UPDATE: Controversy arises over park complex expansion in Salisbury

An apparent miscommunication is causing a controversy over a plot of 35 acres of land that belongs to the city of Salisbury.

Monday morning 47 ABC received a press release stating that Jim Ireton, the mayor of Salisbury, was informed Wicomico County has withdrawn its request that the City donate the land adjacent to the Henry S. Parker athletic complex on Naylor Mill Road. The land was reportedly going to be used to to expand the complex. It’s located next to the paleochannel, which is an underground riverbed that provides water to Salisbury and Wicomico County.

A few hours later, 47 ABC received another press release, this one from County Executive Bob Culver’s office. It stated that the Mayor’s assertion that the County withdrew its request for the land donation was not true.

47 ABC reached out to the Mayor’s office who tells us they received a voicemail from Wayne Strausburg, Director of Administration for Wicomico County, that said they are no longer interested in the land.

When we contacted Mr. Strausburg, he told us he contacted Tom Stevenson within the Mayor’s office and admitted he did leave a voicemail, but he was not withdrawing the County’s interest in the land. That’s apparently something he isn’t authorized to do.

Strausburg tells 47 ABC he contacted Stevenson because of a letter, sent to Culver’s office last week from Ireton, in which he implored the county to allocate funds to the City’s skate park, in exchange for the City giving up the land.

The letter stated, “If the County wishes the City to seriously consider donating the requested additional land for the expansion of the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex, I believe it is incumbent upon the County to provide something to the City in return for this substantial gift.”

Strausburg tells 47 ABC, this was never a part of the deal.

We also reached out to the Mayor’s office, asking him about the ultimatum he presented. The Mayor said when he shared his thoughts that it was unacceptable that the County wasn’t funding the skate park, the County said they didn’t want the park land. He said they also dropped out of fire service agreement talks.

We asked the County Executive’s office about the Fire Service agreement talks. Culver tells 47 ABC he remains committed to talking to the city.

At this time, the land in question still belongs to the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County’s request for it to be donated, still stands.