Category City Hall
Apartment development to become easier under city code changes
Salem wants to make it easier to build apartments and other multifamily homes. Changes aimed at accomplishing that were announced last year, and the Salem City Council is expected to vote on them later this month. “The main goal is to help Salem meet its…
Mayor urges Salem City Council to pass sit-lie ordinance in annual address
Delivering the annual state of the city address on Wednesday, Mayor Chuck Bennett focused on one major issue facing Salem: homelessness. “Overriding every other issue was homelessness and its impact on our city,” Bennett said, citing a citywide survey last year that found homelessness was…
AGENDA: Salem Public Library Advisory Board to talk public art, open house
The Salem Public Library reopens at its Broadway location on Feb. 18. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Correction: The meeting will be held at the library’s new location on 1400 Broadway St. N.E. A previous version misstated that. The Salem Public Library Advisory Board meets Wednesday, Feb.…
Left with few options, the Salem City Council reconsiders banning sitting, lying on sidewalks
Salem city officials have been grappling with how to deal with the persistent, visible homeless problem downtown. They scrapped ideas to locate a shelter in a residential neighborhood, couldn’t find a suitable location for a temporary, low -barrier shelter and most recently flirted with the…
Salem City Council to consider modifying camping ban in Monday meeting
A homeless woman walks in front of a city of Salem public works vehicle during an eviction of a camp under the Marion Street Bridge in January. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Stuck with few immediate solutions to homelessness, Salem city councilors on Monday night will consider…
After months of planning, Salem library move is in the home stretch
The Salem Public Library reopens at its Broadway location on Feb. 18. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Moving the Salem Public Library is about numbers. Consider what it will take to empty out the library at City Hall: 6,350 cardboard boxes, 200 orange crates, 200 feet of…
Emails shed light on city hall’s scramble to find shelter solutions for homeless after camping ban
City Manager Steve Powers responds to questions from the a crowd of neighbors in January at Pringle Community Hall. The city later scrubbed plans to turn the hall into an emergency homeless shelter through the end of March. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) The pressure to deal…
In temporary home, Salem Public Library to reaffirm “all are welcome”
Salem Public Library (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) After facing backlash over the Salem Public Library’s temporary location and who owns it, the city is taking steps to reaffirm its welcoming to LGBTQ patrons. In July, the city approved a plan to lease the former…
Salem no closer to solution for homeless campers downtown
Tents line the boulevard next to The ARCHES Project in November. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) It’s been six weeks week since Salem banned camping on public property and Salem City Council is no closer to finding a dry place to sleep for the people who have…