Recently we’ve received questions regarding some construction down by the Centre at Salisbury. It seems that there are plans to put a Longhorn Steakhouse between the Olive Garden and Famous Dave’s restaurants. What’s there now? A storm water pond.
How can that be? We’ve all heard that Maryland’s already onerous storm water regulations are getting tighter. Is this just another case of big business getting its way when the little guy would be trampled over?
It doesn’t appear so. However, it does show you what lengths you have to go to in order to get all of your questions answered.
Our first stop was to the Planning Commission. It was explained that they really didn’t have anything to do with it. The property is properly zoned for the restaurant. The only thing coming before them will likely be signage.
Salisbury Public Works – Now we’re getting somewhere! Public Works, along with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) worked with the owners to come up with a revised storm water management scheme.
The owners will be allowed to fill in a portion of the current storm water management pond. They will build a dike separating the two sections and deepen the portion that will continue to be storm water management.
Makes sense so far. A gallon of capacity is a gallon of capacity. It doesn’t matter whether the container is wide or deep.
Now we know that the project has been approved and they have what appears to be a valid explanation. Ah, but if you worked for Joe Albero you would know that it couldn’t end there.
Albero raised a perfectly good question. What about the water table? If they are digging deeper, won’t they loose capacity due to the water table? Also, won’t that cause a problem with construction?
We didn’t get those answers until today. A well drilling rig was observed on the property. Back to Salisbury Public Works.
Have you ever heard of a “de-watering well”? Me either … until today. The well will temporarily lower the local water table to allow workers to complete filling in the section where the restaurant will be built and to drive their foundation pilings. When done, the pumps will be turned off and the water table will naturally rise.
Sounds expensive. It is. This brings us back to where we started – the Salisbury / Wicomico Planning Commission. When discussing this with Planning and Zoning Director Jack Lenox, he commented that this shows how valuable the piece of property is. That location is valuable enough to the owners that they are willing to sink a small fortune into sight prep just to get frontage on US 13 at the Centre.
Nefarious? No. Interesting? We definitely thought so; or we wouldn't have devoted the hours required to get this post out.
Thanks to all of the people interviewed to help put this together; especially those that were not supposed to talk to us. Perhaps the Salisbury city government will learn that allowing their employees to answer questions in a forthright manner goes a long way to making them, their departments, and the city look good. - Ed.
18 comments:
I would be more concerned about the settlement that will occur after construction.
A de-watering well is a common practice when installing utilities such as water and sewer in areas that experience a high water table.
I have to commend you on the reporting. I think this type of investigation should be done before something is posted so false assumptions aren't drawn. Good Job. Everything isn't a conspiracy.
A dewatering permit is not obtained locally so the story is how did they get the permit "in days"
Permits like that can be handled through MDE locally. No conspiracy 5:59. 4:58, why are you concerned about settling? Is it your building? If it settles, it will be up to them to fix it. Really none of your business.
Anon 1759 -
I never said they got the permit in days. We started investigating this last Friday. We didn't find out about the de-watering well until today. We checked and they had a permit. We didn't ask when the permit was applied for.
Anon 1658 -
Settling is a concern. That is why they are going to have to fill in, compact, fill in, compact, ... as well as drive foundation pilings. This goes back to the statement we ran about this being such a valuable location. Otherwise, no one would even think about going to the expense of building there.
Congratulations to the "doers" that are making this project a reality. We need jobs and this project is creating construction jobs and restaurant jobs. Also, the increased tax base with no school impact will benefit Wicomico County. It's great to see something positive happen!
If a storm water runoff pond was needed in the first place why isn't it needed now?
This is a classic example of free enterprise in action -- no taxpayer subsidies -- and will add over $1 Million to the tax base and provide about $250,000 in impact taxes and various "fees" to build it.
And also jobs when they are badly needed.
It's kind of ridiculous for them to build a restaurant over a catch basin. They have plenty of space in the parking lot of the mall. Why won't they build it over where the old montgomery wards garage was?
They should just occupy the Famous Dave's-I never see any business there and think it will soon fold.
This will not be a net win, 1 of the 2 current steak houses will close and another building will be empty in time. Construction jobs for us locally - check and found out how many are actually local workers vs out of the county or state.
Salisbury has enough places to eat.
I know that Bennett Construction from Fruitland is doing the site work.
Not surprised that permits were issued. State, oounty, and city are are all useless as far as protecting the environment from stormwater runoff. Look what Fruitland has done-flooding homeowners' properties to accomodate businesses.
PS-have a $50 bet this will not be published.
I know in Delmar Brad Gillis tried to put up some section 8 housing in the drainage area of a neighborhood and their Planning and Zoning asked so many questions about it and the town raised so much commotion that Gillis withdrew the project.
Wow, too bad our city council people aren't allowed to get these types of answers from dept. heads.
Oh, forgot, that's just some council members. Like Barrie, Jimmy boy has his chosen few. Picked up on that at one of the last council meetings on PAC14.
Good for the P&Z. Bradley tries to develop a lot of places that aren't right for what he proposes. He sure ain't his daddy.
Well Delmar's P&Z is stacked with good people. Ed from the police station, Bunky, Dr Ring the school super, Carl Anderton and Rob Thompson the fireman. These guys actually care about the town. Salisbury could use people like that.
About the picture of the dril rig,they were not putting in a de-watering well, they were putting in a new agricultural irrigation well for Olive Garden,for the lawn sprinkler system.The old well had to be sealed off because they are making the pond wider on the side by Olive Garden,and the old well would have been in the middle of the newly designed pond. I heard the pond will be maybe 1-2 feet deeper and almost the same size round.I'm not saying they didn't put in a de-watering well,but it would go on the other side where the constucton of the steak house will be. Just thought i'd add my 2 cents on what i know.
KKEP UP THE GOOD WORK. SBYNEWS RULES!!
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