1959-PLANNING BOARDr
CAN.T
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JOHN
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JOHN M. ORAY,JR.
PETER C. MALKOWEKI T
JAMES J. MUSE dune 180 1959
Raymond F. Sweeney
The Salem Planning Board will hold a public hearing on
Thursday, July 2, 1959, at 7.30 p. m., at City Hall, on the
petition of Camp Lion of Lynn, Inc, to change the following
described property on Highland Avenue from single residence
zone to business zones
"Commencing at the boundary line between Lynn and Salem on
Highland Avenue and thence running northeasterly by said Highland
Avenue sixteen hundred (1600) feet, more or less, to land now or
formerly of Fiore; thence turning and running northwesterly by
said land now or formerly of Fiore fifteen hundred and eighty (1580)
feet, more or less, to a stone wall, and land of owners unknown;
thence turning and running southwesterly along said. stone wall
• and by land of owners unknown twenty-nine hundred fifteen (2915)
feet, more or less, to Spring Pond; thence running southwesterly
by the curving line of Spring Pond to the boundary line between
Salem and Lynn; thence turning and running in a general south-
easterly direction by land of owners unknown and the boundary
line between Lynn and Salem by varying courses and distances to
Highland Avenue and the point begun at. " Said land contains
about 134 acres.
Louis Re Baker
Chai rman
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m
_,�•.� Assessors' office, (Qitq Nzdl
June 23 1959
ABUTTERS CAMP LION OF LYNN MASS
Marshall W Hunt Tress
100 Monroe St Lynn, Mass
Location Name Mailing Address
Rear Highland Ave Stanwood, Elvena 310 Teticut St, State Farm
Mass
Rear Highland Ave Flynn, James P & Elveaa A
c/o Gautreau Bros Inc
59 N. Federal St Lynn
Rear Highland Ave City of Peabody
394 " Fiore, Nicholas P 35 Sheridan Rd, Swampscbtt
Fay, Ave% _ Schlegel Nelson F & Rose M Schlegel Fay Ave Lynn
392 Highland Ave (Not an abutter) Amalti Emanuel & Margaret 392 highland
Ave
W
i
7 Wyman Avenue
Salem, Massachusetts '
• July 1, 1959
Mr. E. Amanti
392 Highland Avenue
Salem, Massachusetts
Dear Mr. Amanti:
I certainly regret that I cannot be with you to verbally express '
the opposition of the Varney family to the location of a self-
service department store, Jerry' s, on Highland Avenue, Salem.
However, as one of the home owners who have labored to build homes
that are a credit to the City, I certainly speak for my entire '
family when I point out that such an establishment does not belong
on Highland Avenue, which serves as an entrance to our City.
The hospital and the fire station, which serve this area of homes
and small business establishments, are located on Highland Avenue.
The traffic congestion which would result from the location of
such a self-service department store in this area, in which new '
homes are being built each season, would be a threat to the entire
• area and to the City. It would without a doubt contribute to the
fire hazard.
We all know that there is a water supply only on the main road,
only on Highland Avenue; and we also know that the men of our local
fire station are to commended for their efficiency in responding to
any emergency call in this area of many wood acres. The efficiency
of the fire department, or the ability to reach the hospital,
should not, and in safety cannot , be dependent upon whether the
emergency arises when it is or is not a rush hour at such a proposed
establishment .
The zooming traffic on this main thoroughfare between Salem and
Boston is a sufficient problem now, without adding to it . Any
addition congestion of traffic on::Highland Avenue would represent
a threat to the property and the lives of the many taxpayers who
are now located there.
Very sincerely yours,
• Gladys Varney
GW/f
• A meeting of the Planning Board was held on July 2, 1959, at
7.30 p. m. , at City Hall , Members present were Mr. Baker , Mr. Sweeney
and Bir. Malkowski and Mr. Baker presided.
A hearing was held on the petition of Camp Lion of Lynn, Mass .
Inc. to change from single residence to business zone land on the
Ave .
westerly side of highland/extending 1600 feet from the Lynn line,
as described in the petition.
