Mayor James Ireton, Jr. will address the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce General Membership this Thursday, May 17, 2012 at Noon at the Holiday Inn on Route 13. He will be joined by Town Planner, Chris Jakubiak and City Administrator, John Pick. The mayor will outline his 2012-2020 Downtown Revitalization Plan which includes the following goals for downtown Salisbury over the next 8 years:
Waterfront parking lots developed
Increase number of jobs by 300
Increase number of housing units by 500
Increase resident population by 750
Increase commercial square footage by 100K square feet
Remove 25% of impervious surface area
The mayor will discuss preliminary findings on the recent parking lot study, will discuss Salisbury’s business-friendly proposed drop in Capacity Fees, his proposed EDU Free Zone for downtown, and the successes that are proving downtown Salisbury to be alive and well.
“I will be asking the Chamber and its members to partner with Salisbury as proposals move to the Salisbury City Council for consideration. I have proposed bold ideas such as development of parking lots on riverfront property, a 60% drop in the City’s Capacity Fee rates, and an EDU Free Zone for downtown. On Thursday I will make the case that Salisbury’s downtown is ready for opportunities,” said Mayor Ireton.
Publishers Notes: I feel it is VERY important for everyone to know that the Mayor nor any of the people mentioned here have made any contact with the property owners on the Plaza referencing this matter.
The issue here is that, (once again) Mayor Ireton has spent three years concocting such projects without ever including the City Council. The City Council has absolutely no knowledge of this proposal and should have been included from the ground floor. After all, they ARE the legislative body. Why Mayor Ireton continues to run the City in such secrecy and then expected a favorable vote and ultimately becomes insulting and attacks the Council is beyond me.
The Mayor's job is to include the Council as well as, (here's an idea) the actual property owners who have invested millions of dollars Downtown. I am NOT saying his proposal is a bad idea, I have no clue what he's about to propose other than what is here above.
One thing I do know is that I actually have a better idea for Downtown Salisbury in which I have shared with property owners and they are absolute nuts about the idea. It would NOT be a proposal that would take eight years like the Mayor is proposing.
Don't let any more politicians tell you how they want to run your business or handle your investment. This Mayor and the former Mayor have tried it before and look where it got us. More importantly, the Mayor needs to include the City Council on these projects and I know for a fact he has not. He's using formats like the one above to sell the citizens and attack the Council when he drops it on their lap at the last second. This is NOT how you run a business. This is how you run a dictatorship.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
What about all the parking impervious surface still on the old mall site? They already have our TIF money, force them to make improvements or sieze the property.
ReplyDeleteGet Rid of Rick Hoppes and all the deadbeat department heads.
ReplyDeleteHow much is Mike Dunn's pal Jakubiak being paid by the City for this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteIt's Jim-Beau's effort to emulate his idol, Obama -- as the election approaches, put forth grandiose plans that have no possible chance but will cost big tax dollars to try. They call that fantasy economic "stimulus".
ReplyDeleteDowntown is cannot be saved because it is no longer "dying" it's "dead".
ReplyDeleteA sitting gay president, a sitting gay governor and a sitting gay mayor. Does anyone see a pattern?
ReplyDelete1:09 Have you ever seen the list of Gays in the Obama administration and in prominent Government positions? Just like the number of blacks employed by the DC Metro (over 90%) Heterosexual whites need not apply.
ReplyDeleteShut up about the homosexual thing. Who cares?
ReplyDeleteThat said, BRAVO, Joe. Unlike idiot commenters here, you have nailed it.
Ireton is a dictator, building little clubs just to create political hell for the council. I used to think he cared about SBY, but now we know it's just a stepping stone for his "grand plan" for himself.
I'll bet you 10 bucks his plan gives away everything downtown to chosen buddies and those of us who aren't in his secret club will pay through the nose for years to come.
Joe:
ReplyDeleteIf you have a plan, please publish it as a post, don't just say you have one. I'm old enough to recall hearing about Nixon's secret plan to end the war when he was running for Pres. What a load of BS -- hope your's is not the same type of "plan".
First step -- close the plaza to vehicle traffic.
ReplyDeleteanonymous 9:54, I suggest you listen to 88.3 FM tomorrow at noon. I am NOT going to play all my cards this early and let others who plan to possibly run steal my ideas. I will say this. I have spoken to many key players, business owners, commercial property owners and residential property owners in the City and they absolutely love my ideas. In fact, each one of them stated these ideas were completely out of the box and no one has ever come up with such great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI will continue to feel them out and tweak them to as close to perfection as I can but rest assure, if I do get elected and I do remove parking meters I will guarantee you I have a plan to match or surpass the revenue with another concept partnered with the removal of those meters.
Anyone attempting to continue to challenge me this early on by demanding answers, those comments will be rejected. I have stated all I'm going to say at this time.
Tax breaks for new business downtown? In and of itself, perhaps an idea worth considering. HOWEVER, what's this new revenue stream for sewer that Ireton speaks of? Is it another tax on residents who have seen their taxes rise unproportionately to wages, inflation, and GDP?
ReplyDeleteanonymous 8:26, What this Mayor seems to be clueless about is the FACT that Downtown is an Enterprise Zone. That being said, the tax breaks for businesses relocating to that area receive a 90% tax break the first year. 80% the second year. 70% the third year and so forth and so on.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously have to have a bigger VISION other than to offer tax breaks. You have to deliver traffic. You have to deliver a concept greater than art studios.
I have a plan for Downtown that I will share when the timing is right. It will revitalize Downtown almost immediately. Property values will go back to where it belongs and very frankly people should be getting into investing NOW before the boom hits.