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July 21, 2008
Salem state college neighborhood
advisory committee
July 21, 2008 – Minutes


Attendees:      Beth Bower, Lee Brossoit, Karen Cady, Fran Carson, Jack Hoar, Marcia Lambert, Adria Leach, Robert McCarthy, Joseph O’Keefe, Jason Silva, Matt Veno, and John Walsh
Absent: Jim Rose and Andrew Soll
INTRODUCTIONS
PURPOSE
The Salem City Council requested that Mayor Driscoll re-establish the Salem State College Neighborhood Advisory Committee (SSCNAC) to better foster communication between the city, the college and its neighbors.  Each group will take responsibility to report on issues or potential issues in a timely manner with the committee acting as a sounding board and forum for issues raised during the meetings.  The committee is charged with keeping communication open between all groups and determining the best way to keep the public informed.
ORGANIZATION
Jason Silva of the Mayor’s Office will serve as the chair of the committee.  In addition to the city, neighborhood and college membership, representatives for other areas of interest may be invited into the discussion when pertinent.
UPCOMING ISSUES
Current and planned projects were discussed (a complete list is attached). Below are the highlights:

Central Campus Ball Field
Several issues surfaced at a March 26 hearing regarding the baseball field. The college addressed these issues in a letter to Councilor O’Keefe (attached).

Central Campus – Interim Library
The Interim Library will be housed in the Academic Building on Central Campus (in the far right space when facing the building from the parking lot). Construction will be complete by September.  

Central Campus – Central Campus Residence Hall Roof Replacement
The majority of the construction will take place on the campus interior.  The replacement is due to a faulty installation and is covered under the contractor warrantee.  Work was scheduled to start in June but was delayed.  Construction is expected to be complete by the end of August.  

  • Loring Avenue (next to White Dove)
This property is being leased by the college and will house library technical services and archives. There will be no direct student services at this location.  Taxes will continued to be paid by the landlord.

Weir Property – Short-term improvements and occupancy
The college is leasing the property as of April of 2008.  The Shipping & Receiving Department has been moved to Stanley Building (the building on the Broadway side of the Bike Path), decreasing the amount of trucks moving in and out of Central Campus.  The blue building located on the Loring side will hold the overflow of books for the library. This section will not have public access.  Books will be retrieved by staff as they are needed.  The college is making needed upgrades to electrical service before removing the fences and landscaping.  Assessment of the buildings and plans for refurbishing the space for occupancy are on-going.  The college does not expect to move many more services into the space until 2009.
Long term use is in the planning stages.  The college has enlisted the help of Sasaki Associates, an architectural and planning firm, along with an advisory committee made up of neighbors, community members and city officials to come up with a proposal for property usage.  Now in the early stages, the proposal includes a mixed use of space that will include college administrative offices, retail, and possibly graduate student or faculty housing. The college has committed to maintaining tax support to the city once it purchases the property.

A public meeting to discuss the Weir property, also known as the Loring Avenue/Canal Street Corridor, will take place on Monday, July 28 at 7 p.m. in the Enterprise Center on Central Campus.

Central Campus – New Residence Hall
Architects are revising the design based on comments received during the public meeting on June 23. The second public meeting will take place in late August.

Salem State College Library Study
The Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), the building owner, is studying the structural sufficiency of the building and will make a recommendation in August 2008.  The college will alert the SSCNAC on the outcome when the decision is made.

COMMITTEE ISSUES AND CONCERNS
  • The Crossing Guard at Linden and Loring – The college is working to hire and train a crossing guard.  Beth Bower will follow up on this at the next meeting.
  • The dead bushes on the bike path in between the academic building and the residence hall need to be replaced.  These will be added to the college’s fall planting schedule.
  • The plants located at the end of the residence hall close to the field that were planted by the city a couple of weeks ago require more water.  The city will follow up on this request.
  • The square plot of the Weir property located on Broadway needs cleaning and maintenance.  The college will arrange for maintenance.
  • The committee members should be notified by the college prior to large public mailings.
  • Parking
  • Monroe/Lincoln Roads – city signage should be in place and parking should be less of an issue come next spring. No buses will be permitted to drive or park down those streets.
  • Student parking maps should be double checked with the Councilors before distributed to the students to ensure that residential parking locations are not included in error.  Lee Brossoit will locate parking guidelines from previous committee and distribute to the group.  The college noted that unofficial parking guides are produced by the students.  The college will work with the student organizations to review prior to publication.
  • Forest River Park, Rainbow Terrace, Lafayette Street and Naples Road should be monitored for illegal parking and standing.  The city will look into increased patrols in these areas.  The college will increase education to students.
  • It was noted that the Dunkin’ Donuts in Meier Hall worked out well and did not negatively impact the neighborhood.  However, there is concern regarding illegal parking and idling issues that relate to the drop off and pick up of students in front of Meier Hall and on Naples and Savoy Streets, with increased concern with evening courses.  The college will look into these issues and report back at the next meeting.
  • Salem residents drive ATVs in the O’Keefe Center parking lot.  The college will alert Campus Police to increase patrols of this area.
  • Linden Street and sidewalks are in need of repair.  The city is scheduled to repave this year and will check schedule to assure the work is done prior to the start of the college’s fall semester.
  • Beth Bower is working to remedy the noise issues regarding machinery behind the Central Campus Academic Building that affects Raymond Road abutters.  Councilor O’Keefe will provide addresses of those affected by noise.
  • Concern about student movement and participation in Halloween activities were raised and will be addressed at the next meeting.
MEETING SCHEDULE
The next meeting of the SSCNAC will take place on Wednesday, August 20 at 5:30 in the Campus Police Conference Room located on Central Campus at 73 Loring Avenue.  The agenda will include:
  • The start of the college’s fall semester
  • Halloween
Thereafter, the SSCNAC will meet monthly on the third Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.