HIGHLAND AVENUE CORRIDOR STUDY- FINAL - March 31, 20211Introduction
Highland Avenue Corridor Study
Salem MA
Final Report
March 31, 2021
2 Introduction
3Introduction
Salem City Hall • 93 Washington Street • Salem, Massachusetts 01970
p: (978) 619-5600 • f: (978) 744-9327 • www.salem.com/mayor
CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
Kimberley Driscoll
Mayor
Office of the Mayor
Like many Salem residents, I can remember when Caldor, Rich’s, Kelly Nissan, Vincent’s
Potato Chips, Hillcrest Chevrolet, Purity Supreme and the Moose Club were located on Route
107. Over the years all of those parcels have been repurposed into other uses and Route 107,
Highland Avenue, continues to be an active commercial corridor for our City. There is growing
interest from private builders and commercial enterprises in several privately owned parcels
along and nearby Highland Avenue. With all this in mind, the launched the Highland Avenue
Corridor Study to more comprehensively outline a strategic approach that can serve as a
guideline for fostering and managing future growth along Route 107.
The planning process that took place to develop this study involved community meetings guided
by a steering committee of stakeholders. Through this process we heard from residents and
business owners that traffic is the leading concern. But we also heard that residents who live
along Highland Avenue often feel disconnected from their neighbors and the community at large.
We heard that there is a desire for better community networks through mixed use projects that
more fully incorporate outdoor spaces and multi-modal connections. The feedback from
residents and business owners was combined with a market analysis that evaluated the kinds of
uses and scales that the private market could support on Route 107.
With intentional and transparent actions, change on Highland Avenue can be guided
appropriately in order to serve the greatest number of people who live in, work in, and visit this
essential corridor and vibrant neighborhood. This study provides the framework to guide future
policies and strategies to manage growth in a thoughtful and positive way.
Sincerely,
Kimberley Driscoll
Mayor
City of Salem
Table of Contents
1 - Introduction .................................................6
2 - Site Analysis ..............................................14
3 - Market Scan ..............................................28
4 - Engagement ..............................................42
5 - Common Framework Elements ...............52
6 - Future Development Scenarios ..............68
7 - Next Steps .................................................94
8 - Appendix ...................................................98
Participants
The City of Salem assembled the Working Group
indicated below, which included the two local ward
councilors, local business leaders and residents, and
the City’s leaders of the project. Watertown-based Sasaki
was the prime consultant for the study, responsible for
visioning, stakeholder outreach, planning, and urban
design. Sasaki worked closely with their subconsultant,
Landwise, a Boston-based real estate advisory firm, for
the creation of a market scan and analysis, as well as
the generation of suggestions for future uses within the
Corridor.
City of Salem
Tom Daniel, Director of Planning and Community
Development
Amanda Chiancola, Senior Planner, Project Lead
Working Group Members
•Becky Christie
•Beth Debski
•Timothy Flynn (Councilor)
•David Hark
•Patricia Morsillo (Councilor)
•DJ Napolitano
•Lorelee Stewart
•David Surface
Sasaki
Tyler Patrick, Principal-in-charge
Paul Schlapobersky, Associate Principal, Project
Manager
Diane Athaide, Urban Designer
Gwendolyn Sands, Planner
Landwise
Jon Trementozzi, Principal
Brian Gridley, Strategic Planner
6 Introduction
7Introduction
Introduction
1.0
8 Introduction
Commissioned by the City of Salem in mid-2020, the
purpose of the Highland Avenue Corridor Study is to
proactively create a vision for the future of the Corridor
within a context of market dynamism in Salem. The
study is intended to function as a starting point for a
conversation with numerous stakeholders regarding the
future of the Corridor, with a general goal for the study
of arriving at an overall vision for the future, from which
other action can be taken to realize this vision. The
stated goals of the study at community meetings were:
• Stakeholder dialogue on the future of the
Corridor
• A community vision for the Corridor
• Representation of vision by the consultant team
• Final report of the study (as a basis for further
action)
The study spanned a period of approximately six
months, following a timeline that was intentionally
spaced out to enable a high-degree of community and
Working Group consultation.
The Sasaki and Landwise consultant team was charged
with highlighting key existing issues and opportunities
within the Corridor, engaging stakeholders in dialogue,
Introduction
and providing suggestions for future directions for the
Corridor on the basis of that analysis and outreach.
The Highland Avenue Corridor fills a unique and
important role in the life of the City of Salem; the
Corridor functions as the “big box” store retail zone of
the City (also attracting people from the surrounding
region), as well as accommodating numerous smaller
local businesses, and single-family residences. Several
of the businesses along the Corridor are focused on
medical-related services, due to the presence just north
of the study area of the North Shore Medical Center -
Salem Hospital, a large regional attractor.
Importantly, the Corridor is, and has been in the past a
place where great change occurs on an ongoing basis,
due to the commercial opportunities the Corridor
affords to businesses. The result is that the Corridor has
differing characteristics from generation to generation.
Knowing this may help stakeholders understand
that what seems fixed is in fact malleable, and that
malleability should lead stakeholders to examine how
the Corridor can be made better in the future. Whatever
the future direction, this study has laid the groundwork
for moving the Corridor in directions that can offer
positive outcomes for multiple stakeholders.
Aerial View of Salem
9Introduction
Covid-19 Impacts: Current and Future
The study was carried out completely within the context
of the Covid-19 pandemic. While this created several
challenges, it also generated unexpected opportunities,
particularly in regard to receiving feedback at
community meetings.
The team was able to tour the Corridor in a socially-
distanced manner with Amanda Chiancola of the City,
to gain an understanding of the context. Stops were
made at several points along the Corridor, where it
was possible to take photos and discuss challenges,
opportunities, prior initiatives, stakeholder concerns,
and other factors.
The City and the consultant team were able to carry
out comprehensive community and Working Group
consultation using available technology for video
calls, webcasts, screen sharing, and online polling.
These technologies were successfully utilized, to the
extent that the project team felt that they afforded the
opportunity for stakeholders who may have remained
quiet at in-person workshops and presentations, to
make their voices heard.
The potential future impacts of Covid-19 to market
conditions were discussed during the course of the
study, but given the ongoing nature of the pandemic,
and a resulting lack of critical distance from its impacts,
it was difficult, if not impossible, to discern future
patterns that may emerge. There was, however, helpful
discussion of the possibility that locally-based office
space, for example, may become more desirable (where
demand has been soft in the past) due to a potential
increased desire for people to “remain local” after
pandemic, adjusting their lifestyles to reduce commutes.
The study has suggested frameworks that would be
flexible enough to accommodate such societal shifts,
many of which could be positive overall for the future of
the Corridor, in the form of decreased commuter traffic,
an enhanced expectation for local identity and quality-
of-life within peoples’ residential areas, and a need
for more multi-generational and full-spectrum housing
product in neighborhoods.
10 Introduction
The Current Study: Rationale, and
Objectives
Highland Avenue Corridor is highly successful in its
ability to convey large volumes of vehicular traffic
towards Route 128 and towards neighboring towns, and
to provide access to local and regional commercial
and retail amenities through the numerous businesses
that line the Corridor. These are important functions
that the Corridor fulfills. In addition, the Corridor is
also home to many households within Salem. Forming
an important part in a regional network of roadway
connectivity, and retail and commercial successes
have, however, simultaneously created some long-term
challenges for the Corridor itself, and for Salem. Heavy
traffic, and potentially dangerous road conditions along
the Corridor, challenges for residential stakeholders
surrounding and on the Corridor, an overall lack of a
sense of place surrounding the Corridor, and aesthetic
challenges stemming from the nature of highway-side
businesses (uniform low-scale architecture, widely
varying signage, large parking lots, etc.), and increased
stresses for local residents, are all issues that the
Corridor confronts.
The intention of the current study is to draw out these
and other issues, and to identify potential solutions
that will be workable within the strictures placed upon
the Corridor. These solutions are, at this initial stage,
high-level propositions relating to potential future
scenarios for the Corridor, based on existing conditions
and market analysis. The goal of the study is to create a
foundation for additional steps that reflect a community-
based vision for the Corridor’s future.
PROJECT VISION:
The Highland Avenue Corridor will:
• Be a place where neighborhoods are connected to
each other to increase a sense of community
• Become more than just a means to get from one place
to another
• Have an identity as a district
• Become its own place to be, with different ways to
get there
11Introduction
Project Schedule
• Kick Off Meeting
• Establish Project Goals
• Corridor Visit
• Data Collection
• Base Materials Mapping
• Opportunities and Constraints
• Market Scan
• Development Program Scenarios
• Development Framework
• Land Use Program Scenarios
• Selection of preferred Scenarios
• Development of Preferred Scenarios
• Draft Report
• Final Report
Phase 1 : Existing Conditions
Analysis and Market Scan
1.5 Months
Phase 2: Corridor Framework and
Development Scenarios
2 Months
Phase 3: Action Plan and Final
Report
1.5 Months
12 Introduction
Past Studies and Plans
Reference Materials
Progress Report
| |
Route 107 Corridor Study:
Analysis and Multimodal Design of Recommendations Along
Route 107 in Salem and Lynn, MA
FINAL REPORT November 2016
McMahon Associates Regina Villa Associates
CITY OF SALEM
FIVE-YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN
July 1, 2020 – June30, 2024
HUD FY20-FY24 (CITY FY21-FY25)
11/12/2020
Kimberley Driscoll
Mayor
Thomas Daniel, AICP
Director of Planning & Community Development
Kathleen Winn
Deputy Director of Planning & Community Development
Jane A. Guy
Assistant Community Development Director
What’s Happening on Highland?
April 23 2018
Mayor Kim Driscoll
Councillors Tim Flynn and Lisa Peterson
CITY OF SALEM
COMMERCIAL
DESIGN GUIDELINES
CITY OF SALEM
COMMERCIAL
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Mayor Stanley J. Usovicz, Jr.
Department of Planning and Community Development
Salem, Massachusetts
Several past studies for Salem overall and for areas near
the Highland Avenue Corridor were reviewed as part of
the study.
13Introduction
14 Site Analysis
15Site Analysis
Site Analysis
2.0
16 Site Analysis
Study Area
Project Physical Context
The current study focuses on the length of Highland
Avenue that is a four lane (two lanes in each direction),
divided highway, within the boundaries of the City
of Salem. This coincides with a stretch of Highland
Avenue that generally begins at its southern end just
southward of the Walmart property, and extends at the
northern end roughly to the high school. In an eastward
and westward direction, the study area generally
encompasses residential zones lying east and west of
the Corridor, and is expanded in the east to encompass
the large 120 Swampscott Road property.
A starting point for the study was the consideration of
several large and medium-sized properties within the
Corridor that are, or may become available in the future,
for redevelopment. This list of properties was by no
means comprehensive nor determinative; the study was
intended to generate a vision framework that is flexible
enough to accommodate future availability of these and
other properties. The properties that formed this starting
point, with one or two additions, had been identified in
the 2018 “What’s Happening On Highland?” document
created by the City.
Highland Avenue Regional Context
17Site Analysis
Challenges
The primary challenges for the Corridor are as follows:
A Business-As-Usual Approach
As with any established zone of this type, there is
understandable inertia regarding change, due to
familiarity with the existing condition. An approach
to the future that derives from this approach would
see incremental by-rights development occurring
opportunistically within the Corridor, or with small,
localized changes to zoning (or approval via zoning
board of appeals for individual initiatives) on a property-
by-property basis. In the absence of a vision, this is
what occurs naturally in all cases, not just along the
Highland Avenue Corridor. This can already be seen
along Highland Avenue with the advancement of larger
current projects, such as the Trader’s Way and Overlook
Acres residential developments, as well as recent
initiatives to convert other big sites directly along the
Corridor to purely residential uses. While the provision
of additional residential product in the metro Boston
area is positive overall, questions arise about whether a
future prevalence of these types of projects directly on
the Corridor is desirable.
Three concerns with such an approach, overall, are:
1) Sites along the Corridor - in particular, large sites
- if developed individually without thought for the
larger composition, may degrade the Corridor’s retail
and commercial offerings; 2) There is no synergy of
action between efforts, leading to missed potential
opportunities to leverage larger projects in particular for
the betterment of the Corridor overall and the creation
of a sense of place; 1) It does not fundamentally address
any of the large, pressing issues facing the Corridor,
many of which are safety and quality-of-life related
(traffic).
