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.

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 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.

Latest Update on Holyoke Street

New signs have been installed on Holyoke Street. The entire eastern (Verizon building) side of the street has been turned into tour bus parking. This effectively restricts our parking there to evenings after 6:00 PM until 8:59 AM the following morning. Markwood has been in touch with Ward 7 Councilor Steve Dibble , and Ward 2 Councilor Heather Famico (our ward councilor). For now this is 7 days a week, and there is no indication that it will be only seasonal, (May-November). Be aware that this will mean ticketing and towing if you park there anytime between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
If you have issues with this decision, please write and express your displeasure to Heather at hfamico@Salem.com 
 If there is any interest in starting a petition, please contact the author of this blog or Markwood Management.

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.

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 NOTICE for 24 Norman Street

The side parking lot at 24 Norman Street will be chained and locked starting noon Friday 10/30/15 until Sunday 11/1/15. This means the side lot will be unavailable for parking for the pretty much the entire weekend. Be aware, and plan ahead. If your car is found parked there when Markwood closes the lot, your car will be towed, or will be locked in for the weekend. 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 other issues, please contact Markwood Management at 781-639-4080.

Alternative Parking Options During Snow Clean-Up

With the huge amount of snowfall we have received during the last two weeks and are likely to continue receiving, and with Riley Plaza looking more like Ice Station Zebra than a parking lot,  you may have had trouble finding off-street parking during the snow emergencies. Here is a list of possible alternative locations. It never hurts to have a plan "B".

The City of Salem offers the following locations as alternative off-street parking options for residents as snow clean-up gets underway. Please note that parking in school lots is only permitted during snow emergencies. Once the snow emergency is lifted, cars must be removed from school lots. Park and playground parking lots and the Salem Wharf lot may continue to be used for alternative parking. In addition, Salem has added some additional options (see below) and reminds folks about the existing lots that can be used for off street parking, as follows:

Church Street parking lot

Residents may park for free here overnight (6pm to 7am). After 7am, regular lot rates will apply.

Universal Steel parking lot (297 Bridge Street)

Residents may park here for free. There will be no charge to park in this lot, pending further snow clean-up efforts. There are approximately 120 spaces here.

Salem Willows parking lot

DPW is performing additional plowing in this lot. There are approximately 125 spaces here. Meters will not be in effect.

Forest River Park

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 30 spaces here.

Gallows Hill Playground lower lot

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 70 spaces here.

Mack Park upper and lower lots

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 35 spaces here.

Castle Hill Playground

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 40 spaces here.

Blaney Street/Salem Wharf parking lot

Currently a designated snow emergency lot. Parking may continue in this lot until further notice. There are approximately 45 spaces here.


Good luck!

City of Salem Offers Free Parking December 24 and 31

In order to encourage residents to shop local and support Salem’s small businesses this holiday season, Mayor Kim Driscoll has announced that parking in all City-owned locations in Salem will be free on Wednesday, December 24.

Then, on Wednesday December 31, metered spaces and City-owned surface lots will also be free after 4:00 p.m. and the Museum Place and South Harbor parking garages will be free after 7:00 p.m., in order to help encourage residents and visitors to come ring in the New Year in downtown Salem.

“I hope everyone doing their last minute holiday shopping will keep our local small retailers and shops in mind,” said Mayor Driscoll. “To make it just a bit easier for all of you late shoppers, the City will not be charging for parking on December 24th. Now you don’t have an excuse!”

The City of Salem and Salem Main Streets have also once again partnered to host “LAUNCH! New Year’s Eve Salem” at Old Town Hall in Derby Square from 4:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. on New Year’s Eve night. This free and family-friendly party will include music by The Dejas, New Year’s Eve related activities and crafts for kids of all ages, and will end with an early countdown and balloon drop at 7:00 p.m.

ROOF REPAIR NOTICE

In an effort to stop some minor roof leaks before they turn into a major problem, roof repairs will be commencing this week (November 24-26th) or next (December 1-5), depending on weather.
The repairs are expected to take 2-3 days.
There will be some disruption during the repairs. Trucks in the driveway, ladders on the building and noise, particularly noticeable on the third floor. The construction vehicles may affect your ability to use the side parking area and access to that side of the building. It may also mean that we may miss trash pickup for the week. If you have any questions please contact Markwood Management, Telephone (781) 639-4080 , Facsimile (781) 639-0228, e-mail: markwoodmgt@hotmail.com.

Coming to Salem for Halloween?

Residents of 24 Norman Street may already be in Salem, however if you are new to Salem and the building, must travel out of or into Salem, or you have friends coming to visit on Halloween, you may find this information helpful. Also, be aware that the side parking lot will be chained and locked Halloween to prevent unauthorized parking.

Here are 5 Things you need to know.

