groceries, luggage, etc. The outward time limit is usually about a half an hour. However there is some grace, you probably won't even have a problem parking there a bit longer if you are not:

• Blocking the dumpster
• Blocking the entrance to the driveway
• One of multiple cars in the space. 
• Making a lot of noise

Things that are noticed, frowned upon and will likely get you towed are:

• Habitual abuse of the parking space
  (parking there repeatedly for more than a couple of hours over consecutive days).
• Overnight parking (never a good idea).
• Parking in the side lot and not being on the tenant's vehicle list*
• Using the driveway as a personal space for working on your vehicle.

*Markwood maintains a list of tenant vehicle tag numbers and vehicle descriptions so that we can tell if someone other than a tenant is parking in the side lot. This information is provided voluntarily by the tenants. If you are not on it, you automatically go to the short list for being towed.

Occasionally people have had mechanical issues with their cars. No oil, ran out of gas, flat tire, dead battery, etc. If this happens to you, and your vehicle is stuck, contact Markwood Management immediately. This is especially important if you are not on the list of tenant vehicles. If we don't know who you are we can't even call you and see what the problem is.

Vendors who are performing work in the building for Markwood Management, are generally exempt from these parking time restrictions. However if a tenant or owner is hiring a plumber, electrician, carpenter, cleaner, mover, etc. to do work in their unit, inform Markwood Management so that they can contact them if there is an issue. (for example, blocking the driveway or access to the dumpster).

This is all important because Halloween is coming, which means increased traffic and less parking availability. Our proximity to downtown, also means we are frequently prone to having unwanted visitors and "guests" parking in our driveway. It is important to keep the driveway open so that every tenant has equal access and trash removal can be completed. If you don't wish to be towed and fined, please respect the space.

Do Not Park Your Scooters Here

The warmer weather is coming (believe it or not!) and as a result, we are having a recurring issue with tenants and guests parking their scooters and motorcycles in the side lot. This area is not intended for long-term parking of any kind, including bikes, motorcycles and scooters. It makes it difficult for vehicles to maneuver in the space and also may present a liability issue.
There is space on the E-market side of the building, behind a gate with a lock, that is available for this kid of warm-weather parking. You can also park in front of the building (if you can find a space). If you leave your bike or scooter in the dumpster-side lot, it will be removed at your expense. Thank you for your cooperation in this.

Warning About New "Handicapped" Parking Space

Residents at 24 Norman Street may have noticed a new handicapped parking space sign in front of the building. Markwood management is not sure why the city, in all of it's infinite wisdom, has decided to place this sign here. In the two months, not one single vehicle with either a handicapped license plate, or tag, has been observed parking there, however please be advised, the city has been issuing tickets to non-handicapped vehicles parked in and near this space. The enforcement seems random, and arbitrary, and also, the space is not clearly designated on the pavement, so there is some question weather the space is supposed to be the one in front of the sign (closest to the market), or directly adjacent to it. We're not sure that the parking enforcement officer knows either, but several people have received tickets while parked in both spaces, including at least one resident of 24 Norman Street. It seems to be at the whim of the officer, but since the tickets are in the $90 range, we advise caution parking there until Markwood gets a definitive answer from the city.

Halloween Parking Reminder

This is a warning for for new tenants and a reminder for long term residents of 24 Norman Street.
If you are not already aware, October is a very difficult month for traffic and parking in Salem. This is true for much of Salem but for the downtown area especially.
Haunted Happenings, the month-long program of events and activities brings in a huge daily influx of tourists, especially on the weekends, meaning your usual parking spots (including Riley Plaza) are frequently filled with the cars of day-trippers, out-of-town gawkers, evening revelers and and other Halloween visitors. Parking enforcement is generally very stringent.
Markwood wants to remind everyone that parking restrictions for the side parking lot are in full effect. 

Parking restrictions for the side parking lot are somewhat more relaxed during the rest of the year.
Although it is a temporary drop/off, pick-up area and Markwood prefers that you park there a maximum of 20 minutes, they are aware that many people exceed this time limit, sometimes by several hours, (which you always do at your own risk).

There are however, several instances where the parking restriction is ruthlessly enforced. (1) When a vehicle is blocking access to the driveway. (2) When a vehicle is blocking access to the dumpster on a trash day (3) When a vehicle is interfering with snow removal (4) The entire month of October. 

Case in point: This last weekend this blue Hyundai was parked in middle of the side lot from Saturday evening until Monday morning , (when it was towed away). 

Markwood has no easy way of confirming if a car belongs to a resident of 24 Norman Street, a visitor, or friend of a tenant, or is just some random tourist. Markwood also has no way of contacting the owner of any particular vehicle. (We do not have the ability to look up and cross-reference registration and the police will not get involved with parking violations on private property)
Markwood has no choice but to call the tow company.
If your car is broken down and you are unable to move it, it is your responsibility to call Markwood and let them know the circumstances.

If your car has been towed, it will have been towed by Bill's Towing Service, located at  2 Commercial St, Salem (978).  It is an expensive and inconvenient experience to retrieve it,
so please avoid parking in the side lot for longer than 20 minutes. Also warn any visiting friends or relatives about this restriction. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Parking and Road Closures For this Weekend

Two events this coming weekend may impact your parking and travel plans if you live at 24 Norman Street. If you regularly park in Riley Plaza, this will affect you.

North Shore Pride Parade – Saturday, June 21, 2014

On Saturday, June 21st at noon time the NS Pride Parade will begin at the Riley Plaza Parking Lot.  The parade will exit the lot taking a right onto Margin St., a right at Norman Street onto New Derby Street to Derby Street, then take a left onto Hawthorne Boulevard and into the Salem Common. 

