community issues: Ward 3 and greater Salem

The Lifebridge North Shore and Harborlight Homes expansion proposal will impact residents in Ward 3 and greater Salem. The project is complicated and requires serious consideration and difficult conversations about homelessness, mental health services, substance abuse, and getting other cities to do their part. See the DOWNLOADS below for a PDF of their September 2023 plans.

The contamination at the proposed Overlook Acres project was pushed into the spotlight thanks to neighbors identifying the location as being contaminated. The affected area includes Barnes Road and Cedar Road. The Conservation Commission and the Salem City Council have responsibilities to protect the public from imminent harm.

How does October benefit the City of Salem? Despite the great numbers of tourists that visit our city, our coffers have little proof of their visit. Our tax dollars are spent on things like porta potties and police overtime. Our school children lose out on school days because of the anticipated traffic congestion created by crowds of people. A small number of businesses benefit from this madness while the majority of us suffer through it.

Not surprisingly, the number one topic of concern has been traffic and the condition of our roads. A close second is the condition of our sidewalks and the confusing bike lanes. It seems that nobody likes those white poles at intersections either and think they are difficult to navigate, as well as a waste of money.

The City of Salem is a small city with aging infrastructure that cannot support massive developments. We need to push for right-sized development and those that  adapt extant buildings.

A number of people are concerned with the rising taxes they keep paying but the City is providing fewer services. One example, Greenway Road has not been paved in over 20 years! So where is all that money going?

I believe in term limits for all elected officials.