Court Rules In Favor Of Salem In F.W. Webb Rezoning

SALEM, MA — The city of Salem followed the proper procedure by holidng a series of public hearings when it re-zone the F.W. Webb property on Bridge, a Salem Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday.

The Federal Street Neighborhood Association had sued the city after it changed the property's residential zoning designation to make it an automotive and wholesale district. F.W. Webb had asked for the zoning change as part of an expansion of the five-story building at 293 Bridge Street and an adjoining lot at 297-305 Bridge Street.

"The mere fact that Federal Street are unhappy with the outcome of the public process does not equate to a due process violation," Judge Jeffrey Karp wrote in his ruling. "The public process that resulted in the rezoning of the lots was undertaken properly, with the full participation of all interested parties, including the plaintiffs themselves."

In 2018, after the lawsuit was filed by Salem attorney John Carr on behalf of the neighborhood association, F.W. Webb said it was abandoning its expansion plans for the properties.