Highland Avenue (Highway 107) Right-Of-Way
(R.O.W.)
In online polling of community members, and in
general conversations with the City and Working Group,
traffic within the Corridor consistently rose to the
position of being the single largest issue. The complexity
of the this subject in this study area cannot be
overstated, due to the fact that large vehicle volumes are
simultaneously the lifeblood of the Corridor - generating
opportunity for the businesses along the Corridor, as
well as responding to the Corridor’s role as a conduit
for commuting - and the greatest challenge towards
achieving a sense of place or a sense of neighborhood
for the numerous residents living within the study area.
Adding to the complexities of traffic management on
Highland Avenue in the Corridor, the road’s right-of-
way is within the purview of MassDOT, and not that of
the City of Salem. The practical impacts of this are that
most decisions relating to the character of the roadway
cannot be made locally.
Surrounding Road Network
Highland Avenue is, for the duration of its length
through the Corridor, a major arterial road that has
highway characteristics due to the fact that it is divided
by a barrier. The roads that connect directly into
Highland Avenue at signalized intersections are minor
arterial or collector roads that typically connect to
elsewhere in the City of Salem, and to other locations
(Route 128, Swampscott, etc.). All additional roads
within the study area are local roads that do not form
part of an interconnected network. This last condition
means that there are very limited alternatives for traffic
flow to Highland Avenue itself - all traffic within its
“catch basin” is channeled onto and across it. This
creates challenges in particular for local residents, who
cannot typically drive from the streets they live on to
other places without engaging with Highland Avenue.
18 Site Analysis
Parcelization
Parcelization of properties within and surrounding
the Corridor is a legacy of decisions made decades,
if not centuries, before. This leads to a condition of
very broad and diverse ownership of mostly small to
medium-sized parcels. Notable exceptions to this are
the sites accommodating the “big box” retail businesses.
A patchwork quilt of ownership presents challenges
for land assembly and the creation of future projects
that can create their own centers of gravity within the
Corridor. These issues are not insurmountable, but are a
factor in any considerations of future directions for the
Corridor.
Overall Basic Nature of The Corridor
The basic nature of the Corridor immediately to either
side of Highland Avenue is highway-side retail and
services businesses (with some residential mixed in),
many of which are regional as well as local attractors.
Zoning has been created over time to support these
uses, as they have been deemed essential to the well-
being of the broader City of Salem; the success of
certain businesses along the Corridor bears this out.
The fundamental basic nature of the Corridor, therefore,
has historically elevated practical usage - easy access,
ample surface parking, large retail stores, drive-
through eateries, small office suites, etc. - above other
considerations. These amenities are not insignificant,
and this translates into challenges for “changing the
face” of the Corridor to be more of a “place” that
anchors the area it serves. These realities impact
everything from traffic volumes to aesthetics along the
Corridor.
Opportunities
Current and future opportunities for the Corridor are:
Housing Demand
Strong demand exists for housing in Salem, as a result of
larger regional forces in the residential market. There is
broad demand for all housing types. Private developer
interest in sites on and around the Corridor reflects this
demand. While not all sites are suitable for residential
use, accommodation of this demand on appropriate
sites supports the success of local businesses, schools,
and the creation of neighborhoods. While there are
legitimate concerns about increased traffic on roads in
and around the Corridor, aligning residential growth
with other initiatives (such as a potential South Salem
MBTA Commuter Rail Station, walkable neighborhoods,
Salem Skipper, and the City’s upcoming municipal car
share program), supports the creation of residential
opportunities for a broad spectrum of people.
Potential Demand For Other Uses
Particular types of regional “big box” and local
convenience retail and services predominate along
the Corridor, but there is potentially demand in the
market for the accommodation of other uses. These
might include increased office space (as mentioned
in “Covid-19 Impacts”), full-spectrum residential
supporting diverse household types (including seniors),
destination restaurants, and even a “lifestyle center”
that combines a number of uses with outdoor amenity
space. These uses are growing along other similar
corridors in the region and nationally, and aside from
broadening economic opportunity, they contribute to
enhanced “sense of place.”
Regional Medical Center
The North Shore Medical Center - Salem Hospital,
located on Highland Avenue a short distance north of
the Corridor study area, is a regional attractor. As such,
several medical-related businesses have located along
the Corridor. There is potential for the future co-location
of such affiliated businesses within the Corridor, in one
or more medical office park-type arrangements. This is
an ongoing opportunity for growth in the Corridor.
Changes in Attitudes
When the current configuration of Highland Avenue was
19Site Analysis
conceived, in the mid-to-late 20th century, emphasis
was on moving as much traffic as efficiently as possible.
This led to the highway-like appearance of Highland
Avenue today. While it is still important to convey traffic
efficiently through the Corridor, and will continue to be
so, there is increasing demand regionally and nationally
for the balancing of this need with others. Initiatives in
this realm include the accommodation of pedestrians,
cyclists, transit, and the general calming of areas
impacted by major roadways.
20 Site Analysis
Existing Conditions
The Corridor occupies a zone of gentle, wooded hills
characterized by large quantities of rocky ledge. Single
family and town home neighborhoods nested into the
wooded landscape surround the Corridor, while the
zone most proximate to Highway 107 accommodates
additional multi-family residential buildings. Along
the Corridor itself, single family homes - vestiges of
when the road was narrower and slower in speed - are
interspersed with small and mid-size convenience
businesses, medical office buildings, and large “big box”
stores. The right-of-way of Highland Avenue consists of
two lanes in each direction, separated by an armco-type
steel traffic barrier in the middle. Pedestrian sidewalks
line either side of the roadway. Turning opportunities
are limited by the continuous barrier to a small number
of signalized intersections that see a large volume of
turning movements due to this condition. Buildings
along the Corridor, with the exception of multi-family
residential, are predominantly single-story.
21Site Analysis
22 Site Analysis
Existing Conditions Analysis
Neighborhoods
Highland Avenue
(107)
LEGEND
Highland Avenue
The Corridor crosses several neighborhoods within
Salem, traversing pure residential areas, as well as a mix
of residential and retail.
Neighborhoods encompassing the Highland Avenue Corridor
Castle Hill
Witchcraft Heights
South
Salem
Vinnin Square
LYNN
23Site Analysis
North and South of the Corridor, Highland Avenue is
a single lane in either direction, without any center
barrier. It is only for its duration in the actual Corridor
that it is two lanes in either direction, with a center
barrier, for approximately 1.6 miles total.
This condition is somewhat unusual, as the more
normal arrangement of roads would be a progression
from narrower to wider, to freeway, rather than a
reversion to the narrower state again. The condition
at Highland Avenue reflects a need to absorb a large
number of vehicles on the road at any given time along
this specific stretch of road.
The Highland Avenue Right-of-Way
Highland Avenue
Highland Avenue
with divider
LEGEND
Extent of divided roadway along Highland Avenue, with bus stops indicated
24 Site Analysis
Ecological Conditions
Wetlands
Wetland Buffer
Zone (100’)
Ponds / Streams
Pond / Streams
Buffer Zone (100’)
LEGEND
This plan shows the extent of natural elements in and
around the Corridor. These are not readily apparent
from Highland Avenue itself, but become more visible
a short way in from either side of Highland Avenue. The
geology of large amounts of rocky ledge combines with
streams and their buffers, as well as large amounts of
wooded land, to create a complex tapestry of natural
elements. These elements can be brought more to the
fore in the future life of the Corridor, as suggested in
this study, to enhance identity and amenity. Two of the
most commonly expressed desires for the Corridor were
“greener” and “calmer”; leveraging of these elements
will assist with achieving both of those goals.
Walmart
Cinema World
Traders Way Development
Highland
A
v
e
n
u
e
Ecological constraints and natural features within the Highland Avenue Corridor
25Site Analysis
Zoning
Business
Highway
Business Park
Development
Residential One
Family
Residential Multi
Family
Industrial
Residential
Conservation
LEGEND
Current zoning for the Corridor reveals the patchwork
nature of the Corridor’s identity. The largest impact to
the character of the Corridor is the “Business Highway”
category, which lines either side of the Highland
Avenue right-of-way for most of its length, as well as the
“Industrial” category, within which the big box stores at
the northern end of the Corridor are accommodated.
Selective rezoning will assist with attaining the goals that
support the vision articulated in this study for the future
of the Corridor.
Current Zoning of the Highland Avenue Corridor
26 Site Analysis
Potential Sites for Redevelopment
Projects
Underway
Projects in
Permitting
Parcels Under
Construction
LEGEND
The starting point for studying opportunities for the
future within the Corridor was a variety of sites within
the Corridor that were generally identified in the 2018
“What’s Happening on Highland?” document. This is
by no means a comprehensive list, but was intended
to catalyze exploration and discussion. As such, this
list is not intended to suggest that other properties
are not candidates for future redevelopment, or that
identified properties necessarily will be redeveloped.
Some of the properties, such as the Transfer Station
site, “Cinemaworld” and “Overlook Acres” may require
significant environmental remediation due to ground
and/or water conditions affected by prior uses.
Key properties either under development or that may be available for future redevelopment
27Site Analysis
Potential Sites and Ecological Conditions
Projects
Underway
Projects in
Permitting
Parcels Under
Construction
Wetlands
Wetland Buffer
Zone (100’)
Ponds / Streams
Pond / Streams
Buffer Zone (100’)
LEGEND
An overlay of the key opportunity sites with
environmental constraints reveals a complex picture of
future opportunities for the Corridor. The combination
of these elements - sites plus natural elements - provides
many clues to the future potential for the Corridor.
Walmart
Cinema World
Traders Way Development
Highland
A
v
e
n
u
e
Overlay of key properties with environmental constraints
28 Market Scan
29Market Scan
Market Scan
3.0
30 Market Scan
Market Overview
Framework
Landwise conducted a market scan and analysis as part
of the study. For the purposes of categorization of uses,
the following terms were utilized:
• “Retail”: Supermarkets, stores, restaurants,
services (gas stations, etc.)
• “Commercial”: Offices, light manufacturing/
workshop (eg. Technology Way businesses)
• “Residential”: All types – single family to
townhomes to mid-rise multi-family
The market scan is important for ensuring that the
planning effort is grounded in market reality. Plans that
respect and respond to market forces are more likely
to be implemented and achieve success than those
that chose to ignore economic forces at play in the
community.
A market scan has three essential components:
Economic and Demographic Context
It is important to understand the economic and
demographic forces at play within the subject site
community. This includes looking at employment
growth which creates economic opportunity and
“spin-off” demand for housing, services, and goods.
Additional factors such as growth in households,
income levels, educational attainment, commuting
patterns, will also impact which asset classes are in the
highest demand, and how resources are likely to be
allocated to them.
Supply/Demand Balance
Understanding whether the supply and demand
balance of various asset classes is a critical component
of the market study. If there are gaps between the level
of supply and demand the market is likely to respond to
them over time by adding additional supply, adjusting
price levels, or converting underutilized assets to
alternative uses over time. Understanding the balance
is important before investing in the construction of new
buildings.
Market Trends
Real estate is notoriously cyclical, and each land use
can peak, plateau, and bottom out at different points in
time. Being attune to the cycles and understanding the
factors that may cause a particular asset class to quickly
heat up or fall out of favor is important for making
informed real time decisions about future allocations of
capital.
31Market Scan
NAICS Sector - Accommodation and Food Services Map
NAICS Sector - Health Care and Social Assistance Map
Job Sector Analysis
32 Market Scan
Development Prospects
Over the past year Covid-19 has accelerated a
number of trends that were already percolating
in the marketplace causing certain land uses
to move faster than usual through cycles of
boom and bust. Of note is the strength in
fulfillment, warehouse, and distribution uses
caused by the uptick in online commerce,
a trend that has been rapidly accelerated
by the Covid-19 pandemic. The flip side of
the coin is that regional malls and shopping
centers of all stripes have suffered immensely
as shops and restaurants have been forced
to reduce capacity, alter business models, or
close altogether due to state public health
restrictions. Additional land uses that have
been negatively impacted include hotels due
to severe reduction in business and leisure
travel, and office uses, due to most white-
collar employers shifting to “work-from-home”
platforms during the majority of 2020.
