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April 27, 2009
Salem state college neighborhood
advisory committee
April 27, 2009 – Minutes
Attendees:      Beth Bower, Fran Carson, Jack Hoar, Marcia Lambert, Adria Leach, Joseph O’Keefe, Jason Silva, Andrew Soll, and Matt Veno

Absent:         Lee Brossoit, James Rose, Robert McCarthy, and John Walsh

Other:          Leif Lamoray and Connie Fredericks

RESIDENCE HALL
  • Construction Update (provided by Leif Lamoray, Leftfield Inc. Project Manager):
  • 90% of the geopiers are complete; there are two days left of geopier work.
  • 45 % of the footings and foundations are complete; all footings and foundations are projected to be complete by May 14.
  • Steel is scheduled to begin on May 18 and complete in September.
  • The project remains on schedule for August 2010 occupancy.
  • Jack Hoar asked about truck traffic during large concrete pours and the possibility of a police detail for trucks to take left-hand turns onto Loring Avenue by the Enterprise Center exit. Mr. Lamoray responded that they have taken a detail under advisement, but have devised a truck route that allows right-turns only out of both campus exits that prohibits truck travel on Broadway and Raymond Road. The route also recommends that trucks take Jefferson Avenue or Canal Street instead of following Loring Avenue to Lafayette Street.
  • Complaints
  • Beth Bower noted that there were a few complaints regarding vibration at the very beginning of the project. She also noted, and Fran Carson confirmed, that there was heavy concrete work taking place at Rainbow Terrace at the same time, and it is difficult to determine which project caused the vibration to abutters.
  • Ms. Bower also noted that there have been two complaints regarding trucks driving on Broadway from Canal Street to Loring Avenue. Mr. Lamoray addressed these issues with the contractor, and all trucks have been reminded that Broadway and Raymond Road are non-truck routes. Mr. Hoar asked why truck traffic was prohibited on Broadway. Councillor Veno explained that this section of Broadway is almost wholly residential.
  • Adria Leach noted that preconstruction surveys are complete. Nine out of 14 homes offered preconstruction surveys accepted the offer and have received their copies of the completed reports by mail. Homes were notified by letter and were asked to contact Adria if they wanted the survey.
  • Claims
  • In response to Councillor Joe O’Keefe’s request at the last SSCNAC meeting, Ms. Bower presented a claims procedure for abutters who feel that their property has been impacted by construction projects that take place on Salem State property. This procedure was created for all construction projects, including but not limited to the current residence hall construction. (Claims procedure is attached and available on www.salemstate.edu/construction.) Councillor O’Keefe asked if it would cover issues from the beginning of the residence hall construction (February 2009). Ms. Bower said yes.
  • Andrew Soll reviewed the renderings of the residence hall with views from all sides. The renderings can be seen on www.salemstate.edu/construction.
  • It was noted that the landscape design for the residence hall has not been completed. Any landscaping on the plan is representational only. The landscaping and buffering of the loading docks near the Salem Bike Path will be designed after the building exterior is complete toward the end of 2009.
  • Ms. Bower reminded the committee that the college has established a construction website that provides updates on the project’s schedule and progress. The website is updated bi-weekly and on an as needed basis. The address for this site is: www.salemstate.edu/construction.
BALL FIELD
  • The college baseball season is complete.
  • In preparation for this past season, Ms. Bower met with Jason Silva, Councillor O’Keefe, the Salem Police Community Impact Unit, college public safety, and college athletic staff to discuss complaints and concerns from the previous season. In this meeting it was determined that the college should hire student ambassadors to stand on Monroe Road and inform ball field visitors about the available parking on campus. The ambassadors were asked to complete forms following each game to determine who, if anyone, was parking on Monroe Road during the games.
  • The forms were compiled in a spreadsheet (attached), and the findings indicate that the majority of cars parked on Monroe Road during Salem State baseball games belonged to Salem residents. Of those who did not belong to Salem residents, opponent visitors indicated that they felt the walk was closer and this was where they parked last year. Some visitors moved their cars when given the map of athletic event parking. It is important to note that the spaces visitors are parking in are public spaces and of the 30 to 40 fans at each game, the majority parked on campus.
  • Mr. Gansenberg spoke to students on a few occasions.
  • Ms. Bower noted that a visiting team bus parked on Lafayette Street near the bike path end. She reminded the committee that constituents should contact public safety immediately when something like this occurs so that they can rectify the situation at the time. The emergency number for public safety is (978) 542-6111.
  • The college and City felt it was a successful program.
  • Councillor O’Keefe added that new parking regulations were put up on Thursday, April 23, 2009 that specify 2 hour parking for 140 feet, from 21 Lincoln Road to 30 Monroe Road. He also noted that the majority of the residents in that neighborhood do not want resident parking and that Lincoln Road has no restrictions.
LIBRARY
  • Mr. Soll provided an update on the college’s plans for a library.
  • The planning stage of the library process is complete and a site on North Campus has been identified. The site is behind the closed library building between Peabody Hall and the Ellison Campus Center. Considerations that determined the location of the future library include the relationships to academic programs and liberal arts core, student life and residence hall programs, and freshmen residence halls; accessibility for pedestrian, vehicular, and handicap; geotechnical conditions and utilities issues; and impacts on project cost and time, on campus operations during construction, and on neighbors during construction and when in operation.
  • The library will serve two primary functions: core library services and a learning commons for student support services.
  • The next phase of the process is the design of the building which will proceed as determined by the Division of Capital Asset Management. The old library building will be demolished prior to construction of the new facility.  A demolition plan is in the design process as well. At this stage, a timeline has not been determined.
  • The college will further update the committee at the May meeting.
  • Councillor O’Keefe eagerly supports this project and the proposed location of the new facility.
MEIER DRIVE TRUCK TRAFFIC
  • Jack Hoar brought to the committee a neighbor’s concerns about truck deliveries to North Campus. Truck deliveries are occurring in the early morning hours (between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m.) and trucks are also parking on the residents’ side of Lafayette Street and walking deliveries across the street, leaving their trucks idling in front of neighbors’ homes. The neighbor noted that these issues have become more prevalent over the last year and a half.
  • Mr. Soll noted that the early deliveries are due to an earlier agreement determined by the previous administration that were scheduled for student safety concerns. He advised that the schedule is under review and the college is trying to work with companies to find a way to schedule later deliveries. He added that some trucking companies have policies that prohibit their truck drivers from corssing or entering pedestrian zones. The truck drivers are parking across the street from the college to avoid backing up among many pedestrians. The college is eager to come up with a solution.
  • Solutions discussed by the committee include:
  • Revising the delivery schedules between the three campuses so that North Campus deliveries occur after 7:00 a.m.
  • An on-street loading zone on the college-side of Lafayette Street
  • Councillor O’Keefe suggested that the college submit a proposal for an on-street loading zone that he and Councillor Veno may take to Lieutenant Robert Preczewski.
NEW BUSINESS
  • Ms. Bower presented the college’s list of summer projects to the committee (attached). Projects include safety upgrades in the Bates Complex; door and fire protection upgrades in Peabody and Bowditch Halls; photovotalic panel installation on the existing Central Campus Residence Hall, and the relocation of Library collections and furnishings from the former library building to the blue building on the Weir Property.
MEETING SCHEDULE
The next meeting of the SSCNAC will take place on Monday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Enterprise Center Training Room B located on Central Campus at 121 Loring Avenue.