One of the greatest historic properties you own that the City still retains is the old Fire Station 16. Former Council members already sold off the old City Hall and the City regrets that to this day. Yet one of Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields and Louise Smith's friends, (Palmer Gillis) has proposed a purchase of the old building for $150,000.00, (some say it's $100,000.00) to put apartments upstairs and a deal with UMES to place a restaurant downstairs. This restaurant will compete with ALL of the Downtown Restaurants that are struggling in a very difficult economy and will not be able to compete against this restaurant package idea.
The local LORA, (Local Owners Restaurant Association) group intends to fight this proposal and I have personally heard of several people willing to pony up even more money to buy the building. Former Fire Chief David See stated they had an appraisal of $750,000.00 on that building and I personally stood in front of the Council on PAC 14 and offered $250,000.00 CASH right then and there with NO contingencies. So what did the former Mayor and Council do, the same thing they did with the Horses, money doesn't matter, they'll pick and choose who and what they want in that building and they don't care about the money.
That's YOUR money, not theirs. This building could go back on the tax roll but with UMES being there, that eliminates the tax idea. I'll bet some serious money that Brew River and Market Street Inn are paying more than $20,000.00 a year in taxes on their property.
So, are YOU going to allow this to continue? Are YOU going to re-elect Gary Comegys or Louise Smith in April? While I'm all about landing a great real estate deal and I cannot blame Palmer Gillis for his proposal, YOU need to decide, (since it is YOUR building) if YOU'LL accept such a deal.
There are other great proposals on the table but the good old boy system is allowing yet another screwing at taxpayers expense. Didn't Barrie Tilghman and her administration screw you enough! Oh, Barrie, you can't deny you didn't SCREW the taxpayers with your$140,000,000.00 Waste Water Treatment Plant, $14,000,000.00 Fire Station and The Bricks. So if you don't like that statement, go screw yourself. There's a new Pimp in Town.
wow !!!! now thats news !!!BAM !!!
ReplyDeleteI will pay them $200k to run the exact same plan.
ReplyDeleteThe poor restaurants won't have student tuition and free labor to subsidize their operations like the UMES proposal will have. This will be detrimental to area businesses.
Tax payers in Delmar got bent over the same way when the town paid 375,000.00 for the old bank of Delmar, in this economy that building would still be for sale at 150,000.00.
ReplyDeleteCome to the work sesssion on monday the 15th at 1:30 in the government building if you care sto keep the building. If not this meeting has been planned at 1:30 because Debbie and Mrs Cohen will be out of town on business and the other three know this. Let your voice be heard or forever hold your peace. It is really neat how sneaky these three can be or may I say corrupt! Come and speak up to hold on to a piece of our property they want to give away.
ReplyDeleteThese people working with Palmer Gillis want to put apartments on the second floor...WHY Landlords are now complaining how they cant rent what they have....what is the REAL story these three people want this building???
ReplyDeleteHow is this building zoned RESIDENTIAL? That would be my first question...
ReplyDeleteI thought the red light district was Nithsdale...lol
ReplyDelete11:26 the real story is They stay in power by keeping Palmer Gillis pockets full of tax dollars.
ReplyDeletei disagree. send it to auction, highest bidder gets it. new owner can put whatever he wants there. if it hurts downtown, so be it. they couldve bought it.
ReplyDeleteHeres an idea....how about opening this restaurant in Princess Anne,where UMES actually is located? Doesnt that make more sense?Or did Princess Anne restaurants already tell them "no way"!?
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't matter if every person in Salisbury showed up at the meeting....they are gonna do whatever they want regardless of the citizens opinions.
ReplyDeleteUMES can't operate the restaurant. That would violate their charter.
ReplyDeleteWith the EVO brewery opening in the old ice plant, the real question is does downtown need another bar?
It's too bad Debbie & Terry have something more important to do.
The appraisal was actually well over $ 800,000 and was done by Ralph Krum who was the low bid appraiser. He is also possibly the most incompetent commercial real estate appraiser on the Eastern Shore. If memory serves this appraisal was also done just before the real estate bubble collapsed, and it was a joke *then*.
ReplyDeleteThe building needs to be fully gutted. The property might be worth around $195,000 to $235,000 in the current market as an arm's length sale in real world terms, however, the city has a large laundry list of requirements for any prospective purchaser.
These requirements make the project untenable for any purchaser or investor except those with the deep pockets (and patience) necessary to meet all those requirements. For a lot of users and investors, given the scope of those requirements the buiding would not make sense to develop even if the city *gave* it to the user.
Folks:
ReplyDeleteIt's a work session, so that means the 3 stooges can't take any action, and the fact that C & C won't be there does not matter. But, the rest of us can attend and tell the 3 stooges to shove it. All Louweasel can do is ask you to leave if you speak up, just like she does to Jim Ireton.
By definition, his appraisals as "Krummy".
ReplyDeletePlease leave your opnions about the 3 council members out of the issue. The issue is are we willing to give the firehouse up? I for one was born and raised here and DON'T WANT MY FIREHOUSE SOLD!!! I need to show up, stand up and be heard like the businesses in Fruitland. UMES is not going to run the restaurant by the way. It seems it will be run by Black Diamond with the assumption UMES students will work for their credits. That is where the issue is when looking at it from the business side. Will Perdue be doing the same thing with their products since they will have a vested stake in this venture also? So now we have a college undercutting labor, a coorperation undercutting sales of their product because both want it to work in their bast interest. Our businesses can't get free labor to cut our prices and chicken at a discounted rate. Heck, Salisbury University just had a LOBSTER NIGHT for around $15.00 per person... Think the private secter could compete with that??? Get to the meeting, show your strength in numbers call, Gary, Shanie, Louise, Terry and Debbie and let them know how you feel. Do it now!!! Are we going to let something else be given away? Also, I was told that if someone came up with a written proposal for the property over the $150,000.00 they would have to stop and readjust and this would start over again... (Hint Joe) But, Do we want our tax payer property The Firehouse downtown we already paid for sold??? I DON"T and WILL BE HEARD!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a special meeting...unscheduled. Louise does that when she knows that hte date is a conflict for Cohen or Campbell or both. they have jobs. that's why they know the value of a dollar. Hold the meetings on the regular dates. I can't wait for the Spring. Louise, Gary...go home, and take Muir Boda and the SAPOA and Ireton chosen ones with you!
ReplyDeletePeople seem to be confused on this issue. Let's be very clear here, the City Council, and most especially council persons Cohen and Campbell have an extensive list of community betterment related requirements and conditions that anyone interested in developing the property are going to have to meet and agree to before even thinking about using the property.
ReplyDeleteThe notion some people have in this thread that someone with a big enough checkbook is going to able to buy this property for any price, and do what they want with it is a fantasy.
One thing people fail to focus on is one word. "FIREHOUSE!!"
ReplyDeleteIt is a firehouse and it needs to stay a firehouse. I am sick and tired of these thieves that you all keep electing to steal my money!!
Why in the world should a building that is obsolete, has structural issues with respect to handling large equipment, and is utterly inadeqate to the needs of a modern fire department be required to "stay" a firehouse? Buildings are re-purposed all the time with good reason.
ReplyDelete