Leefort Terrace News

Construction on Leefort Terrace has started in June 2024 and is expected to be completed in April 2026. Stay tuned for more construction updates.

As part of the DEP Waterways License process for permitting the 1.26 acre publicly accessible open space on Collins Cove at Leefort Terrace, we are hereby providing the attached Public Notice of License Application.

Download the DEP Public Notice of License Application in your preferred language below:

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English

Spanish

Haitian Creole

Portuguese

In January of 2023 the Salem City Council approved the Urban Center Housing Tax-Increment Financing (UCH-TIF) Agreement for Leefort Terrace. This agreement plays a significant role in the funding for the project. The development team is now working to finish assembling the financing and work with residents on a plan for temporary relocation. We are targeting November/December 2023 to begin construction.

On November 15, 2022 the Conservation Committee approved the redevelopment of Leefort Terrace paving the way for the project to continue to move forward. We again want to thank all of the supportive community members who helped make this possible.

On October 24, 2022 the Salem Zoning Board have approved the Chapter 40B Comprehensive Permit for the redevelopment of Leefort Terrace. This is a major milestone for our project and we thank all of the supportive community members who made this possible.

NOTICE OF REMOTE MEPA CONSULTATION SESSION

FROM: Eva Vaughan – MEPA Office

SUBJECT: Leefort Terrace project - SALEM

EEA NO.: 16592

An Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) has been submitted to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office for this project. Information about the project, including a link to download the first several pages of the EENF (select ‘EENF’ hyperlink under Project Documents), can be found at the following address: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/MEPA-eMonitor/project/d8be615b-1fe1-4d4a-ae59-0a1e3fcc7dbd. The project requires the submission of an ENF and EIR pursuant to 301 CMR 11.06(7)(b), because it requires a State Agency Action, exceeds a MEPA review threshold, and is located within one mile of an Environmental Justice (EJ) population. The Proponent (BC Leefort Terrace LLC c/o Beacon Communities LLC) has requested a Single EIR be granted in lieu of a Draft and Final EIR, in accordance with the MEPA regulations at 301 CMR 11.06(8).

The EENF indicates that the project meets or exceeds the following review thresholds:

301 CMR 11.03(3)(b)(1)(f) – alteration of one-half or more acres of any other wetlands (LSCSF)

The EENF indicates that the project requires the following State Agency Permits or Financial Assistance:

Chapter 91 License – Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)

Financial Assistance – Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)

As noted above, the Proponent has submitted an EENF requesting a Single EIR. A remote consultation session will be held on Wednesday, September 7th to receive advice and comments from agencies, officials, and citizens regarding which environmental issues, if any, are significant for this project. Opinions as to the extent and significance of possible environmental impact will be welcome. Upon request, interpretation services in Spanish will be provided. The deadline to request these services is by 3:00pm Monday, September 5th. Requests for translation should be directed to the project contact, Ann Marton, at amarton@lecenvironmental.com.

THE MEETING IS SCHEDULED AS FOLLOWS:

DATE: Wednesday, September 7th, 2022

TIME: 3:00 PM

Please RSVP to Eva Vaughan at least one hour (but preferably at least one day) before the meeting so we can know to expect/wait for.

MEETING INFORMATION:

Join Zoom Meeting: here

Meeting ID: 840 3937 0770

Passcode: 658808

One tap mobile

+13017158592,,84039370770#,,,,*658808# US (Washington DC)

+13092053325,,84039370770#,,,,*658808# US

Find your local number

Or Phone into (646) 558-8656

Meeting ID: 840 3937 0770

Passcode: 658808

PROJECT CONTACT: Ann Marton – (781) 245-2500 – amarton@lecenvironmental.com

Comments on the project will be welcome in writing prior to September 23, 2022.  A Certificate on the ENF will be issued on September 30, 2022. Deadlines are subject to change. Please check the Environmental Monitor for up-to-date comment period deadlines.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act, this Meeting Notice is available in alternative formats upon request. Questions on the meeting may be answered by calling Eva Vaughan at (857) 408-6381

CLICK TO VIEW THIS NOTICE IN SPANISH

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We are excited to share updated plans and renderings for the redevelopment of Leefort Terrace. In response to feedback we have heard, our team has been working on modifications to the building layout, elevations and landscape design. We have maintained the 124-unit count and courtyard design, but have done so while:

• Condensing the overall building size, resulting in reducing the overall footprint by 3240 sq. ft.
• Shortening the East Wing by 44’ and West Wing by 16’, pulling both wings farther away from your home and the other 2 homes on Fort Ave.
• Converting the bridge into useable amenity and residential space.
• Removing the access road behind the three abutting homes and including that area in the landscaped portion by making the garage access only through East Wing.  
• Modifying the design of the elevations and siding to reflect a more New England coastal feel.
• Improving upon the landscape design of the residential courtyard to provide additional resident amenities.
• Enhancing the plans for the Publicly Accessible Open Space on the Collins Cove side in coordination with a group of community volunteers and Leefort residents who responded to our open invitations to participate.

