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The City of Salisbury & Wicomico County have comprehensive plans in which they have failed miserably with for the past umpteen years. If the Citizens of Salisbury had voted for the right people, student housing projects wouldn't be a problem today.
However, you get people like Mike Dunn, Lynn Cathcart, Shanie Shields and Shrek himself, Gary Comegys to vote in an annexation while Debbie Campbell almost begs for stronger language and she was shot down time and time again and like the title of this post says, you get what you vote for! Do you remember Comegys stating that Planning and Zoning would protect these neighbors back when they were approving the annexation?
Gary Comegys wasn't even man enough to show up for yesterday's Planning & Zoning Meeting and instead used the excuse of being in Greenbelt for the MML Meeting. Let's see, in recent weeks I have seen Gary at meetings during the day time and now even days on end whereas he also never shows up for work either. That has always baffled me how he can get away with all that time away from his normal job?
Nevertheless, Gary voted for the annexation and then went crying wolf to the City Council because they were going to change it to Student Housing instead of the original Empty Nest Apartments. I flat out told Gary at that very Work Session there was NOTING they could do at this point and then I strongly suggested to Council Woman Cohen and Campbell, stay the hell out of it. Gary made his bed, let him lie in it.
Granted, Debbie & Terry are independent women with very good heads on their shoulders but I had to give them my two cents by stating, he got into this mess, now he wants to drag you into it and bail his stupidity out of it? I don't think so!
The next time you people go to the Polls, make sure you stop voting for Idiots and instead vote for people like Debbie & Terry who care about YOU, not what sounds right to you! Need I bring up the Old Mall as yet another example or is the salt already burning that wound?
So Comegys wrote this lengthy letter making his suggestions in which the Board refused to read. They did pick one simple demand from a list of many and asked that each unit not exceed more than 250 gallons of water per day. If they did so there would be penalties, everyone agreed as it was in line with normal requests from the WWTP anyway.
There were many citizens there hoping to bash the Developers but the P&Z Board knew Dunn, Comegys, Cathcart & Shields put them in a pickle annexing the property and changing the zoning to include apartments and they had no choice but to move forward with a worthy project.
Some citizens were yelling in the hallway, they're going to flip it and make a fortune! NO THEY'RE NOT! But even if they did, who cares? This is what they are in business to do, MAKE MONEY! In this economy, that's not an easy thing to do these days.
Does everyone go to work these days and get a paycheck and think the company that hired them is losing money each and every week? That's how people act anyway! HOW DARE OTHER PEOPLE MAKE MONEY! Get a grip Folks, this is America.
I was one of the only people that stood up and defended the Developer as I believe this is perfect for Students. I believe they should be confined to a particular area with nice housing to live in. One can only hope they keep it that way. Nevertheless, perhaps people will come to learn that IF these Students actually got together and rallied against this local government they could own this City in many ways. There's nothing saying they couldn't all register here, vote for themselves into their own City Council as well as vote in their own Mayor and the whole nine yards. It would be easy for them to revolt legally and screw each and every one of you if you're not careful.
So my suggestion is, while some claim this is a College Town and others claim it's a Town with a College in it, embrace these Students before they get entirely too smart for you and force those of you so hell bent against them to move out of the area for good while they create their own little Disney right here in Salisbury. It's not a game, it could easily happen.
That being said, are you going to work a little harder next time to make sure you and your friends and family vote for the right people next go around?????
No matter how beneficial the "new" project concept will be, it should be called the "Bait & Switch Student Housing Complex".
ReplyDeleteHad the "Dream Team" adopted the limits that Councilwoman Campbell suggested, then it would make little or no difference whether it will be for students or for active adult "empty-nesters".
And can you imagine how much more time Comegys could be away from his State job if he had backed O'Malley rather than Doug Duncan in the democrat primary.
This once again contrasts the protection against bad development that only select neighborhoods – especially those in the “Camden” area – receive at the expense of the others, which includes special protection against parking on the streets.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago, it was the homeowners around the old Salisbury Mall who were shafted so that Comegys could reward his developer pals. Now that the developer that they were going to "flip" it to is bailing out, let's see what the mall owner will ask for next.
Some of the Commission members said that they were voting on the Hearne plan in order to protect Camden residents from students. In other words, it’s better to let them devastate the residents “over there”.
Let’s hope that we never again see Comegys vote to annex or rezone property and tell the concerned residents that the Planning and Zoning Commission will protect them from the developer (unless it’s for something in the Camden area).
Dear Outraged,
ReplyDeleteI left this message for you over at Duvafiles where you first made this post and I'll leave it here as well.
You said, "Some of the Commission members said that they were voting on the Hearne plan in order to protect Camden residents from students. In other words, it’s better to let them devastate the residents “over there”."
