WHERE DO 2025 CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES STAND ON PRESERVATION?
TY HAPWORTH
HSI Mission and New Development
Historic Salem, Inc.’s mission states that “new development complements the historic nature of the city.” How would you interpret this principle, and how would you put it into practice as an elected official? Please also share whether you see value in this approach for Salem’s future.
Historic Salem, Inc.’s mission states that “new development complements the historic nature of the city.” How would you interpret this principle, and how would you put it into practice as an elected official? Please also share whether you see value in this approach for Salem’s future.
Housing is one of our most basic commitments to our neighbors and to what it means to live in community. When we build in ways that respect Salem’s historic character, we not only preserve the city’s unique identity, we also create housing that is more affordable, more diverse, and better suited to people at every stage of life. This is how our historic neighborhoods were built in the first place, by many hands and with a mix of homes that met the needs of people across income levels and life stages. Development that complements its surroundings earns broader community support, strengthens our neighborhoods, and ensures that growth enhances rather than diminishes the city we share.
Historic Preservation Priority
Do you believe preserving Salem’s historic buildings, streetscapes, and neighborhoods should be a top priority for the City, equal to other major areas such as housing, public safety, and infrastructure? (Yes/No — brief rationale.)
Do you believe preserving Salem’s historic buildings, streetscapes, and neighborhoods should be a top priority for the City, equal to other major areas such as housing, public safety, and infrastructure? (Yes/No — brief rationale.)
Absolutely not. While historic preservation is deeply important to me, we have to keep things in perspective. People need places to live, which is one of the most basic human needs. People also need to feel safe, and they need a local government that can deliver services effectively and reliably. Those priorities come first. Historic preservation belongs in the next tier, vital to our identity, quality of life, and economy, but only after we meet the fundamental responsibilities of housing, safety, and core services.
Top Preservation Issue & Action
What is the single most pressing preservation issue in Salem right now, and what specific action would you take in your first year?
What is the single most pressing preservation issue in Salem right now, and what specific action would you take in your first year?
The most pressing preservation issue in Salem right now is the inability to build in a way that is organic or historically appropriate within an overly restrictive zoning code that effectively outlaws our most cherished neighborhoods. Nearly all of the historic neighborhoods we value today could not be built under our current rules. I am supportive of the initiative to revamp our zoning code completely, and I plan to continue that support into 2026 so that we can once again allow the kinds of mixed, walkable, and resilient neighborhoods that define Salem’s character.
Historic District Oversight
Do you support maintaining or expanding Salem’s historic districts and the Salem Historical Commission’s oversight to ensure changes meet preservation standards? (Yes/No — brief rationale.)
Do you support maintaining or expanding Salem’s historic districts and the Salem Historical Commission’s oversight to ensure changes meet preservation standards? (Yes/No — brief rationale.)
Yes. If done in a way that makes sense for the neighborhood and is not used as a tool to block needed development or to burden marginalized communities, historic districts can play a critical role. Oversight that is fair and balanced helps ensure changes respect the character of our city while still making space for growth, housing, and equity. Preservation should serve people as well as buildings, strengthening neighborhoods by protecting what makes them unique and ensuring that everyone can share in their value.
Funding for Preservation
State law requires that at least 10% of CPA funds each year go toward historic resources. In Salem, more than this minimum has typically been allocated. Would you support continuing — or expanding — this level of funding for preservation projects, either through CPA allocations or the City’s capital budget? (Yes/No — please explain.)
State law requires that at least 10% of CPA funds each year go toward historic resources. In Salem, more than this minimum has typically been allocated. Would you support continuing — or expanding — this level of funding for preservation projects, either through CPA allocations or the City’s capital budget? (Yes/No — please explain.)
Yes. I support continuing this level of funding because preserving historic resources is central to Salem’s identity and economy, and CPA funds have been an effective way to invest in that work.
Monitoring and Protecting Development
Would you support the creation of additional 40R “Smart Growth Overlay Districts” in Salem, similar to the already approved Margin/High/Endicott Street and Salem State South Campus districts, and the Shetland Park district currently under review? (Yes/No — please explain.)
Would you support the creation of additional 40R “Smart Growth Overlay Districts” in Salem, similar to the already approved Margin/High/Endicott Street and Salem State South Campus districts, and the Shetland Park district currently under review? (Yes/No — please explain.)
Yes. While these districts are not yet approved by the City Council, I support initiatives that make it simpler to build the housing we need while also unlocking state resources to support infrastructure and community improvements. Thoughtful use of 40R Smart Growth Overlay Districts can help us direct growth to the right places, encourage walkable and mixed neighborhoods, and ensure that new development complements Salem’s historic character while meeting the needs of today.
Historic Streetscapes
In Salem’s historic districts, how should the City balance pedestrian safety with preservation of historic streetscapes when installing or replacing bollards and similar fixtures? (Please explain and outline the design/placement criteria you would use.)
Regarding the newly installed bollards at the Ropes Mansion, which option best reflects your position? Retain as installed, Replace with a design more visually compatible with the historic setting, Modify placement/quantity while keeping the current design, or Other (Select one and explain.)
In historic districts and other important historic areas, how would you prioritize sidewalk materials? As a policy preference, do you favor brick over concrete or asphalt? (Yes/No — brief rationale.)
In Salem’s historic districts, how should the City balance pedestrian safety with preservation of historic streetscapes when installing or replacing bollards and similar fixtures? (Please explain and outline the design/placement criteria you would use.)
