Summary
The Planning Board proposed a 750-foot buffer between kennels and cigar bars and residential districts, responding to noise and late-night complaints. Councilor Withrow split the item — kennels got the buffer, cigar bars came out.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 0
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Sep 14, 2026.
Impact analysis
No direct fiscal impact, but the pending state bill could reshape how much housing Salem can require developers to negotiate for.
Residents living near kennels or late-night businesses.
Cigar bar operators seeking locations on much of Broadway and Route 28 were spared; kennel operators face siting limits.
Mentions & discussions (5)
Town Council - Sep 14, 2026
The Planning Board proposed a 750-foot buffer between kennels and cigar bars and residential districts, responding to noise and late-night complaints. Councilor Withrow split the item — kennels got the buffer, cigar bars came out.
Planning Board (Regular) - Aug 25, 2026
A 750-foot setback from residential districts — borrowed from the adult-business ordinance — would apply to late-night cigar bars and kennels, with a map showing the surviving commercial locations.
Planning Board (Regular) - Aug 11, 2026
The town wants cigar bars operating after 10 p.m. and kennels at least 750 feet from residential districts, but a resident warned that could leave almost no viable locations on Route 28. The board will get a map of where these businesses could actually open before voting again.
Planning Board (Regular) - Jun 9, 2026
Salem is cleaning up its zoning: consolidating school, daycare, and religious use categories, allowing personal services on Main Street, and permitting mixed-use buildings in business districts. A pending state bill could force mixed-use by right and upend the town's approach. New cigar bar and kennel rules would bar late-night operations within 750 feet of residential districts.
Planning Board (Regular) - May 26, 2026
After problems with late-night cigar bars near homes, the board discussed a definition, a 700-foot setback from residences, and an operating cap — with Chairman Feole favoring an 11 p.m. close.
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