Presentation for the Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference on March 29, 2019 in Cambridge, MA

1. Sustainability and
Resiliency in Salem
Brittany Dolan
March 29, 2019

2. Overview
o Maps of Salem:
o Past
o Present
o Future
o Sustainability
• Photovoltaic Projects
• Streetlight Projects
o Resiliency
• Forest River Pool and
Bathhouse
• Salem Willows Park
o Outreach
o Lessons Learned
o Questions

3. Salem

4. Historic Salem

5. Salem Today

6. Potential Future of Salem

7. Sustainability in Salem
• 100% Clean Energy
Resolution
• Green Community
Designation since 2010
• Monitor energy usage of
municipal electric and gas
accounts through
MassEnergyInsight
• Salem PowerChoice
• Always looking for
opportunities to reduce fossil
fuel use
https://www.publiccounsel.net/dir/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/salem-sign.jpg

8. PV Installations
• Witchcraft Heights
Elementary School
• 646 kW
• Bentley Academy
Charter School
• 275 kW

9. Streetlight Retrofits
• LED conversion for city
owned streetlights (2010
and 2017)
• Estimated annual
savings
• 1,339,863 kWh
• LED conversion for traffic
and pedestrian lights
(2012)
• Estimated annual
savings
• 162, 564 kWh

10. Other Projects • Applying for Solarize Plus grant
program with Swampscott and
Nahant
• Goal is to increase PV, solar
hot water, and ASHP in both
residential and commercial
buildings
• Various updates to key pieces of
equipment in schools
• HVAC replacement at
Salerno Auto-tech
School (Salem High
School) with infrared
heaters

11. Resiliency in Salem
• Coastal city
• Vulnerable populations
living in vulnerable
areas
• Historic assets at risk
• Winter of 2018 gave a
glimpse of what the
future may have in store

12. 2018
Collins Cove

13. 2018
Bridge Street
During Storm

14. 2016
Commercial Street
King Tide

15. Forest River Pool
• Closed down
due to pool
malfunction
• Losing ~5
million gallons a
year
• Located
adjacent to the
coast
• Multi-phase
complicated
project

16. Forest River Pool
• During a storm in
2018
• Pool is frequently
flooded
• Renovation will
include moving
outside of the tidal
zone

17. Forest River Pool

18. Salem Willows Park
• Coastal and Historic Park
• Beach, tennis courts, basketball courts, arcades, restaurants, yacht club,
outdoor amphitheater, Fort Lee, Winter Island Park, Camp Naumkeag, etc.
• Multi-phase plan to strategically restore Salem Willows Park

19. Salem Willows Park

20. Salem Willows Park

21. Outreach
• Community engagement is growing
• City committees:
• Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency Committee (SERC)
• LORAX Committee
• Bike Committee
• Recycling Committee
• Neighborhood associations
• Non-profit engagement:
• Salem Sound Coast Watch
• Salem Alliance for the Environment
• Citizen’s Climate Lobby

22. Lessons Learned
• Can no longer just react
• We have to be proactive in our
approach to making Salem sustainable
and resilient
• Seek opportunities in current projects
• Update Climate Change Vulnerability
Assessment & Adaptation Plan
• Continue learning and collaborating
• Increase outreach and community
engagement
• Salem will continue to grow in
population and number of tourists
every year
https://www.salem.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/06/90efdd10c3ae33005ae3c15d250479e6d99da1fd.jpg

23. Questions?
Brittany Dolan
Sustainability and Resiliency
Coordinator
bdolan@salem.com
978-745-9595 ext. 41013
City website:
www.salem.com
SERC website:
https://www.salem.com/sustainability-
energy-and-resiliency-committee-serc