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26 Winter Street Statement of GroundsStatement of Grounds for 26 Winter Street 26 Winter St. - R2 zone Proposed nonconforming use: Inn of 9 guestrooms Existing nonconforming use: Multi-family 3 unit property Petitioners: North of Common, LLC - operated by Shelby Soloff and Jeremy Schwartz The petitioners, North of Common, LLC, are seeking: 1) Special permit under Salem Zoning Ordinance 3.3.2 to change an existing nonconforming use to another nonconforming use that is not substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood 2) Relief from Section 5.1.8 to provide fewer parking spaces than required 3) Relief from Section 5.1.6(2) to allow parking spaces less than 2’ from the property line 4) Variance from Section 5.1.5(6.b) to allow a driveway entry less than the minimum width required ____________________________________________________________________________ A Special permit under Salem Zoning Ordinance 3.3.2 is sought to change the existing nonconforming 3 unit multi-family use at 26 Winter Street, zoned R-2, to another nonconforming use, an owner occupied 9 guestroom Inn, that is not substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood, as it pertains to the following criteria: A) Social, economic, or community needs served by the proposal a. Social: 26 Winter St., the Joseph Story House has a pedigreed history as the home of an early Supreme Court Justice and is included in the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The property is on the National Register of Historic Places and by making the home open and available to the public instead of using it as 3 private residences, we intend to celebrate and share its history as part of Salem’s historical significance within the country. b. Economic: i. We intend to employ one to two persons with flexible hours and perhaps add a third during seasonal upswings creating economic opportunities for local residents. ii. We have begun cultivating relationships with local businesses to provide: 1. Curated gift baskets for our guests featuring locally sourced items 2. Periodic pop-up shops 3. Co-sponsored charity events (see below - Community) 4. Scavenger hunts highlighting local businesses c. Community: We envision our Inn as a true community cornerstone: a place where guests connect with local life, and where our neighbors feel just as valued and welcomed as anyone staying with us. To that end, we intend to host events open to and celebrating the community such as: i. Fundraisers for local charities ii. History Talks iii. Local Artist Showcases/Gallery Nights B) Traffic flow and safety, including parking and loading (refer to plot plan and traffic diagrams.) a. Overview i. 26 Winter St. has frontage on both Winter St. and Oliver St. Winter St. has 2 way traffic and a traffic light on both its Bridge St. intersection and its Washington Sq. intersection to regulate the flow. ii. Oliver St. is one-way from N. Washington Sq. to Bridge St. with considerably less traffic flow. iii. There is an existing bituminous drive on the property connecting the two streets. The thru-drive bisects the property with the building to the north and a landscaped yard to the south. iv. The property has a 2 vehicle garage and a parking area north of the garage that are both accessed from Oliver St. v. The proposed use for the property requires 12 off-street parking spaces: 1.5 per Residential = 2 1 per 2 staff (on site simultaneously) = 1 1 per guestroom = 9 vi. The proposed use for the property requires 1 off-street loading space b. Parking and Loading i. There is adequate room on the property to accommodate 11 of the required parking spaces without causing significant impact to the landscape: 2 in parking area north of garage 2 in garage 5 in area south of the thru-drive 2 in the thru-drive ii. As only 11 of the 12 required spaces are provided, the petitioners are seeking Relief from Section 5.1.8, to provide fewer parking spaces than required iii. As the existing condition for the 2 spaces in the area north of the garage are less than 2 ft. from the property line, the petitioners are seeking Relief from Section 5.1.6(2) iv. 4 minor site adjustments are proposed to achieve the parking accommodations: 1. Exterior stair at northwest back corner of building to be realigned so treads and risers face north instead of west (application filed with Historical Commission to be reviewed on August 20) 2. Gate at northwest corner of building along Oliver St. to be eliminated or reconfigured to allow entry/exit of 2 vehicles 3. Grass area of lawn south of thru-drive to be replaced with pervious cobblestone paving of like character to cobblestone paving already on site or reinforced lawn. The scope of the work will not exceed the lawn area so as to leave all substantial existing plantings and trees intact. The proposed intervention will provide a pervious surface so as to not cause any change to existing run-off drainage patterns. 