Skip Navigation
This table is used for column layout.
Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee Mintues 11/19/2013
Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee
November 19, 2013 – Minutes
6:00pm - SSU Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Center  

Combined meeting of the Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee and South Salem Neighborhood
Association

WELCOME TO THE FREDERICK E. BERRY LIBRARY AND LEARNING COMMONS
  • Jim Rose, president of the South Salem Neighborhood Association, and Dominick Pangallo, chair of the Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee (SSUNAC), welcomed attendees to the meeting.
  • Adria Leach of Salem State University welcomed attendees to the Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons and thanked the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, Lee Kennedy, Co., Inc. and Shepley Bulfinch Architects for their work on the new building. She also recognized Joe Berry, project manager for Lee Kennedy, Co., Inc., for his efforts and his participation in the SSUNAC meetings since the project began.
LIBRARY LEARNING COMMONS  CONSTRUCTION & LIBRARY DECONSTRUCTION
  • Joe Berry of Lee Kennedy Co., Inc. provided an update on the geothermal installation in front of the new library and learning commons building. The contractor is working on as much hardscaping and landscaping as possible before the cold weather sets in. They will return in the spring to complete final landscaping.
  • Mr. Berry also provided an update on the deconstruction of the former library building. Deconstruction is winding down. Debris removal is expected to be complete in early December. The contractor will return in the spring for final landscaping.
  • Questions/Comments:
  • What is next for the former library space? – Mr. Berry indicated that the area will be largely grass once the contractor returns to landscape in the spring. Beth Bower of Salem State University added that the area is likely to be used for laydown for the Mainstage Theatre renovations scheduled to start next year, and the area is a potential location for a new science building or addition to Meier Hall.
  • When will the parking in the upper lot re-open? – Mr. Berry stated that the lot is expected to open in March, once the spaces can be repaved. It is expected that 60 spaces will return in this area.
RESIDENCE HALL & ENABLING PROJECTS
  • Chair Pangallo opened the discussion on the new residence hall by stating that Mayor Drisocll, Councillor Joseph O’Keefe, and Councillor Josh Turiel have expressed concern over the height and massing of the new building and have had conversations with President Meservey. Councillor Turiel added that the city is confident that their concerns are being heard and that the university will work on a resolution.
  • Ms. Leach stated that the university heard the concerns of both city officials and community members, and the architects are working diligently on a compromise solution that will hopefully include a 4-story component on the Loring Avenue wing of the building. She announced that the architect will be prepared to present the revised design to the community in a special meeting of the SSUNAC on Tuesday, December 3 at 6 p.m. in room 106 of the Enterprise Center.
  • An attendee requested that the meeting time be changed so that more community members may attend. The SSUNAC committee agreed to hold this special meeting on Tuesday, December 3 at 7 pm in the Enterprise Center.
  • Questions/Comments:
  • What is the process for comment? – Ms. Bower stated that the university will take comments at the meeting and that the university has been open to comments since the introduction of this project in May of 2013.
  • Why have no images been presented? – Ms. Bower stated that the architect in this project, William Rawn Associates, uses models as their visual representation of their designs.
  • Ms. Bower provided more background on the residence hall and its enabling projects.
  • The architects are working to incorporate a 4-story wing on the Loring Avenue side of the building. Given that a good portion of the mechanicals were included in the building in the 5-story design, it is expected that in order to maintain enough rooms to make the project viable, the mechanicals that would have been housed inside would move to the roof in a 4-story design.
  • Because the footprint of the new residence hall overlaps the existing public safety building, the department is being relocated into the first floor of the classroom building on Central Campus. The work necessary to renovate and re-purpose the space for relocation of the public safety is underway. They are expected to move into their new space in February of 2014.
  • Because the new residence hall is expected to be built in the Central Campus parking lot, the university will create a temporary parking lot on Canal Street at the former Weir Valve Plant site to accommodate the lost parking. This plan includes razing two buildings on the Weir property and creating parking lot to replace the approximately 150 spaces lost on Central Campus. The new lot at Canal Street will more than replace this lost parking. There will be a short gap 2-month gap between the start of the residence hall construction project and the opening of this new parking lot. The university is working on a parking plan to address this gap which is likely to take place during March and April of 2014.
  • What is the separation between the new building and the property line? – Ms. Bower stated that there is one point where the building is 25 feet from the property line, but the building-to-building distance is approximately 70 feet at this juncture.
  • Will the windows on the Loring Avenue side of the building be operable? – Ms. Bower stated that the details of this nature have not been determined at this point.
