Do You Support The Purchase Of 5 Acres Of Land
For $300,000.00 Per Acre
Across The Street From The Civic Center?
Yes or No
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
89 comments:
NO HELL NO!
No !!
absolutely not! We have idiots on council and in the executive office if this goes through! They all can already kiss their re-election goodbye, but this will put a stake in it for sure! As for the ring leader, Gary Mackes, he's a flippin' manipulative moron!
NO NO NO
yes, they don't have enough parking!
No!
100% yes
HELL NO!
Why don't they reroute the road or include a pedestrian bridge too?
Yes I do. Good move.
NO
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!
Yes and start charging for parking. I remember when the airport had free parking, totally unheard of anywhere else. If you can afford tickets to the Monster Truck show you can afford to pay for parking.
Yes. Why not?
I will say no now and no again at the polls.
NO!
No, not at that inflated price
yes, they don't have enough parking!
12:24 PM
what have you been to at the civic center that needed more parking? The shows they bring in are not Capital Center material!
No is my answer
NO NO No WAY NADDA NOPE
NO
Yes, as is any smart business owner would. The Civic Center greatly impacts my business.
I wish we could purchase the entire parcel for future generations.
NO. How much would a parking garage cost?
No for the 5 acres/ but yes to purchase the whole property and make good use of it for a county office complex
NO NO NO!!
Not at that price - $300,000 per acre. If Pollitt can get the total he wants (15 Acres) for the total $1.5 Million, then that's OK -- the land is not worth even $100,000 per acre, but that price would be half-way reasonable.
No!
No way. Send that money BACK to the state. Contact other counties (you know - friends made during the MACo conference) and encourage them to do the same. Send a message to the state. Stop taxing people to death. They're even taxing our sh*t. (flush tax) Let the people keep more of what they earn. No parking lot....no no no!
Yes! It is open space money! Please do some research!
not for 300k no, but doesnt matter it will be bought anyway for 300k or more trust me
Absolutley Yes,
this is a Smart move, now the county has plenty of problems when it comes to spending to much money for stuff, but I do think that the land purchase is a Good idea
I think anonymous 12:48 makes an excellent point. If the price was $100,000.00 per acre it would be acceptable. The beef is the fact that the County is willing to pay way too much per acre for land and this has been proven time and time again.
Remember Folks, we've only been discussing the COST of purchasing the land. Then there's the expense to IMPROVE it.
nope
Hell No, Rick must be on the pipe.
NO! its not worth anywhere near that much! someones getting a sweet backdoor deal on this rip-off scam on the tax payers
Hell NO
Not at 300,000 its not worth that much owner will not get anyone to build there for that price 50,000 an acre is more than fair
NO!
$50,000.00 Thats a joke.
It is the old supply and demand. The mall owners have something that the Civic Ctr. needs, and can not go anywhere else to get it. If county does not go thru with the purchase, then they will have to move the Civic Ctr....what will that cost? A lot of people think the over flow parking on the old Mall is already county property...not! The owners can deny use at anytime.
Joe, you are a real estate guy. If you had property that someone offered to pay an agreed amount for a year ago, would you take less now knowing you had them over a barrel? I doubt it, that's just business. At the risk of being crude, this stink is the proverbial fart in a wind storm.
I attended the meeting and heading in I was against it at that price. However, after looking at recent comparable unimproved lots the argument of the price is mute as it seems in line. This is a once in a life time opportunity to add the needed parking spaces. Once that piece is gone there will never be another chance and having the states assistance only makes it more attractive.
Rick, I mean anonymous 1:27, aren't you in Annapolis. LOL
hell no! use the damn money for CRIME PREVENTION!
anonymous 1:26, are you freakin kidding me?
If "I" was the property owner I would have lost that land long ago for lack of compliance. That's the very difference between a developer that is willing to kiss A$$ and one that is not.
Bottom line is, IF the current owners were to in fact get $100,000.00 per acre up front right here and now, (if it were mine) I'd be happier than a pig in sh!t.
They have NO LEVERAGE. They need the money to move forward. Mind you, this is America but we aren't supposed to get rich from taxpayers money.
