Joe,
I thought I would pass this along to you. I am a disabled veteran that just had a multi level spinal fusion. I recently visited downtown Salisbury to run into a store to get a present for my wife. There was no HandyCap parking available where I needed to run in, so I spotted a parking lot located next to the Powell Building that had about 40-50 spots with only about 5 cars parked. I put my HandyCap tag up and went into the store, I was in and out in no more than 3-4 minutes. When I came back I had been ticketed for a parking violation from the City of Salisbury. Someone must have run out and stuck it on my car in a 4 minute period and ran away. I was really disappointed in the City for not allowing parking for HandyCap and then ticketing me. I understand now why the growth of Downtown Salisbury will never happen, and I have no interest in returning to downtown Salisbury.
Disappointed Citizen
Publishers Notes: I couldn't agree with you more. Allow me to expand on your concern. I think most of our readers here will agree, parking and especially metered parking Downtown needs to end. The Downtown businesses are suffering enough with this economy and quite frankly if they eliminated the parking meters to encourage more traffic the City would easily make up the difference in tax revenue.
As a property owner Downtown, believe me when I tell you, I pay outrageous taxes already. The meters need to go, better handicapped parking needs to be put in place and there are quite a few businesses operating Downtown that are not ADA compliant.
Please contact your elected officials and express your thoughts and concerns on this matter. Maybe with enough pressure we can get them to change their minds on parking meters and handicaped parking spaces, in which there really are next to none and not one of them is convenient.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
11 comments:
If any business is not compliant with handicap laws concerning access, they can be sued, by anyone, and awarded money.
Not long ago a man in a wheelchair was going around and checking various businesses and sued each one he encountered violating the law.
He didn't get much money, about a thousand or so, but he got that on each business. So it added up.
It would be in the best interest of the businesses and the city to become compliant, even if only to save them the trouble of being sued.
I have to pay 300 dollars yearly for the privilege to work downtown,
On streets that my taxes, license and registration fee's have already paid to build and maintain.
"Permits" and "meters"= SCAM Government.
If you did away with the meters, the downtown employees would get all of those spots and the customers would be worse off.
Wow, 529, you really don't have a clue, do you? Look out there in the middle of any day and the employees are there and parked. It takes 1-3 employees pre store to serve 300 customers, who will share parking spaces throughout the day. There are always plenty of empty spaces all day long in towwn. Get real. Sales tax alone would double the meter income!
MD Disabiity Certification #VR-264c: >"Persons lawfully certified...(etc)..displaying a disability placard or plate are exempt from paying parking fees in Maryland or any political subdivision of this state where parking meters do not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act."<
7:58 PM
I assume that means the meters that are not low enough for people in wheelchairs to deposit money?
Wouldn't it be nice if some "civic-minded" attorney would bring a class action suit against the city in order to make them comply with the Americans with Disabilities act??
11:14-
It's the property owners and business firms that would be sued.
Do you want to drive away the few that are still there????
The city of Salisbury will never have a thriving downtown, because they don't care.
I understand if there are no handicap spots, but there are metered spots, so if you had to use a metered spot, then put money in it like everyone else has to. you saying that you didnt pay because you were only going to be a few minutes is the same as if i was going to park in a handicap spot at walmart because i was only going to be a few minutes. im sure you would be the first to complain about something like that, and rightly so. im not trying to bash the handicapped, but if your simply wrong, quit whining about it. next time feed the meter.
8:52 AM
I think he was talking about the meters....
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