33Market Scan
Median Household Income Annual Percentage Growth Map
Median Household Income Map
Income Analysis
34 Market Scan
Summary Matrix
Land Use Market
Strength
Site
Suitability
Economic/
Tax
Impact
Low Level of
Competition
Low Level of
Traffic
Impact
TOTAL
Residential ************12
Medical Office ************12
Office **********10
Industrial / Light
Manufacturing **********10
Retail/Restaurant *********9
*= Low Score **= Medium Score ***= High Score
Market Strength – Landwise judgment of how healthy
the market is for the given use in the Boston Metro and
along the Corridor
Site Suitability – How appropriate the use is for a
typical site located along the Corridor factoring in
zoning, market requirements, visibility, site needs
Economic/Tax Impact- The ability for the use to create
jobs and generate a net positive fiscal impact
Low Level of Competition – The level of competition
in the local market/submarket for the specific use
Traffic Impact – The amount of traffic that will be
generated from the target use
35Market Scan
Takeaways
Existing Conditions
• Medical employment clustered around the
NSMC Salem Hospital is the primary driver of
economic activity along the Corridor
• Big box retailers continue to draw significant
activity along the Corridor and these users appear to
be healthy relative to national trends
• The Corridor features a number of chain
restaurant options but lacks options for independent
and ethnic categories
• The Corridor is made up primarily of middle-
income households and it is experiencing positive
household growth and meaningful growth in income
levels
Future Conditions
• Recent expansion in the NSMC Salem Hospital
cluster and the closing of a hospital facility in Lynn
indicate that future growth in the medical space is
likely to occur.
• Retail and restaurant uses are likely to continue
to face headwinds from the Covid-19 disruption and
the rise of e-commerce and so expansion of these
uses will be challenging in the near term.
• The growth in advanced manufacturing, logistics,
warehousing uses is likely to continue so sites that
are well suited for these uses may have an advantage
• The need for affordable/workforce housing is
likely to remain strong in the Salem area due to the
lack of supply
36 Market Scan
Office
Century Bank headquarters
400 Mystic Ave, Medford
• Class A Office Building
• Year Built: 2005
• Building Space: 88,000 square feet, 5 stories
• Lot Size: 4.87 acres
• FAR: 0.42
• Parking Ratio: 3.0 / 1,000 SF
• Traffic Count: 22,000 VPD (2018)
A new 5-story 50,000 square foot building was built
adjacent to the existing 3-story building. This building is
located on Mystic Ave. in Medford, a similar corridor that
is highly trafficked with a variety of uses.
Case Studies
Route 3A Medical Office Complex
221 Boston Rd, Billerica
• Year Built: 2019 (renovated)
• Building Space: 12,500 square feet, 2 stories
• Lot Size: 1.64 acres
• FAR: 0.17
• Parking Ratio: 5.5 / 1,000 SF
• Traffic Count: 32,000 VPD (2018)
This medical office building has 6 separate suites
that can be combined for larger spaces if needed. It
underwent extensive renovations in 2019, including an
entire new façade). It is located on Route 3A in Billerica,
a similar corridor with almost identical traffic counts to
Highland Avenue . (35,000 VPD).
Medical Office
37Market Scan
Salem Glass
3 Technology Way, Salem
• Year Built: 2002
• Building Space: 64,000 square feet
• Lot Size: 4.4 acres
• FAR: 0.33
• Parking Ratio: 1.3 / 1,000 SF
One of the most successful companies on Technology
Way. Their success has inspired other similar companies
to move, creating an industrial cluster at Technology Way.
Light MFG / IND
St. Jean’s Credit Union
370 Highland Avenue , Salem
• Year Built: 2018
• Building Space: 7,200 square feet
• Lot Size: 1-acre lot (this building shares a lot
with the neighboring Puleo’s Dairy building. The
1-acre is an estimate of the land that St. Jean’s sits
on)
• FAR: 0.17
• Parking Ratio: 5.5 / 1,000 SF
• Traffic Count: 35,000 VPD (2020)
Built by Groom Construction (a Salem-based company).
Retail
38 Market Scan
Housing Precedents
Residence in Vinnin Square, Swampscott
Clarendon, Arlington VA
Westside at Shady Grove, Rockville MD
Gunbarrel District, COVardarda Housing, Sweden
39Market Scan
Retail and Restaurant Precedents
The Domain Rock Rose, Austin TX
The Avenue, Washington DC
Branchline Restaurant, Watertown MA
Legal Seafoods, The Street, Chestnut Hill MA
Semolina, Medford MARecess, Chicago IL
40 Market Scan
Medical Office Precedents
Dental Office, Mesa AZ
Visions Healthcare, Dedham MA
Carriage Animal Hospital, Lombard IL
Apollo Medical Office, Cary NC
St. Vincent Medical CenterBand and Wire Orthodontics, Illinois
41Market Scan
42 Engagement
43Engagement
Engagement
4.0
44 Engagement
The “sliders”, shown to the right, were a way of getting
the Working Group and Salem community members
to think about what environment they would like for
Highland Avenue . Using the idea of the slider conveys
the different spectrums that Highland Avenue . operates
on, and the ways that different improvements could
change the nature of the Corridor.
Engagement
During the course of the study, three Working Group
meetings and two community meetings were held
virtually, in webcast format. Input was solicited using
online polling, Miro boards (digital work boards where
comments were collected during the webcasts, and
posted via digital sticky notes to the boards).
Meetings were led by Sasaki, with input from Landwise
and the City.
Working Group meeting dates were:
Meeting 1: September 29, 2020
Meeting 2: December 16, 2020
Meeting 3: February 3, 2021
Community meeting dates were:
Meeting 1: October 28, 2020 - Corridor Analysis, Market
Scan, Findings
Meeting 2: January 12, 2021 - Framework, “Big Picture
Ideas” (Future Scenarios)
“ Walking (along Highland
Avenue) feels very
dangerous due to speed of
cars “
“ The ability to turn around
on Highland Avenue is
important “
“ Improving (the big box
zone) would make a big
difference because there
are a lot of people who live
nearby “
45Engagement
What is right for Highland Avenue?
46 Engagement
Community Meeting Analysis
Community Meeting 1 - October 28, 2020
During the first virtual community meeting, residents
provided insights into the way they currently use
Highland Avenue, and the challenges and opportunities
they see in it. Multiple forms of engagement were used
to provide the residents diverse opportunities to think
about the Corridor and give feedback. The virtual nature
of the meeting meant that all participants were engaging
solely through digital platforms, which while different
from a traditional public meeting, still yielded significant
amounts of engagement.
During Community Meeting 1 Sasaki and Landwise
presented on the initial analysis completed on Highland
Avenue, and then the majority of the meeting was used
for residents to provide comments and feedback. The
first activity was conducted using PollEV, a system
that allows for a survey question to be answered and
analyzed in real time. The questions and analysis of
analysis are shown in the following three graphics. The
residents were then shown boards in Miro that asked
them to provide thoughts on the current challenges of
Highland Avenue , the opportunities of the Corridor and
then their aspirations for what an ideal corridor would
look like. Those boards and comments are displayed on
the following spread.
The above graphic displays a word cloud created
by community members responses to the question:
“What one word best describes your ideal corridor
for the future.” The biggest words (walkable, calmer,
restaurants, greener, safer, slower) represent the words
used the most by participants. From this grouping of
words we can begin to image the future environment of
Highland Avenue . These key characteristics were used
to create the proposed scenarios later on in the process.
47Engagement
The above chart shows community member responses
to the question: “How do you interact with Highland
Avenue today?” The most common response was
resident at 34% of responses, and then passing through/
commuting close behind at 31% of responses.
The above chart shows community members responses
to the question: “What are the current challenges for the
Corridor that you would like to see addressed?” Traffic
stands out as the most important challenge - an issue
that was made very clear by the community must be
improved for any other new projects to be successful.
Shopping, dining, entertainment and other services
make up a total of 33% of responses, which signals that
in Highland Avenue ’s current condition it does not
function as a destination for much of the community.
48 Engagement
The feedback received during community meeting 1
revealed four key improvements the community would
like to see on Highland Avenue: traffic, walkability
and bike-ability, housing and general neighborhood.
The level and speed of traffic is a concern for many
residents, it is a safety concern and often causes
backups. The existing road structure of Highland
Avenue feels unsafe and unwelcoming to pedestrians
and cyclists. The residents would like improvements that
would allow for these mobility options to be integrated
into the Corridor. The community has a desire for
affordable, small scale, multi family and senior housing
to be included along the Corridor. And finally, there was
a general desire for the Corridor to have an enhanced
sense of place, more greenspace options and have a
clean and well cared for nature.
Following the community meeting, the design team
analyzed comments from residents to determine the
main themes of feedback. These themes informed
the following steps of the process which was creating
potential scenarios for the Corridor. Each scenario took
great care to address the main concerns and desires of
the residents.
49Engagement
“ Mixed use development, family
restaurants, senior housing, job
creation “
“ Not walkable today “
“ Traffic is not working well,
difficult to take a turn...at times
of the day traffic comes to a
standstill. “
“ More greenery and places
to walk “
“ Community food garden
would be a great benefit “
* Full comments can be found in the appendix
50 Engagement
Community Meeting 2 - January 12, 2021
Community Meeting 2 gave residents of Salem an
opportunity to comment on the initial scenario options
developed by the design team. The gathering took
place as a virtual meeting, and used some of the same
technology as community meeting 1 to engage with the
residents.
The meeting began with presentations from the design
team about each of the three proposed scenarios. The
team went into depth on the key attributes, pros and
cons of each scenario, as well as the commonalities
between them. The participants were then asked to
reflect on the three scenarios through a Miro Board;
which one they liked best, which attributes they were
most excited about and anything that was left out
completely that they would like to see. The boards and
comments are seen in the graphics below.
51Engagement
“ I like the mixed use
(area) idea - nicer
restaurants and
pedestrian friendly “
“ Better public transportation to
connect amenities with the important
institutions along Highland Avenue
- the hospital, the highschool -
might help create a sensor of place/
neighborhood “
Five main themes of feedback emerged from this
second community meeting: An interest in greenspace,
trails, and sustainability overall; support for affordable
and senior housing; support for a mixed use district;
desire for a well functioning local transit system; and
for a family friendly neighborhood feel. These themes
greatly aligned with the feedback from the first meeting,
and provided greater insight into the scenario that
would work best for the Highland Avenue Corridor.
The feedback from community meeting 2 was
synthesized and then presented to the working
group for consideration. The themes developed from
the meeting helped to determine which pieces of
each scenario were most desirable, and should be
recommended. The commonalities between all of the
scenarios were aligned with the feedback received.
“ For all options I would
like to see a walking trail
to observe nature and ...
to connect the various
commercial areas “
“ I would like to see some sort of a 55+
community development space “
“ Many parcels along the road are not
owned by the City. The purpose of this
work is (to learn) where should we be
trying to incentivize and impact the
way change and growth happens on the
Corridor “
* Full comments can be found in the appendix
52 Future Development Scenarios
53Future Development Scenarios
Future
Development
Scenarios
5.0
54 Future Development Scenarios
Scenarios
Big Picture Ideas Approach and Overview
The three Big Picture Ideas were developed to draw
out issues for discussion, and potentially to create a
consensus vision. All three scenarios share the ability
to make use of the common framework elements that
were explored as part of the study. Each, however, looks
at different possible outcomes for the Corridor in the
future. None of these outcomes is intended to be rigid; it
is expected that certain aspects of a given scenario may
be adapted alongside aspects of other scenarios, and
that some but not all of the framework elements may be
implemented. The result would then be a wholly new
scenario.
