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Thursday, July 09, 2009

Urban Salisbury Losing Momentum On Downtown Revitalization


I popped into the second of several meetings Urban Salisbury is holding for their Master Plan for revitalizing Downtown Salisbury. Almost 1/2 of the people there were there from the last meeting and once again Urban Salisbury made no attempt to contact Salisbury News to let us know they'd be holding this meeting, allowing us the opportunity to get more people to visit the meetings and learn what they plan on proposing.

The other main topic I felt more important than anything else was the absolute FACT that Urban Salisbury has yet to invite ANY of the key players, the actual property owners in Downtown Salisbury.

My guess is that we'll not be contacted again because we're not dedicated to Urban Salisbury's Master Plan like they want us to be. However, what they don't realize is, IF they sell us on why it's such a great idea/concept we'd be the #1 seller of the project.

Because they refuse to involve us, we'll continue to challenge their intentions and believe that all their trying to do is save their jobs and A$$E$. Come on Mr. Hope, sell the property owners on why this is such a great idea that you have proposed. We're all ears, unless you're really not interested in what the key players are interested in.

In closing, don't forget. As property owners, IF WE do NOT like the idea, we'll come together and hire lawyers to fight it because WE feel WE'RE not being informed and or represented and it's OUR property, as well as the taxpayers.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just more wasted money on a downtown that has been dead for a long time. You bought in the wrong location buddy.

Anonymous said...

Good Points! Allan emails all the members of Urban Salisbury with updates, do the property owners belong to Urban Salisbury - and if not, shame on them!!

Anonymous said...

Joe I agree with 9:31 AM - it's just more of Salisbury politics, as usual. They are not going to let the property owners down town know what's going on and what their plan is because they want to do whatever and then tell you what they did after the fact. They work a whole lot like the fire department.

Anonymous said...

Level downtown. Start over when the river is fixed.

Anonymous said...

I would have loved to have attended this meeting however, I was unaware of it. I am just so baffled by SBY's lack of enthusiasm when it comes to ANYTHING to improve our city! It seems the only thing anyone gets excited over anymore is political scandals and gossip! Step up people and make the city you live in a clean, happy, revitalized place to call home!

Anonymous said...

Once again, Joe, you are missing the point. Because you have made an investment, you feel as though you are entitled to special treatment. Maybe if you and the other "key players" were more involved with your investments, then there would be no need for Urban Salisbury. The goal is to attract businesses that thrive, not those that lie empty or are hidden behind locked doors. The input from the buying PUBLIC, not the absentee owners, is what is needed.

Anonymous said...

This is an(other-?) Ireton screw up. At one of the candidate forums he was against dumping more public funds into that area, but as soon as he was elected, he changed completely. Way to go, Jim-beau, you can't "just say no," can you?

Anonymous said...

The eastern shores future is in home building, with-out it Salisbury is dead. That downtown isnt going to help anything without building and raising home values.

Anonymous said...

Now Joe calm down i have a great idea to improve the downtown area. The area is to start at rt 50 at the gordy exon station .
Going east just past wi hi, south just past the college and north just past the center, oh please do not include the new dairy queen.
1. Hire Bulldozer
2. Hire one man to operate it, hey you created a job, way to go in tough economic times.
3. Level the mentioned area above , to ground level;
4. Fill in wicomico river with whats left , good job you took care of the Sewage problem.
5.Plant grass and trees.
6.Go to the Dairy Queen mentioned above and Pick up a shake or whatever your family likes and enjoy the new park you have just created.
7. End of project.

Anonymous said...

"Downtowns" have died all over the country 20 years ago and they are not coming back. Wal-Marts and big malls have assured this; the days of downtowns are over and this money would be better spent on busting crime and getting more police on the streets. With crime the way it is NOTHING will attract people to this area to shop or to live!

Anonymous said...

Jim beat you to the trees and bushes.

Anonymous said...

"and once again Urban Salisbury made no attempt to contact Salisbury News to let us know they'd be holding this meeting"

Take it as a sign!

Anonymous said...

The ignorance and downright lack of thought in these comments is exceeded only by the misinformation.

Anonymous said...

anon 11:12

Now how are people going to afford those houses when there are less jobs around that are able to pay for new houses?

Expecting Govt. to pay for them?

Bring back industry and business outside of service industry, i.e. hotels and food establishments.

Anonymous said...

If the city of Salisbury was actually serious about bringing downtown back to life they would look at areas that have already done so. Look at Greenville, South Carolina. Their downtown was ghetto and abandoned. You see it now and it's gorgeous, safe and one of the area biggest attractions. Are the "powers at be" pulling their ideas out of their a*&# or are they actually researching a way to make it work. Salisbury will be 20 yrs doing nothing at this rate.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous
Level downtown. Start over when the river is fixed.

10:02 AM

That will be in 10 years right mayor. gotta take the baby steps first. BS!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

This is an(other-?) Ireton screw up. At one of the candidate forums he was against dumping more public funds into that area, but as soon as he was elected, he changed completely. Way to go, Jim-beau, you can't "just say no," can you?

11:10 AM

Can you say Louweasel Ireton!

Anonymous said...

This is a group that does not have the budget for advertising but they should have reached out to the blogs, sent PSA's to WBOC, WMDT etc., and sent emails and asked them to be forwarded and invite more people. The downtown project needs more contributors- thoughts, ideas, grassroots info

I am going to the Harry Potter movie tonight- should be a great way to enjoy a good evening in the Downtown. See you at 8!

Anonymous said...

11:51 is right. Misinformation and ignorance.

11:20 - downtowns are coming back...but you are right about the crime.

12:07 - Urban Salisbury did look at other successful downtowns. Their plan is based on them, but is not the whole picture nor do they pretend it is.

10:52 - Kudos. While Joe is right that vested interests should be there, many vested interests are part of the problem. They know U.S. is doing this. If they are waiting for an invitation to get involved, shame on them.

FYI, Albero...the streets are not yours. You dismiss the public. Without the public, you property owners ain't got no business.

Be part of the solution, or be part of the problem. Your choice, man.

joealbero said...

anonymous 1:55, please read more carefully.

"In closing, don't forget. As property owners, IF WE do NOT like the idea, we'll come together and hire lawyers to fight it because WE feel WE'RE not being informed and or represented and it's OUR property, as well as the taxpayers."

Maybe you misunderstood what "taxpayers" meant?

Anonymous said...

Left one out...

11:10...Ireton never said he'd never put funding into the area. He said Urban Salisbury offered a way to not have to dump a lot of local public funds into the area.

You want grants you helped fund with your taxes to go into repaving Main Street in Intercourse, PA or our Main Street here?

Want U.S. to do more? How about volunteering to help instead of b*tching?

Anonymous said...

Salisbury is dead and nobody can fix it.

Anonymous said...

As several others said, I would have attended had I known it was happening. I signed in the last time I was there, how about blaming the lack of participation on those who do not ask others to join in.?

We have great people who are willing to help if asked. But if one is not told there are meetings and no one calls the sign in sheet, or mails anything out, or writes an e-mail, do not blame it on the folks === there is some serious "eliteism" going on here.