You can now check out the draft Our Salem vision for future growth and development on the project website. The draft vision includes goals and a map that reflect priorities we have heard from the community. 

The goals cover a broad range of topics, including everything from transportation to housing to economic development. The draft map shows potential changes to how Salem could grow and change in the future. You can view the proposed map changes in this new interactive map. 

You can view a map of the proposed changes in Spanish here. Mapa Propuesta del Plan Integral de Salem You can read more about the proposed changes in Spanish
here.

Work session September 23

The City Council and Planning Commission will discuss the draft vision at a joint work session on Wednesday, September 23 at 6 p.m. 

The work session will be conducted virtually. You can watch the work session in real-time online at the City of Salem Facebook page, Capital Community Media YouTube Channel, or on Comcast Cable CC: Media Channel 21.

We will not be taking public comment at the work session, but we will have a webinar on September 29 to get input from the public. Stay tuned for details on how to participate.

Other opportunities to give input

In addition to the webinar, we plan to launch a new online survey this month to gather input. We will also attend community organizations' meetings to discuss the draft vision and get feedback. If your neighborhood or organization is meeting virtually in October or early November and you would like us attend to talk about the Our Salem draft vision, please contact Eunice Kim, project manager, at ekim@cityofsalem.net or 503-540-2308.

We will use the community's input to refine the draft vision before we ask the City Council to accept it early next year. If the vision is accepted, we will continue doing the more detailed work on the goals, policies, maps, and regulations that is necessary to update the Comprehensive Plan in line with the vision. That work will continue throughout next year.

Background

The Our Salem project is a multi-year project to update the Salem Area Comprehensive Plan, which guides future development in the Salem area. Salem is expected to add 60,000 people by 2035. With this growth comes the chance to better plan for how and where we want to grow.