Some key features of the Big Picture Ideas are:
They are intended to be broad brushstrokes – the
consultant team is not suggesting mandated relocation
of existing uses to achieve a vision;
Existing conditions (business uses, topography, etc.) are
an important factor;
Private land ownership is a factor – Options can provide
guidance for future development based on a vision for
the Corridor;
Options are meant as catalyst for discussion, drawing
out issues and possible solutions
Ideas from one option may be applicable to others, with
a different consensus option emerging
The scenarios range from least (Big Picture Idea 1) to
most (Big Picture Idea 2) aspirational, in terms of the
amount of coordinated effort that would be required
to achieve the vision described in each. In Idea 1, very
little or no coordinated action is required between
parcel holders in the baseline scenario (coordinated
action would, however, be required to implement
the lifestyle center retrofit to the big box store zone if
that framework element were included). For Idea 3, a
considerable amount of coordinated action and even
amalgamation of parcels may be required to achieve the
vision.
There are similarities and overlaps between the
scenarios due to the mature nature of the Corridor;
there is limited scope overall - at least in the short to
medium term - for radical alteration of roadway pattern,
and possibly not even for consolidation of parcels to
create larger parcels that would be available to create
new mixed-use development within the Corridor
(example: retail below residential with walkable internal
streets). However, if a vision is established, and it gains
stakeholder support, that vision can be something the
City and community work towards over the medium to
long term.
55Future Development Scenarios
Big Picture Idea 3:
Integrated Commercial
District
Big Picture Idea 1:
Christmas Lights
Big Picture Idea 2 :
North and South
Character Zones
56 Future Development Scenarios
Big Picture Idea 1
Big Idea 1 - Build 1
This scenario was lightheartedly named “Christmas
Lights” due to its appearance as a string of “lights”
(available development parcels), each connected to
the electric “string” (Highland Avenue). This scenario
assumes that parcel boundaries generally remain as
they are today, and that changes in the Corridor occur
much as they have been occurring, through mostly
isolated action by individual land owners. This scenario
could be made more aspirational by the inclusion of
any or all of the Common Framework Elements.
“Christmas Lights”
Features of Big Picture Idea 1 are:
• It is the baseline option; it accepts current
basic nature of the Corridor, and seeks incremental
improvements (eg. Corridor right-of-way
improvements, best uses of key sites along Corridor);
• It suggests an opportunistic, by-right growth
strategy on major sites, within current zoning, or
moderately modified zoning;
• It is not contingent on larger connections across
parcels, or on land assembly.
Commercial
Retail
Residential
LEGEND
57Future Development Scenarios
Big Idea 1 - Build 2
Big Idea 1 - Build 3
An outer band of
residential developments
surrounds the inner band
of retail. Side streets
connect the residential
zone to the retail zone.
Commercial
Retail
Residential
General Retail
/ Commercial
“Inner Band”
General
Residential “Outer
Band”
Right of Way
Improvements
Side Streets
LEGEND
Commercial
Retail
Residential
General Retail
/ Commercial
“Inner Band”
LEGEND
This scenario establishes
an inner band of retail
space that hugs Highland
Avenue on both sides.
Commercial, retail and
residential spaces are
added along the Corridor.
Walmart Overlook Acres
120 Swampscott Rd &
15 Robinson Rd
Cinemaworld /
Transfer Station
Traders Way
Development
General Retail/Commercial
“Inner Band”
General Residential
“Outer Band”
58 Future Development Scenarios
Big Idea 1: Christmas Lights
Big Picture Idea 1
Commercial
Retail
Residential
General Retail
/ Commercial
“Inner Band”
General
Residential “Outer
Band”
Right of Way
Improvements
Side Streets
Trails
Crossings
LEGEND
Traders Way
Development
120 Swampscott Rd &
15 Robinson Rd
Overlook Acres
Walmart
Cinemaworld /
Transfer Station
M
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Highland
A
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Swampscot
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59Future Development Scenarios
Public Facing Office
Building
Public facing offices and
services are proposed
along the Corridor in the
inner retail zone.
Apartments / Condos
Residential apartments
and condos are proposed
as the key features of the
outer residential zone.
Nature Trails
Connections to new and
existing nature trails are
proposed along Highland
Avenue to provide
pedestrian connections to
the retail zone, and across
Highland Avenue .
Office Building
Private office buildings are
proposed to be located in
the surrounding area, but
not in the primary retail
zone along the Corridor.
Traders Way
Development
Highland
A
v
e
n
u
e
Right of Way Improvements
60 Future Development Scenarios
Big Picture Idea 2
Distinct North and South Character Zones
This scenario identifies and builds upon distinct
characteristics of the Corridor to the north and the
south of the Swampscott Road intersection with
Highland Avenue. This scenario is more aspirational
than Idea 1, as it posits a gradual transformation of the
southern part of the Corridor into a zone of increased
office presence, while transforming the existing big
box store zone in the northern part of the Corridor into
more of a lifestyle center (still anchored by the big box
stores).
Big Idea 2 - Build 1
Features of Big Picture Idea 2 are:
• It generally distinguishes between Corridor south
and north of Swampscott Road for future identity;
• South of Swampscott Road: Greater emphasis on
office and other employment uses, with select retail
and residential mixed in
• North of Swampscott Road: Strengthening and
reinforcing this area as the retail zone with select
other uses.
61Future Development Scenarios
Big Idea 2 - Build 2
Big Idea 2 - Build 3
Big picture idea 2
suggests two distinct
north and south zones
along Highland Avenue
: one commercial zone
and one general retail
zone. The two zones can
be seen here.
Right of way
improvements and side
street connections center
on the retail zone, to
foster a destination zone.
Residential spaces are
added in both zones and
in the surrounding area.
Commercial
Retail
Residential
LEGEND
Commercial
Retail
Residential
General Retail
Zone
General
Commercial Zone
Right of Way
Improvements
Side Streets
LEGEND
62 Future Development Scenarios
Big Idea 2 : North and South Character Zones
Big Picture Idea 2
Commercial
Retail
Residential
General Retail
Zone
General
Commercial Zone
Right of Way
Improvements
Side Streets
Trails
Crossings
LEGEND
Traders Way
Development
120 Swampscott Rd &
15 Robinson Rd
Overlook Acres
Walmart
Cinemaworld /
Transfer Station
M
a
r
l
b
o
r
o
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h
R
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Highland
A
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Tr
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W
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Sw
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63Future Development Scenarios
Public Facing Office
Building
Public facing office
buildings are proposed
within the general
commercial zone on the
Corridor.
Apartments / Condos
New residential spaces
are proposed in both the
commercial and retails
zones along Highland
Avenue .
Nature Trails
Connections to new and
existing nature trails are
proposed along Highland
Avenue to provide
pedestrian connections to
the retail and commercial
zones, and across
Highland Avenue.
Office Building
Private office buildings are
proposed to be located in
the surrounding area, but
not in the primary zones
along the Corridor.
Traders Way
Development
Highland
A
v
e
n
u
e
Right of Way Improvements
64 Future Development Scenarios
Big Picture Idea 3
Integrated Commercial District
The most ambitious of the three scenarios, Big Picture
Idea 3 identifies the Highland-Marlborough-Swampscott
intersection as the main intersection of this entire part
of Salem, and suggests that the intersection’s existence
alone can catalyze dramatic change radiating out
from it. This vision offers the opportunity for property
owners adjacent to this super-intersection to conceive
of their parcels as potentially having different, possibly
denser uses in the future, and, importantly, uses that are
connected strongly to adjacent uses via pedestrian and
bicycle pathways.
Big Idea 3 - Build 1
Features of Big Picture Idea 3 are:
• It treats Highland-Swampscott-Marlborough
intersection zone as the “State and Main” of the
Corridor, with future commercial activity leveraging
that intersection
• It creates an opportunity to create a mixed
use (retail and residential) development on the
Cinemaworld and/or Transfer Station sites, with
“back street” links (pedestrian, bicycle, and - subject
to detailed analysis - even vehicle) to the existing
retail nexus to the north; this would allow for a high
degree of connectivity that is not dependent on
Highland Avenue.
Main Intersection
of Corridor
LEGEND
65Future Development Scenarios
Big Idea 3 - Build 2
Big picture idea 3
centers on proposing a
main intersection at the
center of the Corridor,
surrounded by a retail
zone.
Big Idea 3 - Build 3
Both retail and residential
developments are
proposed within core
retail zone, as well
as some commercial
space within a mixed
use development.
Commercial offices
would be located outside
of the retail zone.
Main Intersection
of Corridor
Retail Zones
LEGEND
Commercial
Retail
Residential
Retail Zones
LEGEND
66 Future Development Scenarios
Big Idea 3 - Integrated Commercial District
Big Picture Idea 3
Commercial
Retail
Residential
Retail Zones
Right of Way
Improvements
Side Streets
Trails
Crossings
LEGEND
Traders Way
Development
120 Swampscott Rd &
15 Robinson Rd
Overlook Acres
Walmart
Cinemaworld /
Transfer Station
M
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b
o
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o
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h
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Highland
A
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Tr
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W
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Swam
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67Future Development Scenarios
Apartment / Condos
Residential developments
are proposed in the core
mixed use district, within
the retail zone, and in
the surrounding area just
outside of the retail zone.
Bike Paths
Bike paths are proposed
along Highland Avenue
and on trails that would
connect to Highland
Avenue in the crossing
zones.
Nature Trails
Connections to new and
existing nature trails are
proposed along Highland
Avenue to provide
pedestrian connections to
the retail zone, and across
Highland Avenue .
Office Building
Private office buildings are
proposed to be located in
the surrounding area, but
not in the primary retail
zone along the Corridor.
Traders Way
Development
Highland
A
v
e
n
u
e
Right of Way Improvements
68 Common Framework Elements
69Common Framework Elements
Common
Framework
Elements
6.0
70 Common Framework Elements
Common Framework Elements:
Transformation For The Future
Following the analysis and market scan phases of the
study, the team focused on creating a framework that
can be used to guide future thinking and development
along the Corridor. Given that the basic nature of the
Corridor is already determined as a result of roadway
alignments, parcelization, and established uses on
many sites, the framework is by its nature restricted to
improving what already exists. This notwithstanding,
some major ideas emerged in the course of the creation
of the framework, and these were determined (by the
conclusion of the study) to be applicable to all “Big
Picture Idea” scenarios that were developed.
Fundamental to the development of a framework is the
incorporation of feedback received from stakeholders at
community and Working Group meetings. This includes
the following:
Increased Walkability/bike-ability: There is a strong
desire to be able to move around the area by means
other than an automobile, and to do so in a pleasant
manner;
Calmer: The Corridor is a commuting corridor and a
regional attractor (big box stores), which is a challenge
for achieving this goal. Also, many of the impacts on
a study area-wide level that affect the perception of
“calm” are related to the MassDOT R.O.W. and how
that is altered going forwards. Because this element is
controlled by a state agency, it is not in purview of this
study. The study nevertheless makes strong suggestions
about how the R.O.W. could be improved;
Greener: Again, as with “Calmer”, much of the ability to
impact at least the perception of increased green-ness
(in the form of street trees) resides within the MassDOT
R.O.W. The framework does make suggestions, however,
about connecting within the Corridor through a “green
network” of trails;
More Housing: There is a strong desire for broad-
spectrum housing, including senior housing;
Common Elements
The elements that stay the same throughout all
three Big Picture Ideas are:
Right of Way Improvements
Retail Nexus Enhancement
Improved Connectivity
Overview
71Common Framework Elements
Common Elements
Potential exists for the evolution of
the retail nexus at the northern end of
the Corridor into more of a “lifestyle
center” anchored by big box retail,
where people can connect to the
nexus itself, and within it, on foot, and
can spend time in pleasant outdoor
spaces.
Identifying future potential crossing
points for pedestrians along Highland
Avenue, as well as creating alternate
means (pedestrian and bicycle
routes) to access those crossing
points.
Engaging with MassDOT to create the
best possible future for the Highland
Avenue right-of-way, with additional
turning opportunities, safe bicycle
lanes, etc. Equally, creation of bicycle
lanes on secondary roads will be
beneficial.
72 Common Framework Elements
Enhanced Sense of Neighborhood: This item is
supported strongly by the above four, but goes beyond
being merely the sum of those items. It is a desire to
have full-spectrum services and amenities within the
Corridor to create a sense of a complete neighborhood.