You can see these updated plans and learn more about them here.

We are announcing these plans to the public today ahead of the upcoming Salem Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting which will hosted virtually next Wednesday.

Meeting Information:

Date: July 27, 2022 at 6:30 PM

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84670233977?pwd=JUoTNfC4bVJpP9gSgqMxuJfZhurgxs.1

Zoom Meeting ID: 846 7023 3977

Password: 917680  

Additional information and instructions can be found here - www.salemma.gov/zoning-board-appeals

Earlier this summer we began the community driven process of creating and coordinating with an Leefort Terrace Open Space Planning Group. This group, made up of Leefort Terrace residents, community members and project stakeholders, worked together to design the publicly accessible open space along the Collins Cove side of the Leefort Terrace redevelopment. The process and resulting plan strives to reflect the unique and interrelated environmental, housing and open space needs of the community.

The image of the landscape plan included in this update demonstrates what we can accomplish collaborating together. We are very excited about the outcome of this process and the great new public amenity for the entire community to enjoy. We are looking forward to sharing more about the outcome soon.

As part of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) process for permitting redevelopment of Leefort Terrace, we are hereby providing the attached MEPA Advance Notice Environmental Justice Screening notification form to community-based organizations, tribal organizations, and individuals who provided their email address as part of the Leefort Terrace community outreach process and who signed up to receive notifications on leefortterrace.com. We are providing this form in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. Circulating this form is in accordance with the MEPA Public Involvement Protocol for Environmental Justice Populations. Paper copies of the notice also will be delivered to each of the current residents of Leefort Terrace.

MEPA is a state process intended to facilitate environmental planning and input by state and local agencies, and the general public on projects that meet certain thresholds. Leefort Terrace requires MEPA review because the project is receiving state funded financial assistance and requires a Waterways License from a state agency. A MEPA Consultation Session will be scheduled for the project team to present the project and for MEPA Staff, State Agencies, and the public to ask questions. The date and time for the MEPA Consultation Session will be posted on the Environmental Monitor under the Site Visits tab and a legal advertisement will appear in the Salem News. We will also send out an update and time for the MEPA Consultation Session via the same methods we have distributed this notice.

Download the MEPA Advance Notice Environmental Justice Screening Form in your preferred language below:

ENGLISH

SPANISH

PORTUGUESE

HAITIAN CREOLE

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will be holding a second public meeting next week to continue to review the permitting application for the redevelopment plans for Leefort Terrace. The ZBA meeting will be held on Wednesday June 15th at 6:30pm over Zoom. You can find the Zoom link or call-in number for the Zoning Board meeting here.

The focus of the meeting will be on traffic and parking, as well as responding to some of the questions we heard during the first hearing. We will post the meeting materials on the leefortterrace.com website later next week after the meeting. At the following Zoning Board meeting in July we intend to present adjustments and modifications to the site plan, elevations and landscape design we are working on in response to some of the feedback we have received from the community. We look forward to presenting those updated plans in July.

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and the Conservation Commission will each be holding public meetings next week to review the zoning and permitting application and Notice of Intent respectively for the redevelopment plans for Leefort Terrace. The ZBA will be holding a joint meeting with the Planning Board on Monday May 16th at 6:30pm and the Conservation Commission will hold tis public hearing on Tuesday May 17th at 6:30pm. Both meetings will be held virtually over Zoom.  

You can find the Zoom link to the Zoning Board meeting here and to the Conservation Commission here.

We continue to make adjustments and modifications as we receive feedback and will be presenting the current renderings and plans at the meeting. We look forward to moving the project into this next zoning and permitting phase.

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Thank you to everyone for your continued feedback and input into the plans to redevelop Leefort Terrace. Our team has been processing what we’ve heard and is currently working to make updates to the plans. We’ll post those in the near future.

