The Salem City Council approved a rezoning request that would allow a 171-unit town home development to be built in the Forest Lawn neighborhood, despite opposition from nearby residents.
Prior to the council’s 4-1 vote to approve the request Monday evening, 15 people spoke during a public hearing on the matter, all expressing some level of concern with how the townhome project proposed by Cave Spring developer Alexander Boone may impact their neighborhood.
It “would be an easier pill to swallow if the development was less dense,†Suzanne Hickerson said during the public hearing. Some of her neighbors agreed.
The concept plan for Creekside Park, a proposed town house development in Salem.
“Density ironically brings isolation, and there are a plethora of isolating cities in the U.S.,†Connor Kinkema said. “The only thing that separates Salem is the community, and without that, Salem is just another boring old city.â€
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“And in the direction it’s moving, it could become a boring old city with just too many people,†he added.
Hickerson, along with several other speakers, did acknowledge that a “well-planned, high-end residential development†is a better fit for the surrounding neighborhood than what could come in under the land’s current light manufacturing zoning.
Mel Wheeler Inc. currently uses the properties at 1002 and 1108 Newman Drive to house AM radio towers. ABoone Real Estate Inc., contract purchaser, along with Mel Wheeler Inc., requested to rezone the parcels from light manufacturing to residential multifamily.
Leonard Wheeler’s family has owned the property for nearly 50 years, but it’s no longer viable to keep operating the AM station towers there, he said.
Over the last month or so, there have been multiple community meetings about the project. Court Rosen, director of development with ABoone Real Estate Inc., said that they’ve “ended up with a better project†as a result of all the meetings with citizens and community input.
“I really appreciate and respect the folks here and the folks at the planning commission, and the three community meetings we had, and the 100 emails and phone calls, and all the people we’ve talked to, because they love their community,†said Alexander Boone, the developer.
Cave Spring-based developer Alexander Boone speaks to the Salem City Council during its meeting Monday night.
At its July 16 meeting, the Salem Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning request in a 4-0 vote, with member Jackson Beamer recusing himself.
The council voted 4-1 Monday to approve the request, with Vice Mayor Anne Marie Green being the sole vote against.
After the meeting, Green said that the density of the development was her biggest concern. While it is smaller than the HopeTree development in north Salem, she said she sees similarities between the two. Green was not on the council at the time of the HopeTree rezoning but did say during election season that if she had been, she would not have voted in favor of that project.
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Lauren Strong, a resident of the Forest Lawn neighborhood, mentioned this in her remarks during the public hearing.
“Several of you were elected, in part, because of your opposition to the HopeTree development,†Strong said. “That opposition gave many residents hope that their concerns would be heard, respected and so forth. We have had nothing but opposition to this proposal come forth and speak at these meetings.â€
A primary concern of some nearby residents is the singular access to the development, located on Newman Drive. Multiple speakers during the public hearing made mention of this, stating that this could potentially cause issues in emergency situations.
However, Rosen said that they have looked at the possibility of incorporating a second entrance to the development several times, once as recently as Friday, and have determined that it’s not a feasible option. They would have to cross private property with difficult topography to connect to North Mill Road, “a road that really doesn’t have sufficient capacity as it is,†he said. People would also likely use it as a cut-through, increasing traffic through Forest Lawn, he said.
Homes in “Creekside Park,†as it is proposed to be named, are estimated to start in the low-to-mid-$300,000 range, according to the project narrative. The concept plan shows that around 19 acres of the 40.5-acre property will be kept as open space. Much of that land is undevelopable, Boone said.
Residents of the Forest Lawn neighborhood in Salem sit in the audience during a public hearing on the proposed 171-unit townhome development on Newman Drive.
Several speakers pointed out that this property is one of the last remaining bits of open greenspace in the landlocked city. They asked the council to table the decision and take more time to review the situation.
“This isn’t just about one neighborhood — it’s about the identity of the city as a whole,†Elizabeth Roberts said. “If we allow this kind of development without careful planning, discernment and public discussion, we risk slowly turning Salem into just another crowded, high-density town, losing the charm, natural and mountain-town feel that set us apart.â€
Council approved the rezoning request with four proffers offered by the ABoone Real Estate, Inc. and Mel Wheeler, Inc. The development cannot exceed 171 town homes, and only town homes are allowed in the development, per the proffers. The two entities also proffered that all community amenities, such as walking trails or playgrounds, will be “open and accessible†to residents and the general public.
The last proffer ensures that the Valley Railroad Bridge over Gish Branch, a historic railroad bridge located on the property, will be protected from development and left “in its ‘as is’ condition, reasonable wear and tear from the elements to be expected.†The owner will create pedestrian access to allow residents and the general public to visit the bridge but will have no obligation to maintain the structure of the bridge itself, according to the proffer statement.
City council will vote on the matter upon second reading at its next meeting on Aug. 25.