The key framework elements that can be common to
any future development scenario, were developed to
incorporate and support the above goals. These are:
Transform The Big Box Retail Zone
Reduce the amount of open asphalted lot visible to
Highland Avenue
Create an “outer line” of programmed built space
(between Highland Avenue and the parking area) to
create a lively, aesthetically pleasing street edge to
Highland Avenue
Create open spaces and protected walkways/bikeways
that connect elements of this shopping nexus with one
another, and with residential areas surrounding
The above steps describe the creation of a “mini lifestyle
center”. These transformations of existing “big box” retail
clusters are becoming increasingly common throughout
the United States. This is projected to increase post-
Covid (as these retail areas have weathered the
pandemic financially much better than other types of
retail, and because there will be increased demand for
lifestyle retail that is local to where people live). Within
the metro Boston area, a successful example of this is
The Street, along Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, where office
space has been constructed over street-edge retail that is
surrounded by outdoor amenity spaces (seating areas,
play areas, etc.)
Establish a Secondary Access Network
Leverage existing secondary roads to the east of
Highland Avenue - Swampscott Road, Traders Way, 1st
Street
Consider signalizing the intersection of 1st Street and
Highland Avenue (in conjunction with removal of the
center barrier on Highland; to facilitate left turns)
73Common Framework Elements
Examine the possibility of extending 1st Street
southwards towards the Transfer Station and
“Cinemaworld” sites (if not as a vehicular way, then as a
pedestrian/bicycle route)
The above steps will create an opportunity for local
residents east of Highland Avenue to make better
connections to both Highland Avenue itself, and to the
retail center at the northern end of the Corridor. These
connections will further serve to de-pressure Highland
Avenue (ie. Potentially reduce traffic on Highland).
Create a Connected Trail Network
Utilize existing wooded areas, whether on private or
public land, to create trails that connect various areas
within the Corridor;
Connect the trails across Highland Avenue (at
appropriate crossing points) to create an increased
sense of connectivity between residents and businesses
on the east and west sides of the Corridor.
This initiative would enable pedestrians and cyclists to
make connections to key places within the Corridor
without having to engage with Highland Avenue (while
the hope is that MassDOT will improve pedestrian and
bicycle accommodations on Highland Avenue when
the roadway is re-done, it is still a busy thoroughfare;
other connections will facilitate the creation of greater
“calm” that was called for by community members in
community meetings).
Influence and Leverage Improvements to The
MassDOT Right-of-Way
While changes to the MassDOT right-of-way are not
within the purview of this study, it is such a central
feature and factor in any plans for the future, that the
City and community must be prepared to engage with
MassDOT to influence its future. There are numerous
ways to achieve this, from contacting one’s local
representatives, to writing to MassDOT directly, to
staying involved with the consultative process as
MassDOT begins to advance projects.
74 Common Framework Elements
Secondary Road Connection Network
Secondary Road Network (Existing network with potential additional connectivity)
One of the key understandings gained during the
study period was that Highland Avenue receives so
much vehicular pressure because there are so few
secondary networks surrounding it. The enhancement
and accentuation of roads that do exist would support
the goal of de-pressuring Highland Avenue, and would
provide users with alternative ways of connecting to
elements within the Corridor.
Further study is required to assess the ways in which
the existing secondary road network can function
in additional roles (eg. potential for bicycle lanes, or
potential for connectivity to sites identified for future
development).
Side Streets
LEGEND
75Common Framework Elements
Trail Network and Highland Avenue Crossings
Potential Trails on other wetland and constraints land
The large amount of wooded land surrounding the
Corridor offers the potential to consider connections
for pedestrians and cyclists along trails that could cross
Highland Avenue at select points. The purpose of
these trails, as with the “Secondary Road Connection
Network,” is to provide people with additional options
for getting from place to place within the Corridor
without having to move along Highland Avenue itself.
Side Streets
Trails
Crossings
LEGEND
Note:
Potential trails shown on the
accompanying diagram are
indicative only, and are not
intended to represent an actual,
proposed network of trails. A goal
should be to eventually identify
a limited number of trails that are
practical to implement and that
connect important elements.
76 Common Framework Elements
Big Box Retail Zone
The size and composition of the retail nexus at the
northern end of the Corridor makes it a good candidate
for an “overlay” of other uses. This would serve the
purpose of providing this part of the Corridor with a
great sense of place, through a combination of indoor
and outdoor program elements.
Successful examples of this type of retrofit to a legacy
center are becoming increasingly common in the
United States. In addition, emerging data is showing that
these types of “lifestyle centers” have been weathering
the Covid-19 retail downturn more successfully than
other types of retail, due to their outdoor public space
offerings in tandem with food and beverage and big box
retail elements.
Side Streets
Trails
Crossings
Commercial
Retail
Residential
LEGEND
Residence / Office
above retailMarlborough
Rd
Existing Conditions
* This diagram depicts an aspirational plan for a mixed
use zone along Highland Avenue . It does not display an
approved plan or project.
77Common Framework Elements
ParkingPublic Plaza
Pedestrian Signal
Crossing
Tr
a
d
e
r
’
s
W
a
y Highland Avenue
78 Common Framework Elements
The Colony, Phoenix AZ
Daybreak Colorado
Delmar Colorado
Westbrook Village
Big Box Retail Zone
The proposed big box retail zone would be the heart
of the Highland Avenue Corridor. This zone would
include restaurants, retail, office space and residential
space. The zone would center around a public plaza,
Gunbarrel Boulder Colorado
Westfarms
be connected to a major pedestrian road crossing, and
have a surface level parking lot. The big box retail zone
would be designed to serve as a local destination for
community members, and a vibrant gathering space.
79Common Framework Elements
Potential
Existing
Parking
Residence / Office
above retail
Public Plaza
Pedestrian Signal
Crossing
80 Common Framework Elements
Parking
Residence / Office
above retail
Public Plaza
Pedestrian Signal
Crossing
Potential Transformation of The Big Box Retail Zone
81Common Framework Elements
Existing Retail
Existing Retail
Existing Retail
Future Trader’s
Way Apartments
Highland A
v
e
n
u
e
82 Common Framework Elements
Big Box Retail Zone Transformation Scenarios
The big box retail zone options show various possibilities for enriching this zone in the future as more of a place
for people. This could be either as phases within a longer-term development process, or the as final scenarios for
adding elements to the zone. The scenarios are intended to highlight different areas within big box zone that could
be the focus areas of the zone, showing that growth could be incremental, or finite (ie. that the vision is not an all-
or-nothing proposition).
Construction of stand-
alone destination
restaurants within the
parking lots of existing
retailers. This is a common
feature in big box retail
areas, and would provide
a type of restaurant
offering that is absent in
the Corridor today. Ideally,
these additions would
have outdoor seating
areas, combined with
landscape buffers and
tree-planting zones, to
create outdoor amenity
space that is visually and
physically protected from
the parking areas.
This scenario indicates
a combination of
destination restaurants
and a limited amount of
“liner” building program
along Highland Avenue.
This would enable
attainment of the goal
of making the edge of
Highland Avenue more
visually appealing, while
continuing to allow views
from Highland Avenue
to the parking areas of
the big box retailers. The
building along Highland
Avenue could house office
or residential above retail.
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
83Common Framework Elements
This scenario builds on
Scenario 2 to propose
a more comprehensive
edge to Highland Avenue,
creating a more urban feel
for the Corridor in this
location. Further study
regarding required parking
capacity for the existing
big box stores will be
necessary.
Scenario 4 suggests
that the successes of
implementing a mini
lifestyle center on the site
of most of the big box
stores of the Corridor
might catalyze further
change. Consolidation
of parcels on the south
side of Trader’s Way is
indicated, with pedestrian
connections between
these and the lifestyle
center north of Trader’s
Way.
Scenario 3
Scenario 4
84 Common Framework Elements
Potential Highland Avenue Transformation
Public Plaza
Highland Avenue
Bike Lane
• Buildings framing street edge
• Public outdoor space adjacent to retail
• Signalized pedestrian crossings
85Common Framework Elements
Existing
Residence / Office
above retail
Pedestrian Signal
Crossing
86 Common Framework Elements
87Common Framework Elements
88 Common Framework Elements
| |
Route 107 Corridor Study:
Analysis and Multimodal Design of Recommendations Along
Route 107 in Salem and Lynn, MA
FINAL REPORT November 2016
McMahon Associates Regina Villa Associates
MassDOT Right-of-Way
Existing Conditions
Important steps that can be taken to improve Highland
Avenue (some of which are contained in MassDOT’s
Route 107 report) are:
• Removal of the center-line armco barrier: This
will achieve the following:
• Changes to the visual and psychological
impression that the road is first and foremost a high-
speed highway;
• Removal of a literal and psychological barrier to
connection between areas east and west of Highland
Avenue; pedestrian crossings may be feasible at
additional locations;
• Creation of the opportunity for a center zone
of protected left turn pockets, for both directions of
traffic, which will in turn decrease pressure on the
existing signalized intersections within the Corridor,
where all turns currently must occur
• Creation of wider sidewalks on either side, and
that are potentially buffered from the traffic lanes by
a green strip (which can also contain stormwater
management measures);
• Creation of a bicycle lane on either side,
potentially separated from travel lanes by a
mountable curb and/or plastic pylons.
Current Project Status:
MassDOT intends to implement the more
far-reaching items in its report on Route 107
(removal of barrier and general redesign of the
right-of-way) in the medium to long-term, and in
the short-term to resurface the roadway.
The vision elements articulated as part of
the Corridor Study are aspirational, and are
intended to assist the City and community with
engagement on the subject of the right-of-
way’s design with MassDOT, when that occurs
in the future.
Constituents can contact State Government agencies to advocate for
MassDOT Right-of-Way improvements. Contact options are provided
below.
MassDOT
MassDOT Secretary (Current Acting Secretary - Jamey Tesler)
Address: 10 Park Plaza Suite 4160, Boston MA 02116
Governor Baker Office of Constituent Services
Mass State House, 24 Beacon St, Office of the Governor
Room 280
Boston, MA 02133
(617)725-4005
89Common Framework Elements
Existing Intersection on Highland Avenue
90 Common Framework Elements
Before
After
Aurora Avenue, Shoreline, WA
Right-of-Way Transformation Case Study
91Common Framework Elements
Aurora Avenue in Shoreline, Washington is commuter
and retail highway that is similar in nature and
function to Highland Avenue in Salem. Recent
improvements to the right-of-way of Aurora Avenue
included:
• Creation of pocketed turning lanes, which allow
vehicles waiting to turn feel safe on a busy
highway (safe from being rear ended), and
therefore to not make dangerous cross-traffic
turning movements before it is safe to do so;
• Creation of strongly demarcated pedestrian
crossings;
• Planting of trees along the right-of-way, and
placement of light standards that contributed to
sense of place;
• Creation of sidewalks buffered from the roadway by
a planting zone that also assists with stormwater
management.
92 Common Framework Elements
Proposed Right-Of-Way Modifications
Green divider
Protected turning lane
Aspirational Right-of-Way Transformation
The “before” photo and “after” diagram on this spread illustrate a vision of what Highland Avenue can become.
Removal of the armco-type barrier will give a strong visual cue to traffic that this is not intended to be a high-speed
traffic chute; pocketed turning lanes will de-pressure existing signalized intersections and increase custom at
roadside businesses; tree plantings will beautify the Corridor; improved sidewalks and creation of bicycle lanes will
provide amenity for non-vehicular Corridor users.
93Common Framework Elements
Existing
94 Common Framework Elements
Public Transit
MBTA Buses
FROM TRAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
TO TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT:
A STUDY OF MARKET POTENTIAL
SUMMER 2017
SOUTH SALEM
South Salem Study
Salem Commuter Rail Stop
Bus System
To increase activity in the
Corridor without further
contributing to existing
traffic issues will require
implementation of several
progressive bus initiatives,
such as increased frequency,
GPS tracking supported by
cellphone apps, and even
provision of a dedicated bus
lane.
Commuter Rail
If the South Salem MBTA
Commuter Rail Station is
implemented, it would be
a game-changer for access
to and from the Corridor,
particularly if it is combined
with “back route” pedestrian
and bicycle trails proposed in
this report. This would allow a
non-vehicle dependent lifestyle
for residents of the Corridor.
