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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

Salem Announces Planned Street Closures for September and October

It's that time of year again! The City of Salem has announced the
 following road closures and detours planned for events in September and October.

All information below is subject to change. The Salem Police Department will close any street at any time if they determine that a public safety issue exists.

·         September 21: Wicked Salem Half Marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. at the Bentley School. No road closures are planned, however residents should anticipate traffic delays along: Memorial Drive, Essex Street, Route 1A, Route 114 including Hawthorne Boulevard, Derby Street, Lafayette Street, Fort Avenue, and Memorial Drive. There will be no parking tow zones set up on Memorial Drive, Victory Road, and Larkin Lane.

·         September 28: Gallows Hill road race starts at 5:30 p.m. at Gallows Hill Park. No road closures are planned, however residents should anticipate traffic delays on Witch Hill Road and Hillside Avenue.

·         October 3: Haunted Happenings Parade starts at 6:30 p.m. at Shetland Office Park on Congress Street. Residents should anticipate traffic delays on Route 114 and Route 1A. Route 1A from Derby Street to Brown Street will be closed to traffic from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Other road closures are Congress Street, Washington Street, Essex Street from Washington Street to Union Street, Central Street, Front Street, and Washington Square West, North, and South. There will be no parking tow zones along the entire parade route.

·         October 5 and 6: Haunted Happenings BizBaz. There will be no parking at the meters along the portion of Essex Street between Hawthorne Boulevard and New Liberty Street beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday October 5 through Sunday October 6 at 9:00 p.m. This section of Essex Street will also be closed to through traffic from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

·         October 13: Witch Ride Motorcycle Ride. Route 114 and Route 1A will be impacted, but not closed to traffic, from Marblehead to New Derby Street. Route 1A, including Derby Street, will be closed to traffic between Lafayette Street and Congress Street. Congress Street will also be closed to traffic. Residents should anticipate road closures and traffic delays from noon to 3:00 p.m. There will be a no parking tow zone on Derby Street between Lafayette and Congress Street from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

·         October 20: Salem YMCA Haunted Happenings 5K road race starts at 9:00 a.m. at the Salem Willows. No road closures are planned, however residents should anticipate traffic delays along the following roadways: Memorial Drive, Essex Street, Route 1A, Route 114 including Hawthorne Boulevard, Derby Street, and Fort Avenue, ending at Restaurant Row.

·         October 26: Devil’s Chase road race starts at 8:00 a.m. at the Salem Willows soccer field on Fort Avenue. No road closures are planned, however residents should traffic delays until 10:30 a.m. on the following roadways: Fort Avenue, Derby Street, Szetela Lane, Webb Street, Andrews Street, Washington Square, Essex Street, Charter Street, Central Street, Derby Street, Winter Island Road, Columbus Avenue, Restaurant Row, and Memorial Drive. Several no parking tow zones will be posted on Memorial Drive, Victory Road, and Larkin Lane.

·         October 31: Halloween events will include multiple road closures and heavy traffic delays throughout Salem for the entire day and night. Residents should expect major traffic delays on Route 114 and Route 1A. Downtown streets will close to all traffic no later than 4:00 p.m. These road closures include: Essex Street at Crombie Street and Barton Square to Union Street, Washington Street from New Derby Street to Bridge Street, Federal Street from St. Peter’s Street to North Street, Washington Square North and West from Essex Street to Brown Street, Hawthorne Boulevard, Derby Street, Route 1A, Congress Street near Pickering Wharf, Charter Street, Central Street, Front Street, and Lafayette Street from New Derby Street to Front Street. Bridge Street at the Bypass Road will also close to all traffic between the westerly overpass ramps the Bypass Road from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for the closing fireworks.

For additional information, please contact the Traffic Division of the Salem Police Department at 978-744-0171 ext. 115 or online at www.salempd.net. Travel and parking information for Salem’s October Haunted Happenings festival is online at www.hauntedhappenings.org, with detailed parking information at www.parkinginsalem.com. Follow street closure and traffic alerts for October in Salem on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GetThruOctober (@getthruoctober).

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.

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

Parking Pass Notice

 


































ATTENTION 24 Norman Street owners and tenants. The City of Salem is issuing new parking passes to the 24 Norman Street Condominiums.  Your new pass and detailed instructions will be mailed to you on Monday.

The attached notice will be posted on the bulletin board in the mail box lobby.

It is important to note that the current pass must be used until December 31st and the new pass must be used starting January 1st.

Important Parking Information for Norman Street Residents

The Salem parking office is being inundated with frustrated Norman Street residents and their parking tickets. Here is the official statement on the parking changes:

Parking placards, 1 per Unit, currently issued to 24 Norman Street residents and paid for by the Association are good for parking in RILEY PLAZA ONLY.
New parking permits will be issued to the Association in January 2013  and will be sent by Markwood Management to each homeowner.  These new permits will be valid for RILEY PLAZA ONLY.
Parking passes that permit parking on Norman Street and surrounding areas are available from the parking office in the PEM garage WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.  These permits cost $25/month/pass.  They are NOT available through the Association.
The tickets that are being issued for parking on Norman St. ARE NOT FORGIVABLE!  Residents should pay the fines within the 21 days required or penalties will apply!

BACKGROUND:
The 24 Norman Street Condominium Association is obligated, per the Master Deed and an easement granted by the city, to purchase 1 permit per Unit for parking in Riley Plaza.
In the past, parking on Norman Street was unrestricted.  Anyone could park there pass or no pass.
The recently revised parking regulations for downtown Salem have resulted in parking restrictions being placed on Norman St.

Markwood Management will issue a document that is more succinct and post it in the building, as well as send the information to owners via email and letter for those tenants Markwood does not have email addresses for.  We appreciate that this has been confusing, but in fact there has been no change to the Condominium parking permits, the change has been to the status of Norman Street parking.