Salem MBTA Station Parking Lot CLOSING

For those of you who commute into Boston or the surrounding communities from Salem, the MBTA Salem Station Parking Lot and the Salem City Parking Lot will be closing effective Saturday June 20, 2013 for construction of the Salem Station Improvements and Parking Garage.

Commuter parking is available at Lynn Garage, Montserrat Station in Beverly, Swampscott Station and North Beverly Station.

The City of Salem is completing construction of a parking lot on Bridge Street that is anticipated to be available in August 2013. Notices will be posted when this parking lot is available.

Handicap Accessible parking at Salem Station will remain open during construction.

MBTA customer service: 617-222-3200 or 800-392-6100 – TTY 617-222-5146

New BuildingSalem Website Is Now Live:

If you want to check out what is going on with building projects around the city,  Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll announced today that the BuildingSalem website – www.BuildingSalem.com – is now live.

BuildingSalem is a public information effort to streamline communications and address constituent concerns related to major construction projects in Salem, as the City prepares to undergo nearly $1.5 billion in public and private projects over the next few years.

The primary goal of BuildingSalem is to limit disruption to our neighborhoods and businesses to the greatest extent possible and facilitate better communication between project partners, residents, and City government.

The initiative is also on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BuildingSalem and Twitter at @buildingsalem. The BuildingSalem direct line at City Hall is 978-619-5605.

HYDRANT FLOW TEST NOTIFICATION

RESIDENTS & BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

Federal Street – St Peter Street to Washington Street
Washington Street – Essex Street to Federal Street
Church Street – Washington Street to St Peter Street
Essex Street – Washington Street to New Liberty
And encompassed areas

This notice is to inform you that a hydrant flow test will be conducted in your area on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 10 p.m.  –Test Site: 87 Washington Street

You may experience a loss of water or some discoloration during this time. 
Do not turn your hot water on! Let your cold water run until water clears.  Also, do not do laundry until your water runs clear.  If you have any questions, please call 978-744-3302.

Meetings on Pedestrian Mall Phase 2 Improvements

Design discussions focused on the second phase of improvements to the Essex Street pedestrian mall will be held this month. The first discussion will be at the Salem Redevelopment Authority (SRA) meeting on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 6:30 PM. The second discussion will be at the Design Review Board (DRB) meeting on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 6:00 PM. Both meetings will be held on the third floor of the City Hall Annex at 120 Washington Street.

BACKGROUND

On April 11, 2012, the SRA approved the conceptual plan for pedestrian mall improvements. The work was divided into phases, and construction of phase one was completed on September 14, 2012. The work in the first phase was limited to the removal of the landscaping beds located in the following three locations: 226 Essex Street (Coon’s); 213 and 215 Essex Street (The Magic Parlor and Derby Square Bookstore), and 197-201 Essex Street (Witch History Museum). These areas were filled in with brick to match the existing pattern.

The design discussion for the second phase of improvements will focus on the refurbishment of the fountain at Washington Street and the treatment of the cobblestones.

Please note: Some elements were approved on April 11, 2012, but they were not implemented during phase one construction. These elements will be included in the next phase of construction and include the addition of canopy trees, the removal of the bulletin board kiosk in front of 216 Essex Street (Cabot Money Management), and the removal of the landscaping beds in front of 186 Essex Street (Witch City Ink) and 182 Essex Street (The Bootery). As was done in the first phase of construction, the areas that have something removed will be filled in with brick to match the existing pattern. The removal of the concrete circular planter in front of 210 Essex Street (Salem Five) was also approved on April 11, 2012. However, the revised design has the planter remaining.

CITY OF SALEM TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO ESSEX STREET PEDESTRIAN MALL

The City of Salem is moving forward with making improvements to the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall.

The work consists of removing three landscaping beds in front of 197-201, 213, 215, and 226 Essex Street. These areas will be filled in with brick to match the existing pattern.

Mayor Kimberley Driscoll said, “The pedestrian mall is an important amenity downtown, and I’m pleased to move forward with this needed work. The project will make it safer for pedestrians and will increase visibility for businesses.”

In response to requests from merchants, the City adjusted the construction schedule so no work would occur during July or October. In addition, the City has minimized construction in August as much as possible. Construction will begin on Monday, August 20, 2012 and will end no later than Friday, September 28, 2012.

Design discussions focused on the next phase of improvements will be held this fall. Elements that may be included in the next phase are removing the fountain at Washington Street and redesigning the area, removing the kiosk and other landscaping beds, addressing the treatment of the cobblestone areas, proposing new street furniture, planting trees, and opportunities for public art.

People interested in receiving updates on the project can sign up for e-mail updates at www.salem.com under the “E-mail Subscriber” button.

City Launches New Parking Website

Riley Plaza will be one parking location where rates and rules will change.

The City of Salem has posted new pages on its website focused on changes to the parking system.

Quite simply, their stated goal is to have parking work better for you.

For the past three years the City has been involved in a comprehensive program to study, develop, and implement a dynamic, new parking system to serve the diverse needs of people parking in the downtown area.

Throughout the process, the city listened to input from residents, employers, employees, customers, and visitors about the parking system. They heard about a lot of issues. They also heard a lot of suggestions. Some suggestions conflicted with each other. After all, parking is very personal, and each person has his own feeling about how much he is willing to pay and how far he is willing to walk.

They did their best to listen to the different ideas and balance the needs of the different user groups—residents, employees, customers. Salem thinks the system being rolled out will improve parking for most people. They know it won’t be perfect, and there will be further tweaks needed once all of the changes are implemented. They will have an intensive 90-day evaluation period to see where the system is operating as desired, and where changes are needed.

The website explains the changes that will be implemented in the coming weeks and the parking options people will have. Changes to the system include a new rate structure, discount monthly passes, and new enforcement hours and fines.

Visit www.salem.com and click on the “Parking in Salem” logo, or go directly to the website by clicking here:

 Please submit your comments to parking@salem.com.

Salem Pedestrian Mall Improvements

The Salem Redevelopment Authority approved the conceptual plan for pedestrian mall improvements.  More detailed design plans will be submitted and reviewed by the DRB. If you use the pedestrian mall and are interested in what they are planning you might want to take a look at this.  Click here for the conceptual plan.