95Common Framework Elements
Intracity Micro-Mobility
Salem has recently been filling the regional public
transit gaps within the City with an uncommonly diverse
set of affordable and accessible intracity micro-mobility
options. These options include the Salem Skipper;
a municipal ridesharing service; and a municipal
bicycle share. The Salem Skipper works like a minibus
that goes to the rider when they want it. In addition to
the Salem Skipper, a community car share program;
and a new municipal bicycle share program will be
launched in early 2021. Salem’s intracity micro-mobility
options allow residents, visitors and employees to string
together different mode choices where appropriate.
Salem should continue to make investments in micro-
mobility options as they provide opportunities for a
care-free or car-light lifestyle and thus relieve the strain
of traffic congestion.
Salem Skipper Logo
Salem Skipper Van
BlueBike Rental Bike
96 Next Steps
97Next Steps
Next Steps
7.0
98 Next Steps
Next Steps
A View To The Future
As Mayor Kim Driscoll noted in her remarks at the
second community meeting for this study, the only
constant on the Highland Avenue Corridor has always
been change; businesses that are here today, were not
here in decades past, and in the future there will be
other uses on sites within the Corridor. For this reason
alone, there is an opportunity for the future of the
Corridor to be guided by a vision. Change will inevitably
come to the Corridor, and if there is concerted action,
that change can be guided to serve the greatest number
of people who live in, work in, and visit the Corridor.
From numerous comments received in the community
and Working Group meetings, the City and the
consultant team fully understand concerns that added
growth in the Corridor will bring added congestion,
noise, pollution, and possibly gentrification. The current
developments on the Trader’s Way and Overlook Acres
sites demonstrate, however, that change is occurring
nevertheless; it occurs in a by-right manner (ie. within
current zoning or through Zoning Board of Appeals
approvals). Salem has become a highly desirable city
for millennials and other demographic groups within
the metro Boston area.
If a South Salem MBTA Commuter Rail station is
implemented in the future, and if Highland Avenue is
restructured by MassDOT to accommodate progressive,
safety and amenity-oriented features, these two
occurrences alone will have profound, positive
implications for the Highland Avenue Corridor.
Due to attention from the City and from MassDOT,
the future of the Highland Avenue Corridor is bright.
Residents should have hope that their community can
begin to offer walkable solutions. Businesses should be
able to expect that they will continue to prosper - even
prosper more - along the Corridor as change occurs.
This study will in large part have succeeded if the
seeds of positive, concerted and organized change are
sowed in the minds of stakeholders, such that those
stakeholders motivate vigorously with the appropriate
authorities and property owners to have a community-
based vision implemented.
The next steps after this study, if the ideas contained
within it gain traction, will be:
• For the City: to examine what changes to current
zoning may be necessary to make elements of the
vision attainable
• For the community: to become involved in
motivating with MassDOT for the transformation to
the Corridor’s right-of-way and key intersections that
the community desires; and to remain involved in
dialogue with the City to attain a vision that meets
the needs and aspirations of the greatest number of
stakeholders possible.
Big Box Retail Zone
99Next Steps
Concrete Steps Forward
The following goals (shown at left) were identified through community engagement as being representative of the
key Common Framework Elements that were subsequently developed. These can be implemented in any future
development scenario for the Corridor. They are cross-reference below with several of the practical measures
identified during the course of the study (shown at right) to demonstrate concrete steps that can be taken for
attaining a vision for the Corridor’s future.
Framework Goals
• Increased walkability/bike-ability: For
residents and visitors alike; decreased reliance
on automobiles for shorter, local trips; decreased
reliance on using Highland Avenue only as a means
of making local trips.
• Calmer: Changes to right-of-way to create more
turning opportunities, lower overall speed,
increased pedestrian crossing locations, lower
vehicle speeds overall.
• Greener: Planting of trees along Highland Avenue
and elsewhere within the Corridor; planted
stormwater swales; planted strip between sidewalk
and roadway to provide greater pedestrian sense of
distance from traffic; greater visual amenity through
plantings.
• More Housing: Full spectrum residential
accommodating diverse household types; more
senior housing; more housing in walkable locations.
• Enhanced Sense of Neighborhood: Bringing
together all of the above measures to create a
greater sense of “neighborhood”
Implementing The Goals
• Further study changes to zoning to encourage
projects that will have positive transformational
impacts on the Corridor (such as changes to the big
box retail zone at the north of the Corridor)
• Engagement and dialogue with existing property
owners and businesses to elaborate the Common
Framework Elements and goals
• Implementation of progressive measures on streets
controlled by the City (ie. streets connecting into
Highland Avenue), such as increased bike lanes
• Collaboration with MassDOT for the transformation
of the Highland Avenue right-of-way
Big Box Retail Zone Crossing and Pedestrian Zone MassDOT Right of Way
100 Next Steps
Conclusion of The Study - Looking To The Future
The primary objective of this study was to create the
basis for future action regarding Highland Avenue
Corridor, whether that action is amendments to
zoning to permit some of the objectives of the study,
or partnering with MassDOT to insure a better future
for the Corridor’s right-of-way on Highland Avenue, or
development of overall strategies for “opportunity sites
within the Corridor, or all of these elements. Many of
these are medium and long-term objectives.
In the short term, one value of the study is to bring
to attention to challenges the Corridor confronts -
congestion, danger to pedestrians, degradation of
quality-of-life for residents, decreased sense of place
- even as it serves as a local and regional retail and
commercial destination and commuter corridor. A
second value is to create for people a sense of what
can be achieved for the Corridor, in the near and more
distant future. It may not be feasible to implement all
aspirations gathered through the community outreach
process, and those described in this report, but once
the idea of a better future for the Corridor is in the
public realm, the hope is that support will grow for
concerted action by all stakeholders to make some of
those visions real.
Strategies and Next Steps
The City will begin to examine how zoning changes
can be implemented to facilitate future opportunities
that are consistent with community feedback received
during this process, and consistent with the vision laid
out in this report. While no specific timeline has been
established for these tasks, they can now be clearly
identified and prioritized.
Many of the recommendations of this report will require
concerted action on the part of individual property
owners. Creation of trails across private property
boundaries will require that property owners, residents,
and the City agree to further study of how and where
these can occur.
Given the importance to MassDOT’s involvement in
the broader process for the Corridor’s future, ways of
contacting MassDOT are included in this report, as
are suggestions for citizens to remain engaged with
MassDOT as they carry forward their own studies and
projects for the Corridor.
This report has laid out a vision for a connected, calmer,
greener Highland Avenue Corridor; one that also has
more broad-spectrum residential accommodation
in the appropriate place (ie. that is not implemented
opportunistically in ways that degrade the commercial
role that the Corridor plays in the life of Salem). Ways
of leveraging the regional medical presence on the
Corridor are also explored as an opportunity for future
business location and consolidation. Improvements
to the big-box retail nexus at the northern end of the
Corridor are described, as being one implementable
way to improve aesthetics along the roadway itself, and
amenity for residents of the Corridor area, and visitors,
without disrupting existing business viability. These
changes will lead to a greater sense of place for the
Corridor, which will benefit all stakeholders.
The Highland Avenue Corridor is home to many people,
in addition to being a local and regional retail and
services destination, and a commuter corridor. The
feedback that was received in the course of this study
was that “local” considerations - creation of a sense of
place, a calmer, greener environment, greater privileging
of the needs of residents - need to be elevated overall.
This can be done without damaging the prospects for
continued business success along the Corridor. That is
really the primary task for the future; establish a sense of
place, balancing opportunistic growth with cohesion.
101Next Steps
Chestnut Hill Square, Route 9, Newton MA: Front-edge retail creates a defined edge to a commuter corridor, with big box retail and parking behind.
3rd Avenue, Burlington MA: A “village street” is created within a mixed retail and residential zone, with park and plaza spaces adjacent to retail elements.
102 Appendix
103Appendix
Appendix
8.0
104 Appendix
Community Meeting 1
Oct. 28, 2020 - Miro Board Comments
Community Meeting 1 focused on receiving comments
from community members on the existing conditions of
the Corridor, and on what it could become. Following
a short presentation on the team’s initial analysis on
the existing corridor, the community members were
asked to respond to different prompts in the form of
Miro boards. This board asked community members
to identify challenges with the Corridor today. The
comments were pasted on the board in real time during
the meeting, and can be seen here.
105Appendix
106 Appendix
Sep. 28, 2020 - Miro Board Comments
The second board at Community Meeting 1 prompted participants to
consider what opportunities they saw in the current conditions of the
Corridor. These comments can be seen here.
107Appendix
108 Appendix
Sep. 28, 2020 - Miro Board Comments
The third board at Community Meeting 1 asked
community members to share what their aspirations are
for the Corridor. Those comments can be seen here.
109Appendix
110 Appendix
Community Meeting 2
Community Meeting 2 focused on three proposed
scenarios for the Corridor, and getting feedback from
community members on these scenarios. The meeting
began with a presentation explaining each scenario,
and then again used Miro boards to gather comments
from the participants. Comments received can be seen
here.
Jan. 12, 2021 - Miro Board Comments
111Appendix
112 Appendix
Community members engaged in a lively discussion
around what they would like to see on Highland Avenue
. Comments that were not in response to a particular
scenario options were collected together and can be
seen here.
Jan. 12, 2021 - Miro Board Comments
113Appendix
114 Appendix
Working Group Meetings
Working Group Takeaways - Meeting 1, Sep. 29, 2020
• Condos on traders village - they drive
everywhere. Would love to see more local
restaurants and shops. Otherwise they have to drive
to Swampscott. Love to see more bus service in the
area.
• Don’t think Highland is long enough for bus lane.
People feel blocked in by Highland Avenue , lots of
congestion. Voted to try to support zoning change
for Cinemaworld but unsuccessful. They wanted
housing with a restaurant (less disruptive).
• Barcelona and Highland intersection hard to
attract because how do you even get there?
• Take out divider - make it boulevard with trees
and flowers. Trees in the center. (This would attract
more retail of restaurants on the Corridor)
• Many restaurants closed - but opportunities for
more to come in within 6 months after covid dies
down.
• Dialysis site is difficult to develop. (unattractive)
• Hospital is the anchor - customers from there.
• Cut through from Marlboro to Swampscott is
really bad.
• Opportunities to create moments of local
character. Keep businesses in Salem!
• Traffic is problem number 1
• Pressure for more housing stock helps with
affordability
• Would love to be a local space! But will still have
regional traffic.
• Pedestrian and Bikes should be able to be used
on Highland Avenue . Need safety.
• There is lots of opposition to development.
• There is a worry that retail will cause more traffic.
Attractive retail will attract more business but cause
more congestion.
• Economic, balance, attractive.
• Use the vacant properties to relieve some off the
issues in the short term of then other developments
in the longterm.
• Highland Avenue is under-served in terms of
restaurants.
• Major intersections are so difficult to navigate
and turn around. Restaurants like to be at locations
east to get in and out.
115Appendix
Working Group Takeaways - Meeting 2, Dec. 16, 2020
• Mass DOT improvements are an important
value added to Highland Avenue , but they are not
required for any of the scenarios.
• The state prioritizes improvements based on
crash and safety data.
• There is hope that the working group will draw
on their connections. Encouraging people to attend
the meetings or listen to the recordings.
• Like the idea of getting secondary roadway off of
Swampscott road, would alleviate traffic concerns.
• The ability to turn around on Highland Avenue is
important.
• Various options provided are helpful for
visualization.
• Improving the integrated commercial district
would make a big difference because there are a lot
of people who live nearby.
• Repairing right of way would make a big
difference!
• Walking along Highland Avenue feels very
dangerous due to speed of cars.
Public Comments Received after Jan 12th Meeting
• Of the three options presented the integrated
commercial district was by far the worst. Since that
is the most congested section of the 107 Corridor,
making that ‘state and main’.
• By at least spreading out any development, it
would not be loading more traffic to the road at a
single section. I think about ambulances trying to get
the medical center from Lynn.
• The idea of creating a road from the southern
portion of 107 to connect with Swampscott Rd
might eliminate some of the traffic heading south on
Swampscott road, but at many meetings I’ve been
to (Overlook, Cinemaworld, etc) it has been made
pretty clear that there is no way to put a road through
there - too much rock, too much wetland area,
etc. Bike paths/sidewalks which certainly wouldn’t
help out on the traffic. Before we start talking about
developing the Corridor, there has to be some plan
on alleviating the traffic issues (bike lanes may help
with bikes but will not eliminate the increasing traffic
on that corridor) that will only be increasing with
Trader’s Row and Overlook Acres. I truly cant see
where there might be ‘back streets’ going to retail
areas in the north.