In the meantime, we are still looking for additional people to help us design the public open space that we will be creating on the Szetela Lane side of the new buildings, across from Collins Cove. If you would like to participate in that process, please email Jim Newman  jim@linneansolutions.com and Bill Reed bill@regenesisgroup.comand nothing your interest and your connection to Leefort, the neighborhood and/or Salem.

We also hope to continue to foster our existing relationships and make new connections as we look for ideas that might emerge to reinforce quality of life and connectivity with nearby neighborhoods, downtown, and the sea.  

Thank you to everyone who attended the most recent Leefort Terrace virtual community meeting. If you missed the event, you can view the slides from the presentation here,and the full recording of the meeting is here.

To recap, during the meeting we reviewed the changes we have made to the site plans based on feedback from residents and neighbors and presented the revised plan along with early conceptual renderings of the building. You can find those site plans and renderings here. We know that no development plan will make every community member happy, and we are committed to continue to make modifications as the public process continues.

We also are excited that we will be building public open space in front of the building on Stezela Lane by Collins Cove. At the meeting we showed some concepts and images for what that space could look like. We want to design that space in collaboration with the the community. If you'd like to participate in that process, please email Jim Newman and Bill Reed and let them know you'd like to participate.

We expect to submit our permitting application to the ZBA in the coming month or so and will publish the dates of the first public hearings here when we have those. The public hearings will be continued opportunity for you to weigh in on the project.

In the near future we will be updating the leefortterrace.com website to highlight responses to some of the questions and comments we've received and to clarify the facts about the project. Stay tuned for that update soon.

Join us on Tuesday February 15 from 5:30-7pm



The Salem Housing Authority and Beacon Communities are excited to continue engaging community members around the redevelopment of Leefort Terrace. Please join us at our upcoming virtual Community Workshop where our team will:

• Provide an update on the Story of Place creation as part of our regenerative community process.
• Present a revised redevelopment program and site plan that has been updated based on resident and community feedback, and share the initial 3D architectural design concepts of the buildings.
• Show landscape concepts for the residential courtyard, and images to spark inspiration for the look and use of the public open space that we will create facing Collins Cove.
• Invite community members to proactively work alongside of us to plan uses and design of the open space facing Collins Cove, and collaboration with the city on potential future uses of the adjacent underutilized parcels.

Zoom Information

Join by Computer or App:

https://beaconcommunitiesllc.zoom.us/j/95758091516

Or Join By Phone: (312) 626.6799

Meeting ID: 957 5809 1519

Thank you to everyone who attended our recent virtual Leefort Terrace Story of Place and Site Plan Review Community Workshop. If you missed the event, you can view the slides from the presentation here and the full recording of the meeting here.

At the meeting we were happy to be able to introduce the management and resident engagement teams at Beacon Communities. We also were excited to share our findings from our in-depth Story of Place creation including what we heard from many residents, community members and city officials. From the core themes of the Story of Place we developed Design Principles that served as the guideposts in the creation of the site plan and programming for the redeveloped Leefort Terrace.

We appreciated hearing from participants with both their positive feedback and concerns and will continue to work with the community to harmonize our development plans with the natural and social systems that make Leefort Terrace, the surrounding neighborhoods and Salem unique. You can find the link to the site plan here and a description of the site plan and programming here.

We will be in touch again after the New Year with the date for our next community meeting that we will schedule in mid- to late-January to show the initial concept for the design of the buildings. We will continue to listen to the community then and there will be additional opportunity for community input as we move into our permitting process in the coming months.

In the meantime, our coUrbanize site at LeefortTerrace.com is your reference for accurate information about project plans. We have added a Frequently Asked Questions section that you can find here, which responds to many of the questions we have received. We'll be adding information to the coUrbanize site our plans progress.

Thanks!

Hi All,

We are about to begin the virtual Leefort community meeting. People are joining but we are hearing that some people are having an issue. You may need to go to Zoom and type the Meeting ID 990 2637 6006 directly or change your password.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/99026376006

Or One tap mobile :

   US: +13017158592,,99026376006#

Or Telephone:

  Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

   US: +1 646 558 8656

   Webinar ID: 990 2637 6006

If you have any technical issues in trying to get into the meeting please email aperrotti@beaconcommunitiesllc.com or sgomes@beaconcommunitiesllc.com

We will be posting to this site a recording of the session in the coming week.

