Salem OKs Zoning Change To Reuse Religious, Municipal Buildings

SALEM, MA — Salem City Council approved a controversial zoning rule by a vote of 9-2 Thursday. The new rule allows for the redevelopment of former municipal and religious buildings. With the change, projects to remake a former senior center on Broad Street and several vacant religious school buildings can move forward.

"Hallelujah," Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, a leading backer of the zoning rule change, said in a Facebook post. "Thanks to all the housing advocates, historic preservationists and other stakeholders in our community who showed up at hearings, wrote letters, sent emails and called Councillors over the last 18 months to express support for this ordinance."

The new rules allow developers to apply for a special permit to convert municipal and religious buildings for other uses. The new rules will let the city close on the sale of the former senior center, a deal that is expected to bring $1 million to the city's general fund. Plans by the Archdiocese of Boston to convert three former school buildings into about 100 affordable housing units in Salem, where housing has been a hot-button issue.

An earlier version of the rules failed to pass Salem City Council in May by the required super majority. That vote was 7-4. In a Facebook post, Ward 5 City Councilor Josh Turiel said the "minor changes" include applying the new rules to the entire city and give the Design Review Board and Historical Commission "a little less power."

At-Large Councilor Arthur Sargent and Ward 4 Councilor Tim Flynn voted against the change Thursday. At-Large Councilor Elaine Milo and Ward 7 Councilor Stephen Dibble, who voted against the measure in May, voted in support of the new rules on Thursday.

"It was enough of a perceived change to get two 'no' votes to flip to 'yes', and it also got full support from groups that had previously chosen to oppose or be indifferent to the prior version. So that's a positive, and the bottom line is that we've now patched one of the holes in the city," Turiel said.