Mr. Carl E. Lundgren , representing Camp Lion Inc . appeared in
favor, saying that the land was hald. by at.tzust until incorporated
as Camp Lion, that the portion of the corporations land near Spring
Pond is used for children' s recreational purposes (Girl Scouts) ,
that 300�,feet of the original parcel of land was sold to Amanti and
500 feet to Fiore, that it is proposed to sell the 700 feet of land
adjacent to Fiore ' s land. He said that the land was not adapted to
residential use, that rezoning of the entire area was requested to
avoid "spot zoning" .
Mr. Jerry Rich appeared in favor, saying that if the land is
rezoned he plans to erect there a beautiful modern store huilding
with a parking lot .
Mr. Roland Ball, representing the Lions club, appeared in favor.
A representative of Elvina Stanwood spoke on the possibility of
further residential development in the area which would be hindered
by undesirable business .
Mr. E. Pmanti, 392 Highland Avenue, appeared in opposition.
He said that the business would create additional traffic hazards on
highland Avenue and that residence values would be d-epreciated. He
said six homes were being built a gyzarter of a mile dovm the street
on similar land .
i
Mr. Balval, 397 Highland Avenue, appeared in opposition, saying
that a business is being operated opposite the Lion' s land in violation
of the Zoning Ordinance . Building Inspector O 'Rourke epla.ined that
this land is zoned for business and the occupant is licensed by the
City Council .
Mr. William Brooks appeared in opposition.
A communication in opposition from Gladys U. Varney was read.
Mr. Louis DeVideo appeared in opposition.
Mr. Abraham Ankeles of Peabody appeared representing the interests
of the City of Peabody relating to their water supply from Spring
Pond and asked that there be no rezoning nearer than 400 feet of the
pond.
Councillor Buczko, speaking in behalf on Marlborough Road
Associated, appeared in opposition to the rezoning of the whole
area of the Lion Club' s land .
Councillor Serafini appeared in opposition to the petition as
presented involving;; a very large area.
In reply to a charge by Mr. Ball of the Lion' s Club that Mr.
Amanti was doing business at his Highland Ave . home , Mr. Amanti said
that he has a shed where he kweps the tools of his plumbing business
but he is not carrying on business at his home .
Mr. Buczko said that the petitioners should be given leave to
withdraw and present the pbtition in a corrected form.
Mrs. %homas Rice asked if the Lion' s Club is keeping sufficient
land for a road from Highland Avenue to back land. Mr. Lundgren
said they are only interested in the rezoning of the land which
Mr. Rich will buy.
1 The hearing was closed.
On motion of Mr. Baker it was voted to recommefid that the City
Council rezone from single residence to business from the Lynn line
to land of Fiore, to a depth of 500 feet, as follows:
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meeting of the Planning Board was held on December 29th, attended
by Mayor Collins, Councillor Zoll, Councillor Dolan, Chairman Heagney of
the Housing Board, Building Inspector O' Rourke and Mr. Daniel J. O'Brien,
former member of the Planning Board.
A representative of Bruce Campbell Asx) ciates, city planners,
discussed city planning in general with emphasis on various surveys
with a map to guide and direct future planning.
There was much interest and it was decided to hold similar meetings
in the future.
Respectfully submitted,
Secretary
Report of the Salem Planning hoard
• for 1959
To His Honor, Mayor Francis X. Collins, and
Members of the City Council:,
Salem, Mass,
Gentlemen:
During the year 1959, the Planning Board received from the
City Council one ppplication for an amendment to the Zoning Map., as
follows:
The application of Camp Lion of Lynn Inc. to change from single
residence to business zone their property in Salem on the westerly
side of 'Highland .avenue extending for about 1600 feet from the Salem-
Lynn line and varying in depth from 1580 feet to 2600 feet more or
less.
