Council President Zac Bears says you can only build up to “4 stories without incentives.” What does that mean?

The red area allows for up to 6 stories (with additional height allowed for mechanicals, solar and ornaments) with incentives. The incentives include (there is no definition or minimum to qualify for these incentives):

• Pedestrian seating - ½ story per element (p14)

• Pocket park - ½ story per element (p14)

• Garden - ½ story per element (p14)

• Playground - ½ story per element (p15)

• Skate park - ½ story per element (p15)

• Fountain/water element - ½ story per element (p15)

• Streetscape improvements (city maintained) - ½ story per element (p15)

• Hidden parking - ½ story per element (p15)

• 15% below market rent for ½ commercial - 1 story (p15)

• Ideal green score - 1 story (p15)

• Net Zero building - 1 story (p15)

• LEED Platinum or Equivalent - 1 story (p15)

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Councilor Collins has repeatedly said this zoning is in response to the comprehensive plan. Is that true?

The Comprehensive Plan calls for studies…it is not meant to replace the studies called for in the Comprehensive Plan. (⁦https://static1.squarespace.com/static/606f2abec43f12223e42fee2/t/63da834a954062082a10343c/1675264866428/MedfordComprehensivePlan_Jan+2023+Final+-+Spreads-reduced-min+for+web.pdf⁩)

p89 VP.1.1.1 “Undertake corridor or commercial center studies”

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p111 VP.1.8.3 “Reduce parking requirements where possible based on demand audits…”

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p196 Step 4. “Studies to understand the impact of different options. The scenario planning should include 2 and 3 dimensional studies and be a part of the community engagement process.”

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p196 Step 4 “Studies to show the impact of preferred scenarios. These could include projected development volume, traffic analyses, shadow studies, environmental impact estimates, or other studies appropriate to the area and the goals of that area.”

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p204 (repeats p89) VP.1.1.1 “Undertake corridor or commercial center studies to allow an appropriate mix of uses and land use controls for cohesive development alone corridors and within village centers.”

 

p207 “Future implementation of many of these areas will require further study and community engagement at the neighborhood, area, corridor or site level. As city priorities are developed, the community should expect to see additional plans and studies that enable discussion and decisions to be made at this smaller, more detailed scale.”

 

p 224 VP1.1 “Undertake corridor or commercial center studies.”

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There are repeated claims by decision makers that this is what residents want, and that rezoning Salem Street with urgency is required.  What processes have been undertaken to substantiate these claims?  

A variety of subcommittee meetings and internal discussions with the hired consultants.  The focused work of Salem Street began in the last few months of 2024 and on December 17 the work product was passed to Community Development Board from the City Council for a public hearing, their review and feedback.  There have been no community engagement meetings.  The only public input has been in 2 minute increments or less.

 

What studies were conducted to ensure that this up-zoning would not negatively impact the neighborhoods?

The city conducted no studies before writing this zoning.

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What studies should have been conducted before writing this zoning?

Before writing this zoning, the Comprehensive Plan suggests traffic studies, parking audits and infrastructure studies. They also say they will engage with the neighborhood to minimize negative impacts to the neighborhoods. None of this was done.​​​

 

The ongoing claim in this citywide rezoning is that we need affordable housing, will these new buildings be affordable housing?

As the lot size has been reduced to 3k (70% lower than currently), the lots will be quite small and only buildings with 10+ units will be required to build 10% affordable units. Larger buildings (which are highly unlikely due to lot sizes) will have slightly more affordable units. 25-49 will require 13% and 50+ will require 15%.​

 

What about the traffic? Were studies done? How much will this zoning impact traffic?

No traffic studies were conducted before this zoning was written. There was a study done for a project that was approved at 290 Salem St (hole on the corner of Park and Salem St) in 2022. They counted 17,982 cars in a 24 hour period on Salem St with no change/build on Salem St projected to increase by 2% annually. They projected that their 7 unit building would add 90 car trips per day. This did not include the coffee shop they planned for the ground floor.

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The proposed zoning continues to evolve internally to the rezoning team, our last page update is from 1-29-2025.

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