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15 Wall Street Statement of HardshipSTATEMENT OF HARDSHIP FOR VARIANCES FOR 15 WALL STREET This Application requests that the Board issue Variances under Section 9.3.2, Section 4.1.1, and Section 3.2.4 of the Salem Zoning Ordinance where the requirements of minimum lot area/lot area per dwelling unit, minimum lot frontage, minimum lot width, and minimum distance between accessory and primary structure s are not met . Factual Background : The property is located in the R -1 Zoning District and is a vacant and undeveloped lot . The Applicant has agreed to purchase the lot from the owners with a closing date set for March 2026 contingent upon approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals . The Applicant intends to develop the lot into a single -family residence, which is an allowed use in the R -1 District. According to the attached certified plot plan dated 12/26/25 , enforcement of the Salem Zoning Ordinance with respect to the dimensions of the lot would render an y attempt to construct such a single-family residence unfeasible. Hardships: 1. Lot Area and Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit. Section 4.1.1 of the Salem Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum of 15,000 square feet per lot and a minimum of 15,000 square feet per dwelling unit. The lot located at 15 Wall Street is approximately 9,169 square feet. This lot size is similar to the other residential properties in the area; m ost lots in this neighborhood are between approximately 3,500 and 11,000 square feet . Given that much of Salem’s urban development far predates the zoning enactments, the vast majority of single- family dwellings in the R-1 District contain total lot areas of less, or much less, than 15,000 square feet. All of these properties are nonconforming as to lot area and therefore require a variance to add dwelling units to any of them. As such, t he lot area in this proposal is consistent with the general character and density of development in the neighborhood and cannot be feasibly altered . 2. Lot Frontage. Section 4.1.1 of the Salem Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum of 100 feet of frontage. The lot located at 15 Wall Street has approximately 90 feet of frontage along Wall Street. For similar reasons as stated above, e nforcement of this section would render the lot undevelopable and cause substantial hardship to the Applicant’s ability to make full and economical use of the existing property. The majority of the roughly square lots in this neighborhood are not sized such that 100 square feet of frontage is available and therefore would require a variance to develop buil dings upon them. The frontage here is therefore consistent with the general character and density of development in the neighborhood. 3. Lot Width. Section 4.1.1 of the Salem Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum of 100 feet in lot width. The lot located at 15 Wall Street has a minimum width of 90.22 feet . As with frontage, enforcement of this requirement would render the lot undevelopable and cause substantial hardship to th e Applicant’s ability to make full and economical use of the existing property. Because the majority of lots in this neighborhood are of a similar or smaller size and shape, there are few properties that would be able to develop a single-family dwelling on their lot without a variance for this requirement. 4. Accessory Garage: Dista nce Between Buildings. According to Section 3.2.4 (2) of the Salem Zoning Ordinance, n o accessory building or structure shall be located nearer than ten (10) feet to the principal building. Here, the proposed buildings consist of a primary dwelling and an accessory garage where the primary dwelling has a front covered porch that is 8.2 feet from the garage. Due to the undersized area of the lot, there are substantial limitations to where a detached accessory building may be constructed without violating other requirements of Sections 3.2.4 and 4.1.1. Resituating the accessory garage in such a way so as to meet the requirements is a substantial hardship for the applicant in that it would limit available options for the proposal , such as keeping general uni formity between both buildings, maintaining or preserving the rear yard foliage, grading the uneven sloped rear yard, and removing or demolishing the rear yard boulders. Request for Relief: For all the forgoing reasons, these soils conditions, topography, and undersized existing lot are conditions that create substantial hardships to the Applicant’s ability to make full and economical use of the property if the stated requirements of the Zoning Ordinance are enforced, and which would otherwise fully prevent the building of a dwelling unit. The addition of a safe and code-compliant dwelling unit is consistent with the needs of the City, and the granting of this variance will not derogate from the intent of the district or purpose of the zoning ord inance. WHEREFORE, the Applicant hereby respectfully requests approval of the specified relief.