Yes, but for a lower cost. Take back the "Planned Residential" and "General Commercial" zoning and put it back to what it was... a parking lot. That will reset the value to where it needs to be.
The county owns a huge parking lot accross the street. The WI HI lot is less than 1/4 away. This is why this desicion is so short sighted.
What to they think the life expectancy for the old girl is anyway. Any money invested in the center now will be a loss when you need a bigger and better one down the road anyway. You could remodel the old girl from top to bottom and she aint never going to be top-of-the-line or energy efficient.
Absolutely NO!!!
In response to SalisburyMom: I have been to concerts there where you had to park in the mall parking lot, you had no choice because the main lot was full.
No No No - not until you find enough money in the budget to pay your county employees what you promised to pay them when you hired them. If they have furlough days you cannot afford to buy land! No matter where the funds are coming from - it's just WRONG!
Their not going to do fair market value because like any good democrat, they have a special back room deal to honor.
anonymous 1:46, why didn't you car pool with friends?
I stood in front of the Council more than a year ago and suggested they CHARGE to park in the main parking lot just for Sold Out Events. This would eliminate meeting your date/friends there and open up 30% to 50% more parking. I also suggested the redesign the spaces, similar to Wal-Mart, etc. Hey, if its good for everyone else, why not the County.
There are plenty of other ways to resolve the parking issues. NOT ONE of them were visited by the County Executive. Tax and Spend, that's the Democratic way.
NO!
no
NO! By the way, is Mr. Pollitt somehow related to another "tax and spend" Democrat, Mr. O'Bama???
1:46 PM Then you should of parked at Wi-High duh..and what concert was that?
NO.
Joe, Can you imagine the looks you would get in Annapolis and D.C. if you told them they are not supposed to get rich off taxpayor money?
I thought that was what governing was all about????
NO
No, No, a thousand times NO!
yes buy the whole lot and build new sports complex football
... NO !!! ...
just condemn the land and take it,
thats how its done these days
YES
The biggest problem that I see is that the whiney Gary Mackes is speculating. Mackes is fueling the County's decision with the assumption that more parking will bring more high ticket or sold out events. Look at the economy right now, is or has anybody be right about their speculations? Has the State been right? What about the County? NO! That's why we are in such a shitty mess in this economy! This is the wrong time to speculate! To be quite frank, I've never not bought tickets to an event just because I thought that there wasn't going to be enough parking. None-the-less, the property owners have offered to lease the property to the County so why hasn't the County explored that option more? I say let Gary Mackes prove his speculations to be correct-say they lease the property and Gary can show that the increased parking help venues bring in more money (enough money to pay for the property acquisition) then they could consider purchasing the property. If leasing the land doesn't bring in considerable funds then we, the tax payers, would stand to lose a lot less. I'm sure that the property owners would be willing to lease with a contingency to buy. And let's face it, the only reason the property owners are willing to sell at all is because development sucks right now! That APPROVED development project isn't taking off anytime soon and selling this portion of the land would alleviate the pain and losses they are and will be taking. Even still, I bet if the County said "NO" to this deal now, the property owners would come back later and offer it at a lower price. Has Rick or the Council ever bought a car or house? Playing hardball works!
And to all you folks that are pissed off with the Executive and Council, don't forget to add Gary Mackes to your list! He's the one that started this mess to begin with! He's also the director at the Parks and Rec Dept that raises the costs every year for your kids to play certain sports and participate in County organized activities. He's the reason why Wicomico County Schools have to PAY to have their proms and other events at the Civic Center. He's the one sparked the ridiculous purchase of the West Metro Core Park property. It obvious that Gary isn't a team player with rest of the County and the Tax Payers-He has been hiking up fees everywhere and then trying to spend every cent of Open Space money he can! Just because we can get it, doesn't mean we have to spend it-show some fiscal responsibility...IT IS STILL TAX PAYER MONEY!!! Gary, quit trying to find frivolous pet project to spent MY MONEY on!
NO!!!!!!
no. thanks sjd
I agree that people that think open space money is somehow free money are very uninformed. It's all tax money and frankly I don't want mine wasted under any name. No to the parking lot. By the way, shouldn't open space money be used for "open space" not paved parking lots.