Did you actually fall for that line? If you pay close attention you can see and hear the setups for the next election. This has nothing to do with the Camden neighborhood. This statement helps them deflect their own screwup and that of their cronies, while at the same time, starting the divisiveness that is politics. If you remember, it was a Camden resident Council Member, Debbie Campbell who was trying to get tight language in there on density, just so this wouldn't happen in your neighborhood. Don't be fooled by everything they say. Watch what they do. It's a better indicator of their character.
Bartkovich played it smart.
ReplyDeleteThis area is in her District and considering she knew it was going to pass, she voted against it.
Just remember Ladies & Gentlemen, at least the Blogs are able to put a different spin on things, especially this article.
The Daily Times simply wrote a Blah Article about a blow by blow meeting. The Blogs are able to express their opinions and share what we felt happened.
We can then go on to say, IT'S YOUR OWN FAULTS! How many of you will now come out when a recall petition is created? How many of you will now walk the streets to campaign for someone you believe in?
You see, for far too many years you guys have sat back believing things will take care of themselves and before you know it your life long investment is screwed! Then you've got representatives who are so comfortable, (Gary Comegys) they actually come back ACTING like they care and say, we can't let this happen. This isn't what they promised. Even though Debbie Campbell tried to secure that language, (completely expecting this to happen) they voted 4 to 1 against her and even Lynn Cathcart, (who signed up to speak yesterday) walked out of the meeting because I flat out told her she/they had made a mistake. She knew it and she left before everyone jumped down her throat. Conveniently enough, Comegys wasn't there either!!! So the two out of the four cowards wouldn't even FACE the firing squad and many people there wanted to blame Planning & Zoning and the Developers. WRONG!
Blame Comegys, Dunn, Cathcart & Shields but do NOT forget Barrie Tilghman as well. It's a done deal but my recommendation to ALL of you is, start getting these College Students involved. Embrace them and work with them by educating them. FORCE the College to work with you by making them tell you what their future plans are before it comes back again and bites you in the rear end! Just my opinion.
Duh! County residents cannot vote in city elections.
ReplyDeleteDuh, did you see someone named Bartkovich on the Board? Did you read about the City & County comprehensive plan?
ReplyDeleteDuh, Dee Dee Dee, I was referring to your previous comment.
ReplyDeleteI like your style! LOL
ReplyDeleteDear 1st Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteI've no gripe with (and high praise for) for Ms. Campbell and also Ms. Cohen, who is from the Camden area also. My comment is aimed at zoning personnel as well as certain elected officials, especially Comegys. It has long been the case that the Camden area gets special zoning treatment and it still does -- as the Hearne and mall deals demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt. Ms. Campbell and Ms. Cohen are among the few who do the right thing, regardless.
Then there's Barkovich, who knows how to count votes and does so every time; she is well aware that the folks on Hall and Francis Drive (who don't live in the City) and those along Dykes Road (who do) are in her District. Hence her "safe" no vote -- with no jeopardy for the Rinnier firm to which she has ties that bind.
There is an effort to woo Camden residents, but don't blame this one on the Camden residents themselves. They have stood by the residents of other neighborhoods on many issues, including at the expense of specially offered protection and got punished for it.
ReplyDeleteCamden residents do not ask for special treatment. They have consistently asked for sensible policies and reasonable protection for ALL residential neighborhoods, especially the ones that aren't protected by covenants like where the mayor and Comegys live.
The only person on the P&Z who lives in Camden is its chair.
Don't blame Camden -- its residents stood by the other residents when the Hearne fiasco first took place! It's residents stood by the folks affected by the mall.
Yes, Kudos to Campbell and Cohen, but many, many Camden residents have stood in the thick of it. They could have had a true 4 to 2 law just for their neighborhood, but refused to sacrifice other neighborhoods to get it. They've been repeatedly punished ever since, including no fire coverage from downtown soon to happen and shutting down their police substation.
Not to mention the names they've been called. My hat is off to those folks.
So, on one hand, there's an attempt to throw the Camden people a crumb or two and buy redemption after trying to bury candidates (and succeeding with Tim Spies) from that neighborhood, but on the real issues, the beatings continue.
Neighborhoods need to stick together, especially the old ones. Camden understands that. Others need to wake up and smell that coffee.
The last anonymous post has some good thoughts. Camden area folks are not your enemies (I live on Camden and I don't think we've received any special treatment because we have two council members in the area). It is our own fault, all of us who vote, for the people we vote into office, so lets take a good lesson from what is happening now and remember it for the next city vote!
ReplyDeleteA. Goetz
So now the citizens that live in Camden area are the bad guys because they are more vocal in opposition to the Slumlord's takeover? We have had to fight tooth and nail to protect what we already have legally in Zoning--restricted to single family. And you belittle us citizens? We have actively campaigned signed petitions, attended meetings and voiced our concerns-- Outraged you are an imbecile.
ReplyDelete