OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Salem Planning Board Meeting – June 23, 2026

Planning Board — Tuesday, June 23, 2026
BodySalem, New Hampshire
SessionPlanning Board
DateTuesday, June 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:33:25

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good evening.

0:02

I would like to call the June 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Planning Board to order.

0:07

Please rise for the fleetance.

0:15

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:17

One nation under God.

0:25

My name is Joe Fioli serving as chairman tonight.

0:28

Members sitting on the five member planning board tonight.

0:32

Jim Harvey.

0:33

Good evening, Salem.

0:33

Bianca Kelson.

0:34

Good evening, Salem.

0:35

Town Council Representative Paul Pelletier.

0:38

And Trink Sabah.

0:39

Good evening, Salem.

0:41

And with us from the planning department is Jacob Lafontaine.

0:46

The agenda for tonight is as follows.

0:49

We have a public hearing for the adoption of an open space master plan in one item of new business.

0:57

It's a main street 401 LLC site plan, public hearing for a change of use to convert office units to four residential apartments at 401 Main Street.

1:08

No withdrawals, Mr.

1:10

Chair.

1:10

Okay, thank you.

1:11

We have two items of uh minutes.

1:13

We'll table those.

1:15

Um go to the first item of uh of the agenda is a public hearing for an adoption of open space master plan.

1:29

Um hello, uh members of the planning board.

1:31

My name is Craig Rubaker, community development.

1:33

Um the Conservation Commission in 2024 put together an open space task force to update uh the town's 2010 open space report.

1:43

Um throughout 2025, the uh task force, which consisted of a couple of conservation commission members, a planning board member, and a town council member.

1:52

Uh they worked with the Rockingham Planning Commission to uh put together this 2026 Open Space Master Plan.

1:59

Uh the kind of purpose of the Open Space Master Plan is threefold.

2:03

Uh one is to update uh town maps and data reports uh to serve as a natural resource inventory of the natural resources within Salem.

2:12

This is a key task designated to the commission under state law as well.

2:17

Uh there were maps uh that identified open space priorities uh based on other planning documents such as the town wide master plan, uh recreational planning efforts and practical considerations such as cost and landowner interest.

2:30

Uh and then the third kind of purpose of this is to identify with ways to plan and implement open space protections such as the open space preservation ordinance uh and then tools such as easements and land acquisition.

2:42

Uh tonight, Jen Rowden for the Rocky Am Planning Commission is here to kind of present this plan uh and we'll both be available for any questions you have after.

2:50

Great.

2:51

Thanks.

2:52

So hello, I'm Jen Rowden.

2:54

I'm the assistant director with Rockingham Planning Commission and had the pleasure of getting to work with Salem over about the past year and a half to implement this update to your open space master plan.

3:02

Um this was adopted by the Conservation Commission back in May, and I did a similar presentation to the town council also in May.

3:11

So as Crane alluded to, why open space?

3:14

Um really the purpose of planning for open space is to help enhance the quality of life of the community.

3:20

It does support revitalization efforts of town centers, which is a really big emphasis here within Salem itself.

3:26

It can help to protect the environment.

3:28

It also can help to provide recreational and educational opportunities within the community, and really can serve as a connection between different parts of town through trails, sidewalks, and also conservation lands and protected spaces and parkways.

3:43

So back in 2010, RPC actually helped Salem to produce its first open space plan.

3:49

Um that had actually served the community quite well.

3:52

The Conservation Commission had updated it periodically between 2010 and the most recent update.

3:58

Um the update really includes a natural resources inventory, which is one of the main tasks identified within a conservation commission's purview.

4:07

Um it also includes some community priorities, which I'll go into and real flex some of the planning documents that this board is oversees, and it also prioritizes parcels for protection efforts potentially in the future.

4:21

So natural resources inventories are a way of documenting the natural resources within a community.

4:27

Um it describes the resources, it identifies areas of high ecological value, either from local data or from state data sets, and it really serves as the basis to prioritize those natural resources protections.

4:39

We did include an entire series of mapping that includes some really basic land use mapping to topography, soils, agricultural soils, we have water resources, floodplain resources, wildlife action plan resources, which is a state data set.

5:00

We also include unfragmented lands, protected lands, watersheds, and impervious surfaces, all to help calibrate where some of the prime natural resources are within Salem, depending on what item you may be specifically targeting.

5:08

So I won't go through all of the maps themselves, but the high resolution versions of these are also available on the Conservation Commission open space plan website within the document itself.