I don't actually have a vote in this since I don't live in that County. I have not been to too many events there but, the time that I was, there was never a problem parking on their lot. There are only so many seat in the Center however. If there really are occasions (how many?) that require additional parking, it would be less costly to use the school lot down the street and some shuttle buses. In addition, if there really were a mob of cars, it would be extremely dangerous to have people walking across the street which would also become a traffic nightmare.
Remember that, when you buy something, you need to maintain it and that requires additional recurring operations funding in the budget every year.
Oh Hell NO and neither do I support Rick Pollitt anymore. Come on elections. Lets get rid of him!!!!!!
Annon: 2:34 You are so miss-informed its embarrassing.
just what Salisbury needs- another empty parking lot...
I honestly don't follow the politics surrounding it, my view is that of someone who grew up there and left after college to find a good job.
This is exactly why Salisbury suffers from the "brain drain". The city has a PERFECT spot in the middle of town- could have been so many things that would have brought culture, jobs, UNITY or business to the community... endless possibilities.
But no- another PARKING LOT! At least now there will be AMPLE parking for all of the unattended events at the rundown civic center.
"ohhh Salisbury, I'm so glad we broke up"
Roughly 75% say NO! R U Listening Rick and County Council? It's pretty simple. Represent your constituents - unless you're like those politicians who think they should vote their own opinion rather than that of people who voted them into office. We will be watching to see if you have learned anything from the recent election in Massachusettes.
So much backward thinking here is why Worcester county with Tom Westcott proved to be a hero.
Loren Rickhards refused open space money to help inprove the quality of life in Wicomico County. Why do you think Henry J. Parker complex was built years after Pocomoke and Snow Hill accepted monies rejected by Rickards. Open space money is building a project in Princess Anne for a complex.
Not at that cost!!
NO! not at the inflated price.
No!!!!!!!!!!!!
If we get grant money for something, it should be spent on a good value.
This is sickening!
Why can't the county just seize the land under eminant domain? It seems all over the country governments are taking private land to benefit the community as a whole. THis seems like a perfect opprotunity.
No
Slick Rick and the Seven Dwarfs will do what they want to. They have shown voters again and again they do not care what we think. So "No" but we will purchase it anyway Joe. What the heck is wrong with these elected officials today.
They have screwed county employees and the public and do not seem to care.
Why not take the "grant" money and have a big cookout for taxpayers at the Civic Center. RENT the so called parking lot and have one big tailgate party. Maybe even hire a clown.
Citizens would gain SO much more from this I would think.
Hell no!
No.
Tom Sawyer. Just to get my vote in.
NO! Totally unacceptable!
no
i agree that yes the parking would be a good thing but not at that price.
I would have to say NO. The reason I say no is that I remember talking to some people on the east side of the county and the Willards Vol. Fire Dept purchased 5 1/2 acres from the county for $60,000 for the whole thing. So why pay $300,000 per acre, I know that there is a huge difference in location and being in city and all.
But The county should not buy that property the civic center does not need additional parking they have plenty. The only time that they need more is when they have the graduations for the area high schools and that's it, and that only happens once a year.
Look at the bigger picture here. The cost will be much higher than just $300,000 per acre for five acres. I agree, it is a start, but
won't be enough to fix the parking problems. They will need to buy more land. So, I call this a "quick-fix" just because the money is in hand now. What's the next step?
I say, if you are going to put money towards this, then fix the problem and not go for a "quick-fix." So, heck no!
YES!!!!!
no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
joe didn't you comment on your blog how a realestate agent under estimated your 19,550 sqft residental building lot.... the one you bought for 300k and sold for $1,595,000.00 yes waterfrount but less than a half acre. supply & demand. if i owned the mall land i would not sell for 300k/ acre
That was a waterfront, one in a billion lot on the Assawoman Bay in Ocean Cuty. It had 26 ft deep water and was a peninsula lot to boot. Not anything close to the property we're talking about here. I'll add, it was at the very peak of the real estate boom, not in the 2010 DEPRESSION.
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