At 11:45 am the parade route streets will be closed and will re-open immediately after the parade (approximately 1:00 p.m.) 

No Parking Postings
Please be aware that the Riley Plaza parking lot will be closed to vehicles on Saturday morning beginning at 9:00 a.m. All vehicles must be removed from the parking lot.

No parking tow zones from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. will be posted on Margin Street between Gedney & Norman Streets.

No parking tow zones beginning at 9:00 a.m. will be posted on Washington Square South and East around the Common.

Traffic delays are expected and motorists should seek alternate routes during this time.

For more information regarding the NS Pride Event log onto: http://northshorepride.org/

 


 


24th Annual North Shore Cancer Walk 
– Sunday, June 22, 2014

On Sunday, June 22nd the North Shore Cancer WALK will begin at Salem Willows Park, down Memorial Drive onto Essex Street around the Salem Common onto the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall onto Lafayette Street to Salem State University’s O’Keefe Center and back along Lafayette Street to Derby Street onto Fort Avenue back to the Salem Willows.

Please be aware that there will be street closures on portions of these roads from approximately 8am until 9:30am.

Traffic delays are expected and motorists should seek alternate routes during this time.

For more information regarding the Cancer Walk log onto: http://northshorecancerwalk.org/

The First Rule About Trash Days

Unless there is a holiday, our trash collection is regularly scheduled for Tuesdays. Early in the morning, usually between 7:00 and 9:00 AM, a large truck backs into the side parking area and empties the dumpster. If there is a vehicle blocking access to the dumpster when they arrive, they will sometimes beep their horn, but more often than not, they move on, (they have a strict schedule to keep) and we miss our trash disposal for the week.
This can be a real problem as the dumpster will often be overflowing before they come the following week. This leads to an increase in pests (like seagulls and rats) and in the warmer months, flies, maggots, and bad odors, not to mention that it just looks plain ugly.
So remember, the first rule about trash day is: Never park in front of or block access to the dumpster. The second rule about trash day is: NEVER PARK IN FRONT OF OR BLOCK ACCESS TO THE DUMPSTER.  If you do,  you will not only cause problems with the trash, but your car may be towed as well.

Halloween Parking Information for 24 Norman Street

The side lot at 24 Norman street will be chained and locked starting Tuesday night 10/29/13 through Friday morning 11/01/13. This is in anticipation of record crowds in Salem. In past years we have had issues with non-residents parking in the side lot during the Halloween festivities, and because of road closings and heavy traffic, were unable to have them towed.
If you have any questions about this or issues, please contact Markwood Management at 781-639-4080.

In addition the City of Salem has announced
Road Closures & No Parking Zones for Halloween.
All closures subject to change based on traffic and public safety considerations

SALEM, MA – The City of Salem has announced the following planned road closures and temporary parking restrictions for Halloween, October 31st. These closures are subject to change based on conditions, crowd size, and other public safety factors.

Visitors planning to come to Salem on October 26th, 27th, or 31st are strongly encouraged to take the commuter rail (www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/haunted_happenings/) or ride the Salem-to-Boston Ferry (www.bostonharborcruises.com/salem-ferry/). For more information about traveling to Salem during Halloween visit http://hauntedhappenings.org/arrive and to be notified about road closures follow www.twitter.com/getthruoctober.

Streets closed to traffic at approximately 4:00 p.m., no later than 5:00 p.m., and until approximately 11:30 p.m.

1. Washington St. from New Derby to Bridge St.
2. Essex St. from Barton Square to Union St.
3. Derby St. from Lafayette St. to Congress St.
4. Brown St. at New Liberty St. Second backup closure at Howard St.
5. Lafayette St. from Derby to Front St.
6. Hawthorne Blvd. from Derby St. to Essex St.
7. Washington Sq. West from Essex to Brown St. Washington Sq. South closed. Washington Sq. North closed from Brown to Winter St.
8. Winter St. at Bridge St. closed to inbound traffic.
9. Williams St. at Bridge St.
10. Congress St. closed at South Harbor Garage. Vehicles will be detoured to Pickering Way out to Derby St. Derby St. inbound traffic detoured to Little Hawthorne Blvd., right on Essex St. (Traffic direction will be reversed on Little Hawthorne Blvd.)

Streets closed to traffic from 10:00 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.

1. Bridge St. will be closed to traffic between the westerly ramps and the Bypass Road.
2. Incoming Bridge St northbound traffic will be detoured up westerly ramps to North Street. Bypass Road inbound traffic from Beverly will be diverted back to Bridge Street and back to Beverly. Incoming southbound traffic from Bridge Street will be diverted to the Bypass Road and back to Beverly.
3. Franklin Street may be closed to traffic if needed.

Other closures or openings could be decided as
special circumstances arise.

No parking tow zones from 4:00 p.m. to midnight

1.      Lafayette St. both sides Front to Derby St.
2.      Public parking lot along Front St. Public parking spaces
         located on Central St. in front of old police station.
3.      Essex St. from Barton Sq. to Hawthorne Blvd.
4.      Derby St. both sides between Congress and Lafayette St.
5.      Hawthorne Blvd. both sides.
6.      Front St.
7.      Central St.
8.      Washington St. from New Derby to Bridge St. both sides.
9.      Washington Sq. North, South, and West both sides.
10.     Federal St. both sides from Washington to Superior Court.
11.     Norman St. from Washington to Crombie St.
12.     Franklin St. on the Furlong Park/North River side of the street.
13.     New Derby St. between Klop Alley and Lafayette St.