170 North Street Petition FormDominick Pangallo
Mayor
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
98 WASHINGTON STREET, 2ND FLOOR
SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 01970
Brennan Postich, Staff Planner
Phone: 978-619-5685
Stavroula Orfanos, Director of Inspectional Services
Phone: 978-619-5641
Zoning Board of Appeals Application
Application ID: ZBA-25-45 Date submitted: October 15, 2025
TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS:
The Undersigned represent(s) that they are the owner(s) of a certain parcel of land located at:
Address: 170 NORTH STREET Zoning District: R2
An application is being submitted to the Board of Appeals for the following reason(s):
I propose to increase the existing legal 5-family use to a legal 8-family use. No exterior work or increase in building footprint.
For this reason, I am requesting:
[ true ]Variance (s) from provisions of Section 4.1.1 of the Zoning Ordinance, specifically from Lot area per dwelling unit in R-2 requires
7,500 SF per dwelling unit. For an 8-family on this 23,522 SF lot, we are proposing 2,940 SF for each of the proposed 8 dweling units..
[ true ] A Special Permit under Section 3.3.2 of the Zoning Ordinance in order to To change the existing nonconforming use as a 5-family
to another nonconforming use as an 8-family.
[]Appealing a Decision of the Building Inspector:
[] Comprehensive Permit:
Current Property Use: 5-family Are Lot Dimensions Included: Yes
The Undersigned hereby petitions the Board of Appeals to vary the terms of the Salem Zoning Ordinance and allow the project to be
constructed as per the plans submitted, as the enforcement of said Zoning By-Laws would involve practical difficulty or unnecessary
hardship to the Undersigned and relief may be granted without substantially derogating from the intent and purpose of the Zoning
Ordinance.
Statement of Hardship (for Variances):
In this R-2 Zoning District, the Ordinance requires a minimum lot area of 15,000 SF and 7,500 SF of lot area per dwelling unit. This parcel
contains only about 23,522 SF of land, and for the existing 5 units provides about 4,704 SF of lot area per dwelling unit. The applicant is
also seeking aparking variance to allow less than the required 12 on-site spaces.
The applicant is seeking to add 3 legal dwelling inside the structure, which has sufficient room to contain them without any need to
increase the fooltprint or height of the structure.
The size, shape and area of this lot, together with the location of this relatively large structure on the lot, are circumstances that specially
affect the land and structure but generally not affecting other land and buidings in the District.
The City needs thousands more dwelling units, including multifamily housing units, to help meet the
dire housing needs of the City. It is the City's avowed intent and public policy to incease its housing stock by thousands of
units. The size of this lot, and the relatively large size of the structure on it, will create a hardship, financial and otherwise, if the onerous
requirements of the ordinance are enforced against it, in that the application of the requirements will prevent the reasonable enlargement
of use of this large structure, depriving the City of asdditional housing units and reducing the income that the owner needs to operate
and maintain the structure. when it is actually in the City's interest in increasing its housing stock and tax revenue. Adding these
additional dwelling units will not be detrimental to the public good, is consistent with Salem's need for housing, and will not substantially
derrogate from the intent of the ordinance or the purposes of the ordinance.
Statement of Grounds (for Special Permits):
The applicant seeks a Special Permit under Section 3.3.2 to change the existing nonconforming 5-family use to another nonconforming
use as an 8-family. This change will not be substantially more detrimental than the existing nonconforming use to the neighborhood
because:
a. the social, econimic and community need for more residential housing will be served;
b. the proposal will not be detrimental to traffic flow and safety because these 3 additional units will not generate enough additional traffic
to have much impact on the traffic on North Street, and also, that traffic is controlled by nearby traffic signals on North Street;
c. adequate utilities and public services already serve the property;
d. as all of the work to improve these 3 units will be inside the building, there will be no negative impact on the natural environment or
drainage;
e. as all work is inside the building, there will be no negative impact on the neighborhoos character; and
f. There will be a positive impact to employment because of the temporary jobs that will be needed to make the improvements, and the
improvements will be likely to increase the assedd value of the property, and additional tax revenue to the City.
Petitioner: Jordan Ryan d/b/a 6 March Street, LLC
Address: 31 Nursery Street Apt. 2, Salem, MA 01970
Telephone: 978-530-7604
Email: jryanhomes@yahoo.com
Signature: ________________________________
Date: ____________________________________
If different from petitioner
Property Owner: Alvaro Nunes, Trustee
Address: 84 Tremont Street, Peabody, MA 0-1960
Telephone: 978-269-4477
Email: thewindhamgroup@comcast.net
Signature: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
If different from petitioner
Representative: William F. Quinn
Address: 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970
Telephone: 978-745-8065 Ext. 110
Email: billquinnlaw@gmail.com
Signature: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________