Skip Navigation
This table is used for column layout.
August 20, 2008
Salem state college neighborhood
advisory committee
August 20, 2008 – Minutes


Attendees:      Beth Bower, Lee Brossoit, Marcia Lambert, Adria Leach, Joseph O’Keefe, Jim Rose, Jason Silva, and John Walsh
Absent: Fran Carson, Jack Hoar, Robert McCarthy, Andrew Soll, and Matt Veno,
RESOLUTIONS AND UPDATES
a.      Dead bushes on bike path – Bushes were pulled out; City will replace.
b.      City plantings – Still not getting enough water. Jason will reach out to Mr. Colehower.
c.      Clean up Broadway lot – Still in good shape; Fence still needs to be removed when safe.
d.      Public meetings – Residence Hall meeting will take place August 26. Next Weir Property public meeting will take place early October.
e.      ATVS – Jason will alert city police. Beth will be in touch with public safety to see if any ATVs were taped riding through the lots.
f.      Road Construction City – Linden (from Loring to Forrest) will be re-paved after October 8; Portions of the sidewalks along this area will be re-paved in the next couple of weeks. It was suggested that the steep hill leading up to Linden (Atlantic Road) be addressed as well.
g.      Ball field – Trees and other screening plants cannot be planted until September. The college is putting together a plan for this planting. Dead trees have been replaced. Beth and Adria met with David Mackey to discuss planting options. Signage for parking will go up within the next couple of weeks. Field activity for fall will include fall lacrosse, soccer and field hockey practices in the outfield. Monroe Road has public parking on the left and no parking on the right. “No buses” signs have gone up on this street. The orange stripe is a safety precaution for players in the outfield.

START OF FALL SEMESTER
a.      Crossing Guard – Two crossing guards have been hired to patrol the Loring Avenue crosswalk at Linden from 7 - 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. They have been trained by Public Safety and will start on September 3. Each guard will wear a professional public safety jacket and hat and will carry a stop sign. Adding hours from 4 to 7 p.m. was suggested.  It was agreed that the current hours were a good first step, and the hours would be re-assessed after a few weeks in process.
b.      Parking/Traffic
  • The college is in the process of reaching out to faculty, staff and students about parking. Internal news blasts, real time parking coverage on WMWM and adding parking in the Weir property are initiatives taking place.
  • Concerns in the Savoy and Naples areas have been passed onto the Salem Police Department. Increased signage (even temporary) is being considered as an option. Jason will have further discussions with the police department and will report back on progress.
  • Snow emergency parking in the O’Keefe Center needs to be re-advertised to neighbors. Online forms and addition of other campus lots were suggested.
  • Dana Lothrop called the college regarding vehicles on the bike path. It turned out to be a city vehicle. We need to be better coordinated and cognizant of what vehicles will be traveling on the bike path and when.
  • There are no stop signs on Linden and traffic coming from Loring acts as if it has the right of way. Jason will look into adding “Slow” signs to this area with Salem Police.
c.      College Parties – Jason spoke to the Salem Police Department who will be stricter in the citation process around college neighborhoods.
d.      Halloween
  • Salem State College will participate in the Haunted Happenings parade on October 2 in place of its parade during the Saturday of Family Weekend.
  • Family Weekend will take place on October 4. It includes: a first-year reception; carnival in the grassy area of the O’Keefe Center (neighbors welcome); sporting events; encouraged adventures to the downtown areas.
  • On October 26, the Student Government Association will hold its annual Haunted Happenings Event in the Campus Center for all elementary schools in Salem. Flyers regarding this event are sent home with students through the City of Salem Superintendent’s Office.
  • On October 30, the Multicultural Student Association will host their annual Halloween Dance on campus.
NEW BUSINESS
  • The college will send out a campus-wide message to faculty and staff asking them not to park in non-parking areas along Loring Avenue. The 15 minute parking and non-parking areas (hydrants, bus stops) will be enforced by Salem Police.
  • The city is working with a consultant around the Lafayette curve. The plan is estimated at over $400K. New signage is based on recommendations from the engineers. The immediate plan is to mitigate problems including: adding 10 new street signs; adding reflectors to better define roadway boundaries; increasing and improving striping to make the road appear more narrow; and installation of a radar speed limit sign at the corner of Lafayette and Fairview (to remain permanent). Long term plans include: physically narrowing roadways by extending sidewalks; moving the crest of road to the right (when driving toward Marblehead); and raising the grade on that side of the street.
MEETING SCHEDULE
The next meeting of the SSCNAC will take place on Monday, September 15 at 5:30 in the Campus Police Conference Room located on Central Campus at 73 Loring Avenue.  This will be the start of the SSCNAC meeting monthly on the third Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.