Parking Polemic

October 20, 2014

By Lauren Vinciguerra

On September 22nd, Salem City Council met with the residents of Salem to hear their thoughts and concerns on the development of the new parking garage at Salem State University. The proposed parking garage, which will be built on North Campus, will solve the minimal parking that Salem State offers. Residents of Salem, specifically those who live near the college, are outraged by the new parking structure.

At this meeting, neighbors discussed their concerns and advocated for a halt to plans for the parking garage. Many people from neighborhoods such as Raymond Road and Lafayette Street identified the size of the garage, the location, and President Meservey as problems for the Salem residents. The proposed garage will be 4 ½ stories, which the residents believe will block scenery and sunlight from reaching their homes. Many people argued that a 15-foot distance from property lines and the garage is too close and affects their houses’ property values. “[Salem State] is intent on destroying the residential area,” Phillip Moran, resident of Salem, said.

The location on North Campus also imposes a threat according to the residents. With the construction, pollution will have an impact on the environment as well as the quality of life for the neighbors. New traffic concerns also have been raised since there will now be hundreds of students travelling along Loring Avenue and Lafayette Street.

Ultimately, the people of Salem are upset with President Meservey, who they claim has failed to inform the public about the plans for the parking garage and has had no care for public concern. In response, the residents have created a Facebook page called “Save Our Salem” with the goal of being heard by the city and the school, and they have collected signatures on petitions. The page just broke 1,000 likes.

John Keenan, Salem State’s vice president of administration and former State Representative, had a chance to back Salem State’s cause. He discussed how the size of the garage will provide 725 new spaces for students and it is the minimum building size that will keep costs as low as possible for students.

Keenan also advocated for the garage on North Campus because of its efficient location. Central Campus cannot have a parking garage because of the traffic that will occur on Loring Avenue. South Campus is too far away from the academic buildings and O’Keefe has plans from the city for flood renovations. According to Salem State, North Campus seems like the only viable option for the school.

“Is it a perfect location?” Keenan asked. “Absolutely not. But it’s where most students and faculty want to park.”

Keenan also supported President Meservey and her concern for the students and the town. He reiterated the timeline of when the school began to tell the residents about the construction of the parking garage, which he states began in the spring of 2013.

The meeting ended with an agreement to meet again in the near future to discuss more concerns and hopefully come up with some solutions. In the meantime, Salem State continues to develop plans for the parking garage and Save Our Salem continues to grow.

Contributor’s Note: Lauren Vinciguerra is an English major and interns with External Affairs at Salem State.