• With all the development of large residential
complexes, the neighborhoods have become
crowded urban areas.
• By adding more buildings in this already built
up area dismisses any semblance of peace, quiet,
and gentle living. Therefore, the best option would
be the Christmas light scenario - at least here the
commercial look of the area would be spread out
along the road, rather than concentrated all in the
Hawthorne Plaza area. That way, there will be more
‘sense of place’ rather than look like blocks and
blocks of what looks like a mall. High rise buildings
of all types have a smaller foot print, but they
certainly don’t provide any enhanced sense of place,
greater visual and experiential quality.
116 Appendix
• One thing that the City seems short of is business
that provide some tax revenue to the City. Several of
the bigger employers have left the area, which puts
more and more burden on homeowners property
taxes. It would be good if development could
include additional sources of revenue for the City, as
well as offering employment opportunities.
• As is obvious, with or without this specific survey,
there is a need for a ‘nice’ restaurant where locals
can get a glass of wine and a decent meal (does not
need to be high end though Olive Garden may NOT
be the answer - not a chain, please!)
• A mixed use development is completely
unappealing visually, but the concept of cramming
in so many residences and shops together is not
my idea of ‘sense of place’. While the concept may
be appealing, in practice I’m not sure how well it
actually plays out. Salem is a historic city, and trying
to build up the outskirts to look like urban sprawl just
doesn’t seem to fit the culture and feel for our city.
• Not enough consideration for the Forest River
and its tributaries that are impacted by continued
development
• Transfer Station parcel development implies
going across wetlands and the river.
• All the green pathways? Across wetlands,
conservation land, train tracks? While I support trails,
walking and biking paths, the map of green lines
seem perhaps misleading?
• Lack of mention of city services. I heard in
Salem’s MVP community resilience workshop the
concern of police and fire about servicing the
Highland Avenue Corridor. Need to plan where a fire
house can go along this corridor. Do not give away
or eliminate options. This should be decided soon
if not along the Corridor perhaps at the Salem High
School.
• Both the police station and Lafayette/New Derby
fire station on in future flood risk areas. Police station
has flooded before and no flood proofing has been
done to my knowledge. These stations may remain
but should not remain as the headquarters and need
to identify alternatives soon.
• Closer example of pleasing development is
Market Street, Lynnfield.
• Must have language requiring low impact
development. Especially for trees! I am so tired of
seeing new trees and sidewalks going in with no
access to the street stormwater.
• Green roofs might be good here too.
• Liked ideas about Highland Avenue safe walking
and biking but will not feel safe unless bike path and
sidewalk are separated from the traffic by vegetation
strips - slides about Aurora Ave WA. Look at
Harmony Grove Road – North River bike and walking
study.
117Appendix
Working Group Member Comments - Meeting 3, Feb. 3, 2021
Draft of the report was circulated to working group
members prior to the meeting. Following presentation
of the draft report by Sasaki these were the comments
received from working group members. (Including
email follow up to the City)
• Missing a discussion in next steps of a need for
better public transportation. Along Highland Avenue
and into Boston.
• Fear that we are not addressing the traffic issue.
People are worried about adding more to Highland
Avenue.
• During the meetings many people mentioned
additional retail and dining, shouldn’t that be a goal?
• Good ideas! Not too aspirational. All comes back
to the traffic - if we can’t fix that we can’t do anything.
• Are you looking at bringing medical businesses
onto Highland Avenue? People like this idea
• People who live off the secondary streets (i.e.
First street) don’t want their streets used as major
traffic streets
• The T owns a lot of land around the stop, so
there is an opportunity to create a whole new area/
neighborhood there.
• When you look at businesses that people are in
and out all day, that underscores the need for public
transportation
• The idea of having more local office space on
Highland Avenue is intriguing but adds more traffic
as well
• Having a connection to downtown/being able to
walk is a great benefit! Builds community
• Addressing the residential. Lets be very
aspirational. Likes the trails
• Want to underscore that these options are hard
to imagine when thinking about the reality of all the
traffic on this road.
• Living on this road am really able to see the true
amount of traffic, and that it is there at all times of
day.
• We want it to be its on place, not just a pass
through. It should have its own identity
• There would be a better sense of community if
people on opposite sides of Highland Avenue could
connect
• Like the idea of connecting the neighborhoods
that are around Highland Avenue
• Nicer accessibility to neighborhoods
• Westbridge, Virginia - Commuter rail station plus
many trails and paths
• There are footpaths somewhere (near target?).
Would be helpful to show in diagrams.
• Mid block turning pockets could provide some
better options for reversing direction (at a minimum,
a center turning lane would be a huge help) as long
as existing traffic lanes are not removed.
118 Appendix
Draft Final Report Comments Received
Public Comments Period, February to March, 2021
• I’m forwarding a screenshot about the recent
Burlington site readiness grant to look at the
roadway mall network for mixed use development.
As we move forward with Highland Avenue planning
and the final report, I’m flagging this site readiness
approach as something to consider for existing
shopping centers or even some of the vacant land. If
we can get a property owner to play ball, there might
be some interesting ways to knit together growth
pods.
• Prior to living in Salem at the Sanctuary
condominiums, I lived in Lynn near the intersection
of Eastern & Western Avenues. So I’ve had a lot of
travel along Western Ave. & Highland for over 40
years. There has NEVER been any improvement in
the traffic flow issues in all these years.
After reading through your draft proposal, in
my opinion, this issue is still not being seriously
addressed where the suggestions will actually
improve the traffic flow. From what I read, the
median strip is basically being removed creating
one lane in either direction and putting in left-
hand turn lanes. How does that improve the flow of
traffic? Proposing left hand turn lanes is not going to
improve the traffic flow in my opinion. It will create
more traffic back-ups as the proposed left-hand turn
lanes are too short creating queues and blocking
travel lanes. I feel it will also create a greater
potential for accidents along the corridor.
Your proposal of “enhancement and accentuation
of existing roads” gives me no comfort that it will
alleviate the already over-congestion of all these
roads in the study. How are you going to achieve
this? Are you going to widen the roads? The 3 of
them already connect to Highland Ave. During
holidays, weekends, and certain times of the day,
it’s impossible to leave the Whalers Lane heading
toward Highland Ave. to cross over to Marlborough
Road. It can take 20 minutes. The number of cars
travelling N/S on Highland Ave. that go through the
light/intersection at Traders way, is about twice that
of the number of cars crossing from Traders Way to
Marlborough Road. This results in traffic to backing
up to First Street which creates the additional
problem of ingress and egress to the local shops and
grocery stores. It’s a nightmare.
Has the committee considered building more
roads connecting Peabody, Salem, Swampscott to
Highland Ave. at different points along Highland
Ave. Or considered building an overpass/by-pass
road connecting Swampscott Road & Marlboro
Road and that could also be accessed from Highland
Ave North & South without re-routing traffic through
the mall/Traders Way? This would alleviate a great
deal of congestion in the area.
Until the traffic situation is seriously addressed, I
cannot support adding construction that would only
add more congestion to this already over-congested
area.
• Connecting to the rest of Salem in multiple
entry/exit points: Today, as the report points out
well, Highland Ave is very much a throughway with
view entry and exit points to the rest of Salem. If
you’re in The Point for instance you really have to
go all around through the near downtown zone (by
the post office), then through the area by the police
station, then through a small residential/industrial
area then you get to the area. We drive or walk
longer than the point to point distance. I am glad
to see that all three options of overarching design
consider additional ways to connect the City to the
corridor as it often does indeed feel very secluded
from Salem and more of a commercial/industrial
park rather than a part of Salem.
• Something for further analysis/consideration:
In regards to parking, the study does not account
for any possible underground or multilevel parking
incentives or opportunities we should be creating.
When we allow parking to just be sprawl and
open flat space, we decide that the cost to build
underground or multi-level above ground is too high
and supersedes the quality of life we could create
by better utilizing that flat space. A more compact
and dense horizontal lot could open ground space
for A) more housing, B) more greenspace, C) more
119Appendix
playgrounds, D) more recreational use, E) better
public transit access routes, among many other
possible better uses, that would shift the focus to
people’s needs rather than cars’ needs. Such lots
could also be permitted for residential use so they
don’t go empty at night, which is a massive problem
with commercial flat parking lots.
• In regards to existing retail, the study does not
account for the possible usage of air rights to build
additional levels above those single level buildings.
Granted this might be a challenge given the big box
style of those structures and that further renovations
would possibly be needed inside to create a more
solid foundation to build on top of them, this is
something that could still be placed in the general
equation. This could be especially useful because for
every floor up we go, the more opportunity for the
same styles of space I mention above can be created.
Conversely, building newer, more state-of-the-art
and green buldings that those currently established
businesses could move into, might also be a good
approach, but the underlying point here is that those
single story big box style structures should go away
and pave the way for better, people focused designs.
• I would recommend looking to both Assembly
Row and Station Laning in Somerville and Medford
as a local example of how we can accomplish some
of the points I am bringing up to this, and both those
examples are missing from this study as well.
• For the most part, I am happy that there is this
level of interest in alleviating some major concerns
of the residents of this part of Salem.
As for your 3 proposals, I prefer #3, Integrated
Commercial District.
a) Having most of the “Big Box” stores located in one
place makes it more convenient for “Big Box” type
shopping.
b) Focusing the traffic drawn to these business into
one location removes it from constant back and
forth to spread out stores.
c) The walking/biking paths are greatly needed to
give the pedestrians a means of getting away from
the noise and traffic.
• ISSUES:
a) There are several “small-pocket” neighborhoods
at the south end of the corridor. These small
communities have with no connection to any of the
other neighborhoods except walking out and down
Highland Ave with baby carriage and small children.
They need playgrounds, community meeting places
for neighbors to get to know each other. They don’t
have to be elaborate – commensurate with the size
of the neighborhood.
b) All of the time and effort put forth to provide the
residents of Salem with safe, calm walking/biking
paths will be for nothing if plans are not made to
include maintenance, trash cleaning, and snow
removal. Otherwise, for 4-6 months each year, we
will be relegated to walking in the breakdown lane of
Highland Ave. as we have been doing for many long
years. Even if you make those lovely sidewalks along
Highland Ave. as shown in the models, if no one
clears them, they’re useless.
c) Finally, with all of these lovely pictures of how
Highland Ave will look, it doesn’t look to me as
though it will be capable of handling 50% more
traffic than it’s already choaking on. In fact, it looks
the same – 2 lanes of traffic with turn arounds. I don’t
think any of these proposals will do anything for the
NUMBER ONE PROBLEM.
• I have lived and worked along Highland Avenue,
Route 107, for over 10 years. I currently live here still
at 90 Highland Ave. and I had my medical office in
this building for nine years. Highland Avenue can
also be called the Salem Speedway because people
are constantly speeding and it is very dangerous. I
have written everybody for years asking for more
speed limit signs as there is a dearth of them. The
speed limit is 30 miles an hour from Boston Street to
the pedestrian bridge after the Salem High School.
That is actually the current speed limit but you
wouldn’t know it because of the lack of signs.
120 Appendix
• Rte. 107 in Lynn works fine with one lane each
way. I think we should have a one lane road with
the right-hand lanes dedicated only to emergency
vehicles, buses and people making right turns only.
This can also be used as a bicycle lane. A one lane
road would reduce speeding, pollution and noise.
From Boston St. until past the Salem High School
the area is zoned residential R1, R2, R3 and after
Freeman Road it becomes B2 (business highway).
• Slow the traffic down! People are speeding all
over Salem. Pedestrians constantly complain about
the difficulty and danger crossing our streets. There
are motor vehicle accidents caused by speeding
frequently. One of our finest, Officer Dana Mazola,
was killed last year on Jefferson Avenue by a speeder
going 55 miles an hour in a 25 mile an hour zone.
We cannot prevent people from speeding but we
can deter them. This is a major public safety issue.