4. Area of brick patio north of Winter St. entry gate to be increased (roughly 90 sf) to provide loading area c. Traffic i. To mitigate any negative impact to the traffic flow on Winter St. only 6 of the 11 spaces will enter and exit Winter St. ii. 5 of the 11 spaces will enter and exit from Oliver St. iii. Loading to be from Winter St. to remove commercial traffic from Oliver St. iv. The driveway entrances will provide access primarily for overnight parking 1. There is approximately 12’-2” between buildings at the Oliver St. entry, but only approximately 11’-2” of drive lane 2. As such, the petitioners seek a Variance from Section 5.1.5(6.b), that requires a 12’-0” minimum width 3. This entry/exit will serve 1 staff parking space v. All required curb cuts already exist d. Alternatives i. While 11 of the 12 off-street parking spaces required for the proposed use may be accommodated within the property’s boundaries, the petitioners do not wish to add any undue burden to Salem’s traffic congestion. As such, the petitioners plan to: 1. Encourage all guests to arrive by public transportation and will provide commuter rail and ferry routing to the site on our website and in our literature 2. Educate all guests as to the walking nature of Salem (and parking challenges) by including walk times to common destinations from the property on our website and in our literature 3. Provide incentives/discounts for arrival and departure by ride share apps and public transportation C) Adequacy of utilities and other public services a. The proposed change of use will be fully accommodated within the existing building. The most significant renovations will be altering existing kitchens and bathrooms on the upper floors and space above the garage to create en-suite bathrooms for 9 guestrooms. While the quantity of plumbing fixtures will increase 10%, when projected occupancy rates are calculated, the potential usage of city water decreases 17%. (Refer to table 1) b. The removal of kitchens indicated above will reduce the use of gas within the project, so will decrease use of city utilities by the property. c. The property is a Leed Silver certified building with a 7 zone geothermal mechanical system that provides reliable, efficient, and temperate internal climate control for the property. As the square footage of the property will not change with the proposed change of use, no further burden onto city utilities for the purposes of heating and cooling are expected. d. The proposed change of use will require the addition of a fire suppression system including sprinklers. While this will tie into city water, it will only be in case of emergency and should not be considered an additional burden to city utilities. i. The addition of the fire suppression system will be a benefit to the cultural heritage of the city as it will protect the historically significant property. e. The project will not include meals beyond continental breakfasts and light snacks for the guests. As such, we anticipate a reduction in food waste produced compared to the multifamily use of the property. However, there will be an increased number of people on the property per year generating general trash. When projected occupancy is taken into account, the project’s overall yearly trash generation will be approximately 30% more than that generated by its use as a 3 unit multifamily residence. This translates to the intended use requiring 6 city garbage containers for the property instead of the 4 that would be required for it as a multifamily property. (Refer to table 2) D) Impacts on the natural environment, including drainage The project will be within the existing building so no new roof areas are created and the adjustments for parking will not use impervious materials nor will it adjust existing surface slopes. As such, the project will not affect area drainage. E) Neighborhood character The proposed project will be completed within the existing building so it will maintain the full grandeur of the property and the historic character it adds to both the neighborhood and the city as a whole. While additional parking on the grounds is presented, the solution presented will not significantly alter the character of the existing landscape/streetscape. F) Potential fiscal impact, including impact on City tax base and employment a. Current Business projections for a typical year show potential tax revenue to the city ranging from a low of $42,000 to a high of $54,000 annually. b. We intend to employ one to two persons with flexible hours, 20-30 hrs weekly and add a third as required during seasonal upswings creating economic opportunities for local residents. c. Current projections indicate the property would provide up to 3500 guest stays per year (65% occupancy with 66% of stays being parties of 2) that will explore the city and generate income for local businesses and attractions d. We plan to leverage our relationships with other local businesses in order to create opportunities for shared revenue growth. (see above Section B.2.)