5:19

They're smaller, so sometimes at a scale for an entire community, it's hard to see exactly what location you're looking for, but I do recommend skimming through them for both the planning board purposes and for the purpose of the open space plan themselves.

5:31

They can really help to inform decisions.

5:35

Part of the natural resources inventory, one of the things we did was we took a variety of things that could be measured geospatially and pitted them against a scoring system.

5:45

The purpose of that was to help to identify places in Salem that may be the highest priorities for protection conservation efforts or protection efforts for natural resources protection.

5:56

So we mapped things and did a co-occurrence on things like floodplains, wildlife habitat.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████████20%
Parks and Recreation█████████████████17%
Affordable Housing████████████████16%
Procedural███████████11%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Environmental Protection███████7%
Arts And Culture██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Transportation Safety████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Salem Planning Board Meeting – June 23, 2026

The Salem Planning Board convened on June 23, 2026, under Chairman Joe Fioli to conduct a public hearing on the adoption of the 2026 Open Space Master Plan, a site plan for conversion of office space to four residential apartments at 401 Main Street, and several public matters. The board voted unanimously on both agenda items and discussed multiple temporary and permanent changes at local properties.

Discussion Items

  • Open Space Master Plan Adoption: Craig Rubaker (Community Development) and Jen Rowden (Rockingham Planning Commission) presented the 2026 Open Space Master Plan, updating the 2010 plan. The plan includes a natural resources inventory, community priorities, and parcel prioritization for conservation. Salem currently has just under 2,000 acres of protected open space (about 25% of the town), and the Conservation Fund balance is nearly $2 million. The plan recommends using the open space preservation zoning ordinance, among other tools. Board member Jim Harvey questioned acreage calculations and compared to neighboring municipalities. Jacob Lafontaine noted that Salem has approved 31 open space subdivisions and that the ordinance has been widely used. The board unanimously adopted the plan.

  • 401 Main Street – Change of Use to Residential: Attorney Suzanne Brunel (Divine Millament) represented applicant Main Street 401 LLC (owners Kimberly and David Abair). The proposal converts 3,960 square feet of second-floor office space into four one-bedroom apartments. No exterior changes are planned. The applicant received a variance from the Zoning Board in April 2026 (with stipulations including septic capacity and playground crash protection). Planning staff Jacob Lafontaine confirmed the project reduces parking demand, is on municipal water and private septic, and will include one affordable unit (per deed restriction). Impact fees total approximately $14,967, with potential reduction for the affordable unit. The board discussed parking designation, sign issues, and condition sequencing. Motion to approve with eight conditions passed unanimously (5-0).

Public Matters

  • Jocelyn's Facade Changes: Staff reported that Jocelyn's (formerly Puff Lounge) at 357 South Broadway constructed facade changes (a tower and new entrance) not included in the approved site plan for conversion to a function space. Owner Jocelyn Marin Severino apologized and explained the architect designed the changes after approval. The board requested detailed plans (materials, colors, sign dimensions) before approval; the item was effectively tabled pending submission.

  • Salem Grand Casino Temporary Curb Cut: Staff observed a temporary curb cut on the north side parking area to redirect traffic during construction. The cut was not part of the approved site plan. The board noted that wayfinding signs and striping are needed to prevent confusion. Staff will follow up with the developer to improve safety. The temporary condition will be restored after construction (anticipated mid-2027).

  • Tuscan Village – Food Truck and Container Bars: Staff presented renderings for a food truck and two container bars (alcohol service) in the flex space between buildings 1200 and 1300 (near Friendly Toast and Tavern in the Square). The applicant plans to operate from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. through January 1. The board approved subject to staff approvals and installation of public restrooms (or verified access to nearby facilities). Mentioned that the containers are already on site.

  • Tuscan Village – Corner Shops Temporary Use: The applicant sought to use an unoccupied retail space (part of the hotel building) for a two-day event (July 2 and July 12) and potentially on a rotating basis for larger events. The board expressed concern about the space never having a certificate of occupancy and the developer avoiding impact fees. After discussion, the board allowed temporary use on a case-by-case basis with staff monitoring, but emphasized that if usage becomes frequent, permanent approval with impact fees would be required.

  • Building 1030 Elevations (Tuscan Village): The applicant proposed replacing four windows with living/green walls (artificial vegetation). Staff recommended spandrel glazing to maintain the window appearance consistent with design guidelines. The board strongly preferred spandrel glass, noting that living walls are impractical in the climate and would not comply with design guidelines. Staff will bring back revised plans.