—• The Board recommended granting this petition, with the following
limitations; the petitioner' s land to be rezoned for business only to
a depth of 500 feet from Highland .,venue, and the line of the area to
be rezoned to stop on Highland Avm ue 150 feet from land of Fiore, to
create e buffer strip adjacent to the regidental zones
The ever-present problems of traffic and parking concerned the
Planning Board during the past year. while it would not be safe to say that
the parking problem in the. business center of the City has been solved
for years to come, at least' it has been solved for the present. The
new parking plaza, built in connection with the completed tunnel and
railroad station project, and other new off- street parking areal added
to those previously available are now providing more parking spaces
-� than are noir,required. Undoubtedly there are shoppers who prefer to
try to park at a meter on the street outside the store they wish to
visit, instead of parking easily at the more distant plaza, but they
are learning that even at the big shopping centers with apparently
unlimited adjacent parking space they often are obliged to walk as
far as the distance from Salem's parking plaza $o $rhe Essex Street
stores.
Salem has always 'been a prosperous retail business center except
• during the years of the construction of the new tunnel when stores on and
nea3) Essex and Wash gton ,streets were in a sort of no-man' s land and
driving through they` center of the City was always difficult and often
impossible and re7il business suffered accordingly. It was during th4s
period that the ,}w *ppping center on route 128 in Peab&dy opened for
business and ai�'e present time other smaller centers have been or are
soon to be bi 41
tE� in�ithis" general vicinity. Salem merchants are meeting
the challenge 4,'thts competition by improving their stores in various
ways. mruedi sly;noticeable are -the new store fronts in the business
district. Probabl+jy. nothing has helped Salem retail business more than
the improvemis;at jn the parking situation.
Salem n faces a constantly increasing traffic problem, along with
• other cities; owns of the Commonwealth which were settled in the
17th century: Iniits own smaller way Salem has the same problems as
Boston of heagq l eal and through: traffic on narrow, interlaced streets
In densely a led areas. If the wandering, narrow streets of Boston
were origine'lly �cow-paths, then the same thing might well be suspected of
a great many' of Salem's streets , except, perhaps, that our cows walked
a straighter link to pasture than did the Boston Daws. However, it is
on Bridge Street; which is Route IA from winter Street to Beverly Bridge
and in that section one of the widest streets in the city, that the traffic
problem really reaches a peak. Local traffic between Salem and Beverly
is always heavy, jeispecially during commuter hours, and there is a constant
flow of through traffic during the tourist vacation season. Even the
short stops required bo hand-operated pedestrian lights cause tie -ups of
long lines of traffic and when the draw in Beverly Bridge is opened for
a few minutes cars are sometimes lined up from the center of the city.
Neither of these situations is easy to solve with thepresent street and
bridge and it was with. these and other problems in mind at the end. of the
year that the Board arranged a meeting with a representative of a pro-
fessional group of city planners, which was attended by Mayor Collins,
the presidents of the City Council for 1959 and 1960, the chairman of
the Dousing Board, members of the Planning zoard and other d ty officials.
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• City Planning in general was discussed with emphasis on the need of
various surveys with maps to buide and direct future planning. Farther
meetings of this nature are being planned for the coming year.
Another meeting attended b, members of the Planning Board and city
officials was one sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce to hear t}j�e reports
of - a Student Planning Project of the Dept. of City and Regional Planning
of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Tea--is of students
had made surveys and prepared twenty-year Aland for the so-called "Naumkeag .
Area" comprising Salem, Beverly, Peabody, Danvers and Marblehead. The
student surveys were "su§ject to the short-comings of the inexperienced"
as stated in a preface to their reports but there were some excellent
suggestions. These would be too lengthy to quote here and a copy of the
Project is available . It might be mentioned that it, was particularly
interestIn.g to note the considerable emphasis on the "potential for the
tourist industry" in, Salem, which should be expanded "by means of a major
program of historical 'cultivation, design and community effort", and
further that a "restoration of the rich historical interest and charm within
the central business ,disirict will. improve the trading'potential", and
Salem was advised to "exploit what is historically valuable . " Wit# one
A the general recommendations of the Surveys that the City emplo3r a
e 9
permanent professional planning staff, the Planning Board heartily agrees.
The Board learned with regret of the resignation:of Daniel J. O'Brien,
a member since 1952. Raymond F. Sweeney has been appointed in his place.
Respectfully submitted,
f,
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