86 Highland Avenue Statement of Grounds STATEMENT OF GROUNDS FOR SPECIAL PERMIT
FOR 86 HIGHLAND AVENUE
This Statement is submitted by applicant Unit A Properties LLC d/b/a
Total Praise Services LLC in support of its petition for a Special Permit to
change the existing non-comforting use as physician's and business office to
a business office use as as a business office use by a transportation company
that provides transportation for handicapped and disabled passengers to and
from medical appointments and personal appointments with 6 passenger
vans that will be parked overnight at the rear of the premises.
The grounds for this application are that that the proposed use, which
does not bring patients or customers to or from the premises at 86 Highland
Avenue, is no more detrimental to the neighborhood, and probably less
detrimental in terms of traffic congestion and parking , than the existing
physician's and business offices which treat patients and/or conduct
business with patients and/or customers who do visit and park at the site
during business hours.
There will not be any exterior construction or change in the footprint of
the building.
The applicant is a Mass. Limited liability company which already
conducts its transportation business throughout the North Shore. Most of the
clientele is recommended through private insurers and agencies like
Medicaid. These vans can accommodate one customer and one aid or
relative per trip and are handicapped and wheelchair accessible. All these
trips consist of picking the customers up at their place of residence,
transporting them to a medical office or facility where they receive treatment,
giving any needed assistance to the customer entering or exiting the van, and
driving them back to their residence. The vans will not pick up or transport any
customer/riders to or from 86 Highland Avenue.
The office hours will be 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
There are presently a total of 3 employees who will work in the building and
that could expand to 5 or 6 employees over time.
There is ample parking beside and behind the building for employees
during the day and for parking the vans in the evening when the business is
closed. There is also a lined public parking area directly in front of the
building.
There are adequate grounds to approve the Special Permit because:
1 . This office use is consistent with business office uses that have
occupied the building for decades. The surrounding properties in the
neighborhood are primarily commercial, including Salem Hospital
across the street. This service of transporting disabled and
handicapped patients to appointments with their care givers is in
certainly meets social, economic and community needs.
2. Because of the low number of office employees during the day and
the fact that the vans are out on appointments all day, there will be
no detriment to traffic safety or volume on Highland Avenue. The
existing on-site parking areas as shown the ZBA Plan submitted.
3. Adequate public services and utilities for this office use already
serve the site.
4. Because there will be no construction at all on the exterior of the
building, there will be no negative harm to the natural environment or
drainage.
5. Because there will be no construction, there will be no negative
impact to the existing character of this neighborhood.
6. The business will add office and van-driver jobs to the local economy
and will lead to increased real estate assessment and payment of
real estate taxes to the City of Salem.
For all these reasons, we respectfully request that the Board find that
there are adequate grounds and approve this petition.