SALEM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — There may be one too many parking spots in Salem.
Mayor Dominick Pangallo introduced an ordinance change to reduce residential parking minimums for multi-family housing. The current ordinance requires 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit.
According to Pangallo, the long-standing decree no longer seems to hold up nowadays.
“[It’s] an ordinance that we’ve had on the books… It’s been about six decades, it’s about 60 years old now,” said Pangallo. “It’s more parking spaces than we need for a multi-family housing, the actual demand is closer to .85 spaces per dwelling unit.”
With no room for new housing to be built, Pangallo says he knew issues had to be solved.
“What we’re really trying to do is right-size our parking supply in these housing developments, so that we can lessen traffic congestion, lessen storm water runoff, urban heat, and also create more space for housing, which we deeply need.”
The new ordinance would only apply to new multi-family developments. The proposal must pass through the city council and a joint public hearing.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.