Parking drama in Downtown Salisbury has City officials and developers at odds
Parking Problems
SALISBURY, Md. – Developers and local leaders are at odds over parking in Salisbury. While they disagree, residents and workers are dealing with the fallout.
Parking Past
This property was made for sale in 2002, and in 2015, Gillis Gilkerson was the successful bidder for a request for proposal or RFP. Fast forward to June of 2023, Gillis Gilkerson and the City of Salisbury signed a Land Disposition Agreement that has a temporary lease attachment which makes Gillis Gilkerson the Landlord and the City a tenant. In 2023, Gillis Gilkerson successfully obtained the current sites of parking lots 1, 11, and 15.
Parking Promises
Now, according to Brad Gillis, of Gillis Gilkerson, the City has reneged on their promise. “Because of the city of Salisbury and their lack of good faith to continue to pursue their obligations under the land disposition agreement We have made the business decision to no longer make these parcels that we’ve purchased for development available for surface level parking for the city of Salisbury.”
Mayor Randy Taylor vehemently disagrees. “The project that has been proposed from our perspective has a parking problem, meaning the density they’re requesting combined with all the other demands, are going to put us into a position I believe, we believe will put us in a position where we are going to have a parking deficiency, a substantial parking deficiency.”
Mayor Taylor says the developers are the ones who have broken their promises. “We have a contract based on the performance of a permittable project, which he doesn’t have. If anybody has broken the agreement, he has by not hitting the benchmarks of time.”
Gillis says, “It’s our opinion that they are in default of the agreement. And so we’re taking steps to close the parking lots.”
Parking Plans
This division downtown has now caused them for lack of better terms, and they’ve now drawn a line in the sand. Gillis says they have sections of parcels in the Parking Lots along their property line. “We are going to barricade the entrances. And then we’re also going to put up a fence along the property line to ensure any folks that are on our property, will not then go to the city’s property.”
Developers plan to close the lot to the public on November 11th, and Gillis says their plan is to build “attainable housing,” to fulfill their end of the contract. “We’re absolutely in a housing crisis right now, it’s our opinion as real estate developers that the greater the supply, the greater the demand, the prices are going to go down. There will be 222 multi-family apartment units, 450 space parking garage, 7,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. so, we’re really excited about that.”
Parking Predictions
Mayor Taylor says this isn’t a feasible project and the lots will remain open. “Basically, November 11th is irrelevant from the perspective of our agreement and our perception of the agreement and where we are… Until he can permit and have a developable project, the parking lots are the cities, and that’s the way it will remain.”
The nearby downtown parking garage remains open until an agreement is made. Developers say closing the lots was a difficult decision, but it’s for the greater good. Meanwhile, Mayor Taylor says he hopes they can come to an understanding, and that development can be done, but with accessibility for everyone in mind.