  • Zoning Ordinance Amendments: Staff Jacob Lafontaine presented proposed amendments to update the permitted use table, including consolidating churches/educational uses, allowing personal services in the Business Office District, and adding mixed-use development provisions (responding to HB 631 and HB 1588). The board discussed height and density: for mixed-use in the Business Office District, the board suggested using Depot at Main (three stories) as a height precedent rather than four stories. The public hearing for these amendments was postponed to July 14 pending the governor’s action on the two house bills. The board also discussed a cigar bar/kennel proximity rule limiting operations after 10 p.m. within 750 feet of residential districts.

Key Outcomes

  • Adopted 2026 Open Space Master Plan: Unanimous vote.
  • Approved 401 Main Street site plan: Unanimous vote with eight conditions (including affordable unit covenant, impact fee payment, tree replacement, and sequencing of affordable unit before fourth market-rate unit).
  • Tuscan Village food truck/container bars: Approved subject to staff review and public restroom provision.
  • Tuscan Village corner shops temporary use: Permitted on a temporary, event-by-event basis with staff monitoring.
  • Building 1030 elevations: Direction to applicant to use spandrel glazing instead of living walls.
  • Zoning amendments: Public hearing postponed to July 14, 2026; board consensus to use Depot at Main as height benchmark for mixed-use in Business Office District.
  • Jocelyn's facade changes: Tabled pending submission of detailed plans.
  • Salem Grand Casino curb cut: Staff to require improved wayfinding and striping; no formal vote.

The meeting was adjourned by motion and second.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I would like to call the June 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Planning Board to order. Please rise for the fleetance. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. My name is Joe Fioli serving as chairman tonight. Members sitting on the five member planning board tonight. Jim Harvey. Good evening, Salem. Bianca Kelson. Good evening, Salem. Town Council Representative Paul Pelletier. And Trink Sabah. Good evening, Salem. And with us from the planning department is Jacob Lafontaine. The agenda for tonight is as follows. We have a public hearing for the adoption of an open space master plan in one item of new business. It's a main street 401 LLC site plan, public hearing for a change of use to convert office units to four residential apartments at 401 Main Street. No withdrawals, Mr. Chair. Okay, thank you. We have two items of uh minutes. We'll table those. Um go to the first item of uh of the agenda is a public hearing for an adoption of open space master plan. Um hello, uh members of the planning board. My name is Craig Rubaker, community development. Um the Conservation Commission in 2024 put together an open space task force to update uh the town's 2010 open space report. Um throughout 2025, the uh task force, which consisted of a couple of conservation commission members, a planning board member, and a town council member. Uh they worked with the Rockingham Planning Commission to uh put together this 2026 Open Space Master Plan. Uh the kind of purpose of the Open Space Master Plan is threefold. Uh one is to update uh town maps and data reports uh to serve as a natural resource inventory of the natural resources within Salem. This is a key task designated to the commission under state law as well. Uh there were maps uh that identified open space priorities uh based on other planning documents such as the town wide master plan, uh recreational planning efforts and practical considerations such as cost and landowner interest. Uh and then the third kind of purpose of this is to identify with ways to plan and implement open space protections such as the open space preservation ordinance uh and then tools such as easements and land acquisition. Uh tonight, Jen Rowden for the Rocky Am Planning Commission is here to kind of present this plan uh and we'll both be available for any questions you have after. Great. Thanks. So hello, I'm Jen Rowden. I'm the assistant director with Rockingham Planning Commission and had the pleasure of getting to work with Salem over about the past year and a half to implement this update to your open space master plan. Um this was adopted by the Conservation Commission back in May, and I did a similar presentation to the town council also in May. So as Crane alluded to, why open space? Um really the purpose of planning for open space is to help enhance the quality of life of the community. It does support revitalization efforts of town centers, which is a really big emphasis here within Salem itself. It can help to protect the environment. It also can help to provide recreational and educational opportunities within the community, and really can serve as a connection between different parts of town through trails, sidewalks, and also conservation lands and protected spaces and parkways. So back in 2010, RPC actually helped Salem to produce its first open space plan. Um that had actually served the community quite well. The Conservation Commission had updated it periodically between 2010 and the most recent update. Um the update really includes a natural resources inventory, which is one of the main tasks identified within a conservation commission's purview. Um it also includes some community priorities, which I'll go into and real flex some of the planning documents that this board is oversees, and it also prioritizes parcels for protection efforts potentially in the future.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com