Don’t the Rules Apply to SAPOA Members?

Over the last several months we have seen landlords such as Mitchell David and Salisbury Area Property Owners Association (SAPOA) president Kris Adams appear before the Salisbury City Council and praise city agencies such as Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance. It struck us as a little odd. For years the city government, and this department in particular, were public enemy number one amongst the SAPOA crowd. Maybe we can glean a little understanding from recent events.

For those that don’t know, Salisbury councilwoman Debbie Campbell lives at 809 Camden Avenue. A few months ago 807 Camden (next door to Campbell and her family) was purchased by Kevin and / or Kris Adams or one of their companies (SDAT records do not show the property transfer at the time of this post). Given that Campbell has been a vocal opponent of many SAPOA practices over the years, many have anticipated some fireworks.

Well, Fourth of July may be approaching fast.
PERMITS, WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING PERMITS

The Adamses recently brought in some contractors to do some work, including concrete work. You will notice from the picture above that there is an absence of permits.
We first became aware of the work being done when it was mentioned that the Campbells’ retaining wall had been damaged by the concrete contractors.

It was pretty evident that the folks hired by the Adamses weren’t real concerned about other people’s property. This seemed a little odd, but the initial reaction was, “Hey, everyone makes mistakes”. However, several parties interviewed have suggested that this may be an attempt to put Debbie Campbell into litigation against the Adamses. This would force Campbell to recuse herself on any vote that affected either the Adamses or SAPOA.
Even if true, it is doubtful that Campbell would bite. That’s what insurance companies are for.

In addition to damaging the Campbells’ retaining wall, the fact that the home is in the Historic District was completely ignored. One member of the Historic District Commission complained and Kevin Adams’ response was that “he didn’t know”. This stretches credulity as the auctioneer emphasized repeatedly (and on video) that this property was in the Historic District and many changes or renovations would be subject to approval by the city’s Historic District Commission.
What about a building permit? According to the Salisbury’s Department of Building, Permits, and Inspections one isn’t required. I honestly don’t know what kind of work is being done inside the house. However, why isn’t a permit required for the retaining wall?

Last year a house just a few doors down had its retaining wall damaged by a car. The city required a building permit for that job. In fact, the property owner was cited for not repairing it fast enough. The hold up? A building permit. Why isn’t a permit required here?
FIXING THE SIDEWALK
Last, but not least is the repairs to the curbs and sidewalk necessitated by the Adams’ little demolition job.

The city has rules regarding tearing up and repairing curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. For starters, you have to get a “Breakage Permit” from the Salisbury Department of Public Works. Then, all repair work (putting it back to right) must be done by a city approved contractor. Did the Adams family doe these things?
Eyewitness accounts and a little research say NO.
No breakage permit was issued until AFTER the damage was done, a neighbor complained, and a public works employee visited the site. It’s one thing for Joe Homeowner to profess ignorance; it’s another for someone who makes their living as a rental property investor.
I understand the argument in favor of the Adamses. I have no love for government. While I have a few acquaintances serving on the Historic District Commission, I’ve no use for it either. Here at SbyNEWS we’re strong supporters of property rights. That said … them’s the rules. I also find it a tad hypocritical coming from folks who love to stand up in public and brag that they are in compliance with all of the city’s rules.
What about the repairs?
The tardily applied for permit states that an approved city contractor (Worth Construction) would do the repair work. Two neighbors (neither one of whom is Debbie Campbell) state that Quality Concrete Construction did the repair work.
Given that neither of these witness appear to have any axe to grind and we were unable to confirm with Worth that they did do the work, we have to conclude that the city’s regulations were skirted.
I’m sure that the Campbell’s wall will get repaired. I’m confident that Public Works will follow-up to confirm who actually did the sidewalk repairs. I trust that the Historic District Commission will give the Adamses a fair hearing. I simply hope that the next time we hear from a pious landlord, they don’t tell us what great neighbors they are and how compliant they are.
They might find more sympathy from citizens IF they were just straightforward about their actions. If the regulatory burden is too great in Salisbury, then they might think about moving more of their business out of the city.

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