SALEM — The owner of a rooming house in the McIntire Historic District, where neighbors complained of screeching tires and screams in the night, has been ordered to reduce the number of rooms.
The Licensing Board told Steve Morris, owner of a 315 Essex St. lodging house, that he can rent only 10 of his 13 rooms. The board said they will review the situation in seven months.
Neighbors "are clearly being abused," Chairman Dave Shea said at a hearing last week. "It's pretty apparent this has been going on for a while."
John Carr, an attorney representing neighbors, said there have been more than 100 police complaints or calls about the building in the past few years and 15 complaints since May.
Several neighbors testified about cars coming out of the building's parking lot and racing around the block, and of hearing tenants screaming profanities and arguing loudly at all times of the day.
Morris' attorney, George Atkins, said the problems were being caused by a few tenants that Morris is in the process of removing.
The lodging house owner has already offered alternative housing to some boarders and has started eviction proceedings against others, Atkins said.
Carr said Morris should do a better job screening tenants.
One board member encouraged Morris, who has owned other problem rooming houses in the city, to take swift action.
"I know you can clean this place up," Rick Lee said. "You've done it before."