1. Seek alternate routes. Do not drive to Salem on October 31st. Take the commuter rail or the Salem Ferry. The last trains leave Salem for Boston at around 11 PM.
2. Say something. If you see anything suspicious report it to the police by texting SalemTip  to 67283, or calling 978-744-1212, or going to any of the bright orange Salem Police tents around downtown.
3. Be safe. Leave costume weapons at home. Public intoxication will not be tolerated. Fines triple in October. Follow all police directions
4. Be respectful. Be sensitive to our downtown residents, as well as visitors. Fines for parking in resident-only zones triple in October.
5. Be patient. Road closures and detours are numerous on October 31st and may change depending on circumstances. If you must drive expect major delays.

www.salem.com
www.hauntedhappenings.com

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/

April 22 – April 25, 2014 - ENTRANCE CORRIDOR SWEEPING

This year's street sweeping schedule is below. The proposed dates are from April 22 through April 25, 2014. The sweeping will take place between 5:00 A.M. and 7:00 A.M.

Please remember to REMOVE YOUR VEHICLES FROM THE ODD SIDE OF THE STREET so they will not be ticketed and/or towed.

For more information regarding street sweeping, please contact the Department of Public Services at  978-744-3302.

PLEASE NOTE: Certain weather conditions preclude the use of street sweepers: During moderate to heavy rainfall or extreme cold temperatures, sweepers will not be able to operate. Please check  WWW.SALEM.COM for weather-related cancellations.

CITY OF SALEM SNOW EMERGENCY INFORMATION

The new City of Salem Snow Emergency Information brochure is now available at this link here. This contains important information to help you through the coming WINTER.

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.

October Parking

Well it's October again, and if you have lived at 24 Norman Street for more than a year, you will know what that means. It means lots of Halloween activities going on for the entire month, lots and lots of tourists, and a corresponding lack of available parking spaces.
Markwood would like to remind everyone that, tempting as it is, to not use the side lot for your own personal, long-term parking area. This is a constant issue throughout the year that gets much worse through the month of October and especially on Halloween, when we get upwards of 40,000 visitors to the city.
Occasionally it is not only residents of 24 Norman Street who abuse the side parking lot.
In the past we have had tourists who think it is a free, open parking lot for their convenience. Towing has been the usual deterrent, but since the streets are so crowded, and the towing company is so busy, that remedy may not be an effective deterrent. For this reason Markwood will be chaining off the parking area for the Halloween weekend. We will keep you posted on the details of when this is happening. If you have any questions please contact Markwood Management at 781-639-4080.

The Driveway is Fixed!

Good news for those of you who like to use the side parking lot for picking up and dropping off, (as well as those of you who like to park there like it's your own personal spot)!
Markwood Management recently completed repairs on the cobblestone entry ramp from the street as well as the large pothole that lay at the head of the driveway. Hopefully these will survive the winter!

Salem Intermodal Station Improvements: Parking Lot Closing July 20

On Saturday, July 20, 2013, the parking lot at Salem Station will be closed to allow the MBTA’s contractor to begin work on construction of the new Salem Intermodal Station and Garage Improvements. The contractor, Consigli Construction, will begin preparing the site for construction that day.

The MBTA has been working closely with the City of Salem to ensure that many current services can remain on site during construction. Services that will remain on site will include MBTA Commuter Rail service, MBTA bus service, the current accessible parking spaces, “The Ride” pick-up and drop-off and the current bicycle storage racks. The station kiss n' ride will be relocated at two locations off the current site. The first will be Bridge Street on the ramp to Route 114 in front of the existing pedestrian ramp and stairs to the station below. The second will be in the westbound lane of Bridge Street, just before the existing entrance to the station. Pedestrians will be able to access the station at the current locations and will be directed on the site along pedestrian paths to the platforms. Taxis will be relocated to the first block on Washington Street, with a space for spillover onto Federal Street. Automobile parking will be moved off site to make room for construction.

Those of you who live outside of Salem, please consider a variety of other travel options, including driving to and parking at other stations (Lynn Garage, Montserrat Station in Beverly, Swampscott Station, North Beverly Station and Wonderland in Revere). Other options include taking the Salem to Boston Fast Ferry or riding the 459 bus from Salem Depot to Downtown Crossing. A full list of alternatives with details on cost and access is available at www.BuildingSalem.com. You can also visit the MBTA’s website to sign up for “T Alerts” for the Newburyport/Rockport line.

The MBTA bus stop at the station will be relocated in the next few weeks to the City of Salem lot adjacent to the station. Bus 465, which currently stops on Washington Street between Federal and Bridge Streets, will move one block east, in front of Tabernacle Church.

The City of Salem is completing construction of a parking lot on Bridge Street (known as the Universal Steel site). The City anticipates that parking will be available at this site in mid-August. Notices will be posted when the lot is open. Currently the City of Salem is providing 30 parking spaces available at the Alpha Auto Sales lot, adjacent to the Universal Steel lot on Bridge Street.

While the project will pose some inconvenience to customers, the end result will be a new high-level platform; sheltered waiting areas; bicycle, pedestrian, and bus areas; and a parking garage. Input from the City and many of you, who attended planning meetings, has contributed to a successful process. The MBTA and the City of Salem ask for your patience as they work through the parking lot closure. Updates will be posted on the Building Salem site and the MBTA’s website. Please take care to follow signs directing you around the construction. The MBTA will meet with the community this fall to report on their progress and check in with you as the construction advances.