Virtual Community Workshop

Join us on Thursday December 16, 2021 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Zoom Information

Join by Computer or App: https://zoom.us/j/99026376006

Or Join By Phone: (646) 558-8656 Meeting ID: 990 2637 6006

Salem Housing Authority and Beacon Communities are excited about re-engaging community members around the redevelopment of Leefort Terrace. Please join us at our upcoming virtual Community Workshop.

Based on feedback received during initial community engagement efforts surrounding the preservation and reconstruction of LeeFort Terrace, we have begun a regenerative planning approach. Working with Regenesis Group, the approach focuses first on developing a Story of Place, seeking to deepen our understanding of the many social and ecological interrelationships that make LeeFort Terrace, its immediate surroundings, and Salem unique. We are aiming to harmonize with these natural and social systems as we move from our understanding of place to inform the project.

Various stakeholders have recently shared their perspectives with us on what makes Salem unique and what might be missing. At this workshop we will present the feedback received to-date and share the resulting Story of Place and initial design principles derived through the process of developing the Story of Place. We will review the development program and site plan options that reflect those principles.

Taking the feedback we hear at the workshop into account, we will then make modifications to the Story of Place, the development program, and to the site plans. We will use this refined understanding of place, to develop the massing and elevations of the building or buildings, which we will present at subsequent meetings in January.

We will also spend some time introducing our team from Beacon Residential Management.

Hope to see you on December 16th!

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Leefort Terrace was recently featured on Mayor Driscoll's FYI Salem Podcast and the Salem News! On the podcast, Mayor Driscoll talks with Cathy Hoog, Executive Director of the Salem Housing Authority (SHA), and Courtney Koslow, Development Director from Beacon Communities, about the plan to rebuild and expand the SHA's aging Leefort Terrace facility into a new, climate-resilient, environmentally positive, universally designed, mixed-income community. You can find the podcast here: Episode 108: March 22, 2021- Leefort Terrace.

The Salem Daily News story retraces how the project has evolved in the early stages, from the planning grant application to the early due diligence work conducted by the design team. You can check out this recent Salem Daily News article Redevelopment at Leefort Terrace still in early planning stages.

The Salem Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency Committee (SREC) has invited Courtney Koslow of Beacon Communities and Michelle Apigian of Icon Architecture to present the sustainability and climate resilience plans for the redevelopment of Leefort Terrace at their monthly meeting tonight March 24th at 6:30pm. The meeting link will open up at 6:15pm. Courtney and Michelle will provide a summary of the presentation included in the recent virtual community meeting and available under updates at courb.co/leefort. No new information will be presented this evening.

Remote Participation Instructions:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85939576528 password: 251052 or

zoom.us/join meeting ID # 859-3957-6528 or

or listen-in by dialing toll-free 877-853-5257. When prompted enter meeting ID # 859-3957-6528.

Thank you to everyone who attended this week's community meeting to discuss the potential redevelopment of Leefort Terrace. We were glad to be able to introduce our team and present our environmentally positive and climate resilient design goals. We are on a rescue mission to protect the 50 low-income, elderly and disabled households at Leefort Terrace. Without any action, these units will become uninhabitable, displacing the residents. We intend to rebuild those 50 units as part of a mixed-income development that also includes the creation of a beautiful public park.

We appreciated hearing from the community prior to creating a site plan. We will now work to balance as much of the feedback we heard in the meeting and in the survey that is posted on our coUrbanize site as we move towards creating the initial conceptual design. We will present that conceptual design at a future community meeting.

Our website is your reference for accurate information about project plans. We have added a Frequently Asked Questions section that you can find here, which responds to many of the questions we have received. We'll be adding information to the coUrbanize site our plans progress.

The Salem Housing Authority and Beacon Communities invite you to participate a meeting on March 1st, 5:30- 7:30pm to discuss the redevelopment of public housing on Leefort Terrace. The aim of the meeting will be to share initial site investigation information that has been collected, describe project sustainability and design goals and solicit neighborhood feedback. Upon community feedback, the team will work towards creating a concept for a vibrant, climate resilient, environmentally positive and human-centered development, which will be presented at a future community meeting. Due to COVID and limits on in-person gatherings, the meeting will take place online using Zoom. You can join us virtually by following the link:

https://zoom.us/s/95845879048

Passcode: 252303

Or join by phone:

  US: 646-558-8656

  Webinar ID: 958 4587 9048

  Passcode: 252303

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