Local leaders and community members take final stand against further development in Downtown Salisbury
SALISBURY, Md. – Heated discussions are taking place about the potential development of the Salisbury Town Center. Those against the plan believe developers are over-scaling the community too quickly. The proposed project would replace parking lots 1, 11, and 15 with new apartment complexes. Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor wants to pause and create a detailed plan.
“I think anybody that goes into a traditional downtown recognizes it’s a delicate ecosystem. Business, accessibility, and parking to get around, particularly on the shore. We are not D.C. or Baltimore. We can’t make broad changes without considering the population we’re serving.”
Real Estate Broker Holly Worthington said there are other complications development can bring other than parking.
“With this specific project, over-scaling will create more issues downtown. There’s going to be more traffic and less parking. The city will need more EMS, police, and fire staff. We can’t forget about accommodating our schools.”
Taylor believes the city has the potential for future construction. However, he does not want it to destroy the existing charm of the downtown area. “We got the potential to do it now, but we have to scale it properly so we accomplish the goals. The goal is it remains a vibrant community, with a residential presence, but accessibility is still there and intact.”
Salisbury resident, Joe Venosa, urges the developers to rework their plan. He recommends it be a transparent financial formula that is fair for all parties.”If that project or any project is only successful because it comes at my family’s financial expense or other people with more modest means, then that’s a fundamental problem of inequity.”
Venosa prompts the community to challenge the City Council’s actions.
“I think greater public scrutiny of our current city council needs to be increased, whether it be citizens, public officials, or our local media. I think citizens need to be mindful of the relationships between some elected officials and the developer community.”
The City Council The City Council will reconvene on 13th January before making any final decisions.
The meeting will be at the Government Office Building at 125 N. Division Street.