Speed bumps, speed humps and single lanes of
traffic are proven ways of slowing traffic down.
• Finally, plant trees, trees, trees! A greener and
slower corridor would make Highland Ave. more
attractive, friendlier and safer for pedestrians,
bicyclists and people in wheelchairs. That’s it in a
nutshell. Your report makes some good points but
misses the larger picture. The purpose of this study,
we were told years ago, was to make a highway into
a boulevard.
• I attended one of the meetings and have looked
over the draft study. Lots of good ideas. My only
concern is the development of any new land. As
it stands, the woodland creatures that previously
lived in the Traders Way area have migrated over to
my neighborhood. Until now, I never appreciated
how many animals lose their homes due to new
development. The mice trying to get into my
basement are a nuisance, and the steady stream of
deer and coyotes through my neighborhood are
potentially dangerous. Please consider conservation
as much as possible in the Highland Ave. planning.
• The corridor is hostile towards walkers and
bikers. Even though I would prefer to walk or bike,
the high speeds of the roads themselves, poor
condition of some sections of walkway, and car-
centric signaling and entrances to parking lots
encourage me to drive, which just adds to traffic and
parking needs for everyone. Motorists enter and exit
parking lots towards shopping at very high speeds
and the wide lanes encourage aggressive driving.
• The highway-with-stripmalls configuration
discourages spending time in the area. Users are
incentivized to get in, do their shopping, and get
out. The Precedent examples in the study I think
are demonstrative of what an alternative looks
like - whether residential or mixed-use with retail,
the examples show places that are more relaxed,
greener, and feel like a place you want to go instead
of dreading going.
• I applaud Salem’s continued efforts to make
greener and more useful spaces that are for anything
but driving fast and parking. I hope to see these
trends continue as we examine how we plan areas
like Highland Avenue.
• Mid block turning pockets could provide some
better options for reversing direction (at a minimum,
a center turning lane would be a huge help) as
long as existing traffic lanes are not removed. I’m
assuming these ‘pockets’ would be added where
the current center barriers exist. Though I must
admit it was kind of hard to get a true picture since
the photos provided generally had bigger, wider
thoroughfares with much less traffic than we usually
see on Highland Ave. As well, I actually laughed at
the photo of Highland Ave Corridor today (near the
Irving station) since it must have been taken at 6
a.m. Its the only time I’ve ever seen that little traffic
on that road.
121Appendix
• I’m not at all sure what was said about the
2016 study but there were no viable proposals for
improving the ‘zigzag’ congestion/backup that
came out of that survey. Maybe they presented other
suggestions but not much from that study has made
much difference. Case in point: they suggested
putting in some special traffic lights that would know
there is no traffic coming one direction, and change
to let traffic gathering at the alternate side of the
signals. I have not experienced any improvement in
that area.
• Of the three options presented (and since there
wasnt much detail on the slides, Im basing much
of my comments on the designs), the integrated
commercial district was by far the worst. Since that
is the most congested section of the 107 corridor,
making that ‘state and main’ would only add to the
problem. By at least spreading out any development,
it would not be loading more traffic to the road at
a single section. I think about ambulances trying to
get the the medical center from Lynn. That section
of Highland Ave is already more than sufficiently
built up - the last thing that area needs any more box
stores or high rise apartment buildings ( Traders
Row has already saturated the neighborhood with
apartments).
• The idea of creating a road from the southern
portion of 107 to connect with Swampscott Rd might
eliminate some of the traffic heading south on
Swampscott road, but at many meetings I’ve been
to (Overlook, Cinemaworld, etc) it has been made
pretty clear that there is no way to put a road through
there - too much rock, too much protected wetland
area, etc. There was some kind of proposal listed - it
looked like a slide with green lines circumventing
Technology Way on it but that looked more like bike
paths/sidewalks which certainly wouldnt help out on
the traffic. As you probably know by now, I feel that
before we start talking about developing the corridor,
there has to be some plan on alleviating the traffic
issues (bike lanes may help with bikes but will not
eliminate the increasing traffic on that corridor) that
will only be increasing with Trader’s Row . I truly
cant see where there might be ‘back streets’ going to
retail areas in the north. I certainly hope they dont
mean using First Avenue to go to Trader’s Way - try
getting out onto First Street now with the current
traffic from Whaler’s Lane. Yes, there is a light, but
the other end of the street is tough to get out on. First
Street is a residental street and that is not the place
reroute traffic off Swampscott Rd (in fact that was
one of the suggestions at the 2016 study that had no
support in the city, including the Mayor).
• One other thing on one slide: there was a
purple line (coming off of First Street) going up to
Hawthorn Plaza between Traders Row and Pequot.
Well, at many meetings for Trader’s Village, we asked
about there being a road (in fact when the property
was developed, there is a paper road between Busa
and Target on the original plans) and the developers
would not entertain putting a road there. They were
adamant. Of course, then they immediately sold the
project. That would have helped reduce the traffic
on Trader’s Way - which will be the only entrance
residents of that huge development could use
to go to Target, Market Basket, Shaws, etc. In fact
they said that it would be so convenient residents
could walk to the stores. When was the last time
you carried your weekly shopping home - walking;
and especially now, people are trying to minimize
the # of trips they take to the stores. We tried, but to
no avail. Not at all sure that is a viable option now
that someone owns that land, and has a plan that
will no longer accommodate at road there. I doubt
that Pequot will be willing to have a road going up to
the mall from their location and/or give up some of
their parking.
• On a personal note, I bought and settled in the
section of Salem I did because it was important to
me to be out of the congestion, more in a country
setting. But with all the development of large
residential complexes, this is becoming a crowed
urban area which I deliberately avoided.
122 Appendix
• By adding more buildings in this already built up
area dismisses any semblance of peace, quiet, and
gentle living - if I’d wanted to live in a busy built up
place, I would have. Therefore, the best option would
be the Christmas light scenario - at least here the
commercial look of the area would be spread out
along the road, rather than concentrated all in the
Hawthorne Plaza area. That way, there will be more
‘sense of place’ rather than look like blocks and
blocks of what looks like a mall to me. I realize high
rise buildings of all types have a smaller foot print,
but they certainly dont provide any “ Enhanced
sense of place, greater visual and experiential
quality.
• Well-cared for, upkeep, sense of ownership.” As
noted from the last meeting postits - there is interest
in low height buildings, smaller shops/no more
big box stores. The key words that came out of that
meeting: green, calmer, cleaner, un-congested. The
idea of a community garden like Mack Park was
mentioned but didnt seem to get much air play. That
has multiple benefits - ability to grow one’s own food
or supply food, green, walk able, etc. Downside - no
tax revenue. But its unclear how much tax revenue
is being generated from all these large residential
development projects either.
• One thing that the city seems short of is business
that provide some tax revenue to the city. Several of
the bigger employers have left the area, which puts
more and more burden on homeowners property
taxes. It would be good if development could
include additional sources of revenue for the city,
as well as offering employment opportunities. Due
to the congestion on Highland Ave, I’m not sure
if having employers along Highland Ave is a good
idea, because bus lines along that route may be so
slow that are not a viable transportation issue. When
I worked in the city, I mostly took the blue line to
work, BUT when the Lynn Ferry opened up, I took
it everyday since it was 30 minutes faster than the
Salem Ferry. It was a joy - I got lots done while on the
ferry and made a bunch of friends. None of that was
possible on the subway. But both were way better
than driving all the way in.
• As is obvious, with or without this specific survey,
there is a need for a ‘nice’ restaurant where locals
can get a glass of wine and a decent meal (does not
need to be high end though Olive Garden may NOT
be the answer - not a chain, please!). That came up
in a survey Lisa Peterson did when I first moved here
- and it continues to something lacking in this area.
And NO, IHOP is not the answer either!
• One last observation - early on in the
presentation there was a mixed use development
in Medford. That is way too over the top - too
many residences, along with what appears to be
an attached ‘mall’ (20 restaurants and retailers). It
is completely unappealing visually, but the concept
of cramming in so many residences and shops
together is not my idea of of ‘sense of place’. One
other observation - when I lived in Watertown and
took the MassPike bus into the city to work, they
built a mixed use building across from the bus stop
(it was a busy bus stop). The first floor was retail
space - and I must admit, there was rarely much
foot traffic to those retail spots, and they changed
hands constantly. Neither the residents of those
apartments nor the bus riders seemed to provide
sufficient ‘traffic’ to these shops. While the concept
may be appealing, in practice I’m not sure how well
it actually plays out. Salem is a historic city, and
trying to build up the outskirts to look like urban
sprawl just doesnt seem to fit the culture and feel
for our city. While some of us choose to live outside
of downtown, we still hope the historic design and
culture of the city is not lost a few miles out. I chose
to live in Salem, not in Medford.
• I recently moved to Clark Street, and while I
enjoy my street and neighborhood community, I miss
the walkability of my downtown apartment - I was
able to walk to downtown restaurants, shopping,
banks and the post office, as well as to the Willows to
enjoy nature and relax.
123Appendix
• I support improvements for the sidewalks and
connecting to trails to give this area the walkable,
enjoyable feeling of the downtown neighborhood.
The addition of a bike lane when connecting to
trails would increase safety for cyclists and drivers.
Including small restaurants, coffee, or locally
owned stores (not just chains) on Highland Ave will
increase the feeling of community to this area of the
city and add customer loyalty to those stores and
restaurants.
• Removing the metal center median and
replacing it with trees or shrubbery would help
Highland Ave feel like less of a highway, and make
it feel more welcoming when crossing the street
to get to trails, the bus stop, or stores. Additionally,
increased left turn access may reduce the number
of illegal u-turns or cars changing directions in
residential streets.
• Finally, to increase safety for both drivers and
pedestrians, I hope the street and existing sidewalks
will be repaved, as the swerving to avoid potholes is
dangerous for everyone.
• As I have stated before, the success of change
and innovation of Highland Ave. is dependent on the
physical repair & maintenance of the road itself, Rt.
107, by the Mass DoT. Highland Ave and its sidewalks
are a mess for pedestrians, especially those with
ambulation issues. There’s a man who travels by
electric wheelchair that I consistently see on the
road in a traffic way traveling north and south---he
is in danger of being hit by a car but there aren’t
consistent sidewalks for him to be on. I don’t believe
the sidewalk in front of Pep Boys is even wide
enough for his wheel chair. The newly installed curb
cuts are really nice but they don’t always connect
with am existing sidewalk in good condition. In front
of the Vet Clinic, the curb cuts don’t connect to a
sidewalk at all, just a dirt path.
• The thing I liked best was the transformation
from a 4 lane highway which encourages speeding
to a more pedestrian friendly, turning off and
on friendly, city street where the aesthetics and
markings would hopefully slow people down.
• As a resident within 300 yards of Highland Ave, I
just can’t support any more residential development
such as additional high-rise apartment buildings.
Without efforts to ameliorate the current dense
traffic, those developments will put additional
stress on the area and its residents. I know the city
doesn’t control the properties in some locations but
continued development produces more traffic, taxes
the outdated water/sewer lines on Highland and
creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians, cyclists,
the handicapped, etc.
• The other factor for residents in the area is the
impact of blasting of the ledge on the structure
of homes. I have replaced my front screen door
twice and the interior door once because they both
stopped closing completely during the Strongwater
blasting on Marlborough Road. I have no evidence to
support this other than the vibration that one feels
when the blasting occurs. Blasting through the ledge
has to have a cumulative effect our the structure of
our homes.
• I also don’t support the continued erosion of the
wetlands boundaries that comes up for discussion
with any development proposed in Salem. It seems
that we chip away at these precious ecological areas
each time development is on the table. Without
preservation of these wetlands and wooded areas,
our interactions with coyotes, rabbits, deer, turkeys,
skunks, raccoons, even rats increases and the
animals usually always lose that battle. I’d like to
see more effort to preserve that complex tapestry of
natural elements.
• To close my comments, I believe the “Framework
Goals” of increased walkability/bike-ability, calmer,
greener, more housing and enhanced sense of
neighborhood are critical to any development of
Highland Ave. I believe these goals are crucial to
retaining homeowners in the surrounding areas
near the Highland/Swampscott/Marlborough
interchange. Thanks for this opportunity to
comment.