  • What is the impact of the shadow of this building on neighboring homes? – Ms. Bower stated that shadow studies were conducted, and the building’s shadows will have no impact on neighboring homes. The university will provide the shadow studies at the December 3 meeting.
  • Is it possible to reduce the green space between the wings to reduce the proximity of the Loring Avenue wing to the neighborhood? – Ms. Bower stated that there is only one point in the building that is 25 feet away from the property line, and that building-to-building in that area is approximately 70 feet apart.
  • Parking is an issue and the neighborhood has heard the promise of a parking garage but hasn’t seen one. – Ms. Bower stated that the university had its first meeting on a parking garage project last week. The first step to building the garage will be a traffic study that will take place this week. The university expects to have more information on this topic in January.
  • Concerns were raised regarding parking and traffic in general.
  • What happened to the Raymond Road traffic improvements?  
  • Ms. Bower stated that the university and city partnered on a traffic study and that the university supported suggested traffic calming improvements that included bump outs at the intersection of Loring Avenue and Raymond Road and repainting the crosswalks.
  • Chair Pangallo stated that the bump outs are part of the city’s paving plan for this fiscal year and that they will start with temporary poles to denote where the bump outs will be installed.
  • Will you increase the police force to address having more resident students on campus? – Chief Gene Labonte of the university police department stated that the university is evaluating the capacity of all staff who would be involved with resident students including residence life staff as well as public safety. He added that he is constantly reviewing the staffing needs of the university police department across all areas to make sure that the staffing meets the demand for services.
  • Can something be done about the increased use of Pickman Park in the evening/night by students? Can the university make patrols in the neighborhood? – Chief Labonte stated that Pickman Park and neighborhood streets are under the City of Salem’s jurisdiction, but the university works closely with the Salem Police Department and its Community Impact Unit. He added that the Salem Police has asked that neighbors continue to contact them first on these types of issues.
  • Can restrictions be put in place to prevent resident students from bringing cars to campus? – Ms. Bower stated that freshmen are not allowed to bring cars to campus at this time.
  • Caution the university not to reduce the number of beds in the new residence hall because every bed on campus equals a bed that is not in the neighborhood.
  • Can a crossing guard be placed at the intersection of Raymond Road and Loring Avenue at peak times? – Ms. Bower stated that this idea was suggested during the FST traffic study, and FST reported that it was a safety issue to have a crossing guard in this area.
  • Former President Nancy Harrington had once promised that there would be no residence halls on Central Campus. She apologized to the community when Atlantic Hall was built.
  • Will this new residence hall have air conditioning as an incentive for students to keep their windows closed? – Ms. Bower stated there will be air conditioning in this building.
  • The university should develop programming to bring off-campus students living in the neighborhood onto campus to lessen the impact of neighborhood parties.
  • Campus is beautiful, but the neighborhood feels like it is not considered in the process. Neighborhood needs more consideration.
  • The agendas for the SSUNAC meetings do not provide enough information on the topics being presented. Minutes and meeting agendas should be posted on the city’s website in a more timely fashion.
  • Better communication should be established between the university and the community through the neighborhood association.
  • Do the dormers on the interior wing of the building make it a fifth floor? – Ms. Bower stated that the interior wing is four stories with dormers on top.
  • Can the university bring clarity to how height is measured on this building? – Ms. Bower stated that this can be best explained by the architects at the December 3 meeting.
  • Councillor Josh Turiel stated that he has no objection to the height of the interior wing, even with the dormers, and that his concern is the height of the Loring Avenue wing.
  • Could the building be longer and lower? – Ms. Bower stated that the university is committed to addressing the height concerns of the building, but the building will remain in the same footprint presented. The footprint will not prohibit the reduction in height of the Loring Avenue wing. She added that the university will move forward with a notice of intent to the Conservation Commission at the end of the month because the footprint will not change.
UPCOMING PROJECT UPDATES
  • Ms. Bower stated that the Mainstage Theatre will undergo interior renovation and an exterior façade treatment to become the Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts. Design is near completion and construction is anticipated to start in the spring of 2014. The Mainstage will be offline during construction.
MEETING SCHEDULE
  • On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 7 pm, Salem State University and the Massachusetts State College Building Authority will provide an update to the Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee (SSUNAC) on the next residence hall scheduled to open in 2015. This meeting will take place in room 106B of the Enterprise Center located on Central Campus at 121 Loring Avenue. Visit salemstate.edu/construction to view an annotated version of the original presentation from the August SSUNAC meeting.