Regarding the newly installed bollards at the Ropes Mansion, which option best reflects your position? Retain as installed, Replace with a design more visually compatible with the historic setting, Modify placement/quantity while keeping the current design, or Other (Select one and explain.)
In historic districts and other important historic areas, how would you prioritize sidewalk materials? As a policy preference, do you favor brick over concrete or asphalt? (Yes/No — brief rationale.)
The goal is to protect people, period. If we can do that in a way that uses historically appropriate elements, that is ideal, but safety has to come first. The standards used in recent bollard designs, including their height and construction, are non negotiable. Where possible, we should choose materials and forms that fit into the historic context, but the priority must always be preventing tragedies and ensuring that pedestrians are safe in our streets and public spaces.
The goal is to prevent a child, a neighbor, a visitor, or any pedestrian from dying at the hands of a negligent or malicious driver. We need to keep that reality first and foremost. If there are other designs that are equally safe and are preferred for their compatibility with the historic setting, then organizations like HSI should bring those forward with credible expert support, and I will be happy to back them. But if the evidence is speculative or unsupported and not backed by experts, I cannot support replacing proven safety standards with something less certain.
Yes. Brick is preferable in all cases for its durability and permeability when it is properly installed and maintained. Even on cost, it is preferable in the long run. Too often our brick sidewalks have been poorly maintained and then held up as examples of why brick is less desirable than concrete, when the real issue is neglect. Brick is also the better environmental choice, with a lower impact than concrete and a longer useful life, making it the right policy preference for all neighborhoods when possible.
The goal is to prevent a child, a neighbor, a visitor, or any pedestrian from dying at the hands of a negligent or malicious driver. We need to keep that reality first and foremost. If there are other designs that are equally safe and are preferred for their compatibility with the historic setting, then organizations like HSI should bring those forward with credible expert support, and I will be happy to back them. But if the evidence is speculative or unsupported and not backed by experts, I cannot support replacing proven safety standards with something less certain.
Yes. Brick is preferable in all cases for its durability and permeability when it is properly installed and maintained. Even on cost, it is preferable in the long run. Too often our brick sidewalks have been poorly maintained and then held up as examples of why brick is less desirable than concrete, when the real issue is neglect. Brick is also the better environmental choice, with a lower impact than concrete and a longer useful life, making it the right policy preference for all neighborhoods when possible.
Shetland Park Redevelopment
What is your position on the current Shetland Park redevelopment proposal, particularly regarding its impact on Salem’s historic waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods? How do you think Salem can balance new development with preserving our city's historic character?
What is your position on the current Shetland Park redevelopment proposal, particularly regarding its impact on Salem’s historic waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods? How do you think Salem can balance new development with preserving our city's historic character?
My biggest concern with the Shetland Park redevelopment is the scale of what is being proposed. Salem absolutely needs housing, but introducing this much potentially expensive housing into a neighborhood with a high level of naturally occurring affordable housing is unnatural and potentially cruel because of the displacement pressures it could create. I remain unconvinced that the developer has done the due diligence required to understand these impacts, and I question whether they are the right partner to entrust with a project of this size and consequence for our city.
Crescent Lot Development
The city sought out a developer to preserve and rehabilitate the courthouses on Federal Street. To make it more attractive to developers, the city added the crescent lot for commercial development. Winn Development, the winning bidder, is now asking to separate the two projects so they can develop the Crescent Lot independently, without being required to complete the courthouse preservation first. Do you support this change in prioritization? How would you approach holding developers accountable with respect to historic preservation? (Yes/No — please explain.)
The city sought out a developer to preserve and rehabilitate the courthouses on Federal Street. To make it more attractive to developers, the city added the crescent lot for commercial development. Winn Development, the winning bidder, is now asking to separate the two projects so they can develop the Crescent Lot independently, without being required to complete the courthouse preservation first. Do you support this change in prioritization? How would you approach holding developers accountable with respect to historic preservation? (Yes/No — please explain.)
No. The preservation of the courthouses and their role as an anchor for that side of downtown is the reason the city chose to dispose of the Crescent Lot in the first place. Allowing the projects to be separated would undermine that commitment and weaken the leverage the city has to ensure the courthouses are preserved. Developers must be held accountable to the terms of the agreements they enter into, especially when public land is part of the deal. The Crescent Lot was added as an incentive to guarantee courthouse preservation, and that priority should remain non negotiable.
26 Winter Street
A request has been made to the ZBA to allow an inn at 26 Winter Street (the Joseph Story house), changing the use from residential to commercial. Do you support this change in use? Please explain the key factors behind your position and your view on the impacts this precedent could set for this historic neighborhood, including the impacts of lost trees and green space to make parking lots on these properties. (Yes/No — please explain.)
A request has been made to the ZBA to allow an inn at 26 Winter Street (the Joseph Story house), changing the use from residential to commercial. Do you support this change in use? Please explain the key factors behind your position and your view on the impacts this precedent could set for this historic neighborhood, including the impacts of lost trees and green space to make parking lots on these properties. (Yes/No — please explain.)
This is not a matter that would come before the City Council, and we should rely on the ZBA and the Historic Commission to do their necessary work. That said, it highlights another weakness in our zoning code. We need to be far more thoughtful about how development happens, rather than constantly running into situations where pent up demand pushes to transform one nonconforming use into another. Clearer, more intentional zoning would help us protect historic neighborhoods while still meeting community needs in a predictable and consistent way.