With commercial space in Salem nearly fully developed, Planning Board members say the only way to go is up.

A proposal to raise the height limits on commercial space around town is currently under discussion, though it may be put before the voters next March.

James Keller, the chairman of the board, said changing the ordinance would allow the town to develop taller commercial office space and expand the tax base, in turn reducing the amount paid by residential taxpayers.

“The notion of how does the town continue to attract business is the first consideration. How do we continue to increase commercial tax revenue?” Keller said. “The only way to do that is to support the notion of going with taller buildings.”

Fellow board member Gene Bryant echoed Keller’s assessments and said the town had already reached maximum commercial development. The only way to go was up, he said.

“Salem is a pretty fully developed community. There’s not a whole lot of land left. What matters now is redevelopment, going back to sites and looking at how some of these sites can be redeveloped,” Bryant said. “Once a community is fully built out, your tax base is what your tax base is. If you can’t go out, you have to go up.”

The change in the ordinance would not affect the height limitations placed residential or rural development.

At the moment, the height limitation on commercial development is at 35 feet, which allows for buildings that are about two-and-a-half stories high or lower, according to Bryant. While the potential new limit would allow higher buildings, Bryant said residents should not expect to see skyscrapers in Salem anytime soon.

The board is looking at commercially zoned locations on Route 28 and Pelham Road in Salem – with an emphasis on the area around Exit 2 – as potential districts that could support significantly taller buildings.

“The vision would be to increase the height of commercial buildings in the Exit 2 area and other districts so that folks who want to support taller office buildings would be enticed and intrigued in Salem,” Keller said.

While he said he has not seen a tremendous amount of demand for higher buildings yet, the demand may increase in the future.

“We believe that as commercial sprawl continues to head north and after the Interstate 93 project is completed, there is the potential for increased office space demand that is affordable,” he said.

The board has been considering the idea of increasing the limit for several years, but this has been the first year that they have moved forward with the potential change to the town ordinance.

For the next several months, the board will discuss the provision and take input from both the public and the Board of Selectmen. To put the change before the voters in March, the board will have to reach a conclusion by mid-December.

So far, the idea has received support from both selectmen and the public, said Keller.

“From the folks that have stopped me, most folks are in favor of taller buildings as long as they’re relegated to commercial areas,” he said. “It helps level and stabilize the residential tax impact. I haven’t heard anything negative yet.”