287-291 Lafayette Street - letter from SSNA 1-4-17 January 4,2017 E C E-7: IV E D
Ms. Jessica Herbert JAN 0 9 2317
Chair,Historical Commission 0 E h T Or PLANNING a
City of Salem COM MUNi i DEVELOPMENT
120 Washington Street
Salem, MA 01970
287 Lafayette Street is in the Lafayette Street Historic District. Formerly the Temple
Shalom, it was constructed in the 1950s and was privately redeveloped for tenancy as of
August 2015 by the School of Social Work at Salem State University. While 287 is a
later building in the Lafayette District, it is surrounded by 19t'-century structures, from
the dominant period of the district.
Following the building's redevelopment, significant dissatisfaction with the HVAC
ducting and equipment that was added to the roof of the building was expressed by the
residential abutters. For the past year, the Salem State University Neighborhood
Advisory Committee (SSUNAC), of which I am a member, received monthly updates
from University representatives that the developer was working with the neighbors to
remediate both the noise from and the unsightly appearance of the new HVAC system.
We were regularly informed that, in addition to noise abatement, the system was going to
be screened with gray panels. (Minutes of the SSUNAC meetings are available on the
city's website.)
Finally, at the SSUNAC December 7, 2016 meeting,the committee was informed that the
system had been screened and the remediation was complete. Immediately after that
report, I visited 287 and discovered that the screening of the unsightly equipment and
ducting was done only on the Summit Avenue (rear) side of the building and that the
unsightly, visually obtrusive, and historically incompatible equipment and ducting can
still be seen clearly from both Ocean Avenue and Lafayette Street. Having expected all
visible sides to be screened, I now understand that the negotiations between the developer
and the neighbors did not resolve the issues with the unsightly equipment as had been
reasonably expected.
As a member of the Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee and as
President of the South Salem Neighborhood Association, I am writing to you to
determine what the Historical Commission can do to further address and to mitigate the
unsightly appearance of the applied HVAC equipment. In 2016, the Commission
reviewed the signage that was installed at this site, however, I now understand that the
1 VAC alterations should have been reviewed as well so that the character of our
neighborhood's historic district would have been protected. The screening that has been
installed does nothing to diminish the completely inappropriate and unsightly appearance
of the equipment from the historic corridor along Lafayette Street.
Can the Commission review this situation now and provide relief in the Lafayette
Historic District? Does the screening that was applied meet the standards that the
Historical Commission would require? Is there a more appropriate remedy to this
condition in an historic district?
Attached are a few photos taken from a smartphone, however, I ask that you visit the site
to make an informed assessment.
Polly Wilbert
President, SSNA 2016-2017
7 Cedar Street,Apt. 4, Salem,MA 01970
Ph: 978-745-1017
cc:
Patricia Kelleher, Planning Staff
Josh Turiel, Ward 5 City Councillor