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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Local Building Inspector Says There's NO Structural Problems With The Thrift Travel Inn

Joe,

I just took a drive around town on my lunch hour, and happened to be going by the Inn, so I stopped to see what all the fuss has been about. Reading the papers posted there, The city has gone from grass and weed violations to actually condemning the structure as unsafe. I went all around the building looking for the structural problems, and could find none. Not even peeling paint! There’s a little rotted spot on the canopy fascia board out front, but that’s all.

That’s when WBOC pulled up and wanted to put me on TV with my opinion for their story on tonight’s news. I politely declined and left.

Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with the building. It’s a saleable product. It did not commit any crimes! It’s up for auction for the highest bidder over $75k. Someone could buy that and have enough left over to turn it into an asset to the City. If people don’t want to spend the money to buy it, why should they be forced to pay to have it torn down? There are many, many, many Sperry Van Ness signs up in this town. Should city residents be forced to fork over the money to have ALL those vacant buildings torn down?

It just makes no sense.

Publishers Notes: Mayor Jim Ireton is on the Campaign War Path trying to put all kinds of pressure on the City Council with his feel good projects. You know, he'll clean the river so you can swim in it within 10 years kind of crap. I'll give Police Officers pay increases costing the taxpayers $400,000.00, yet he never mentioned it in this years budget proposal, nor last years or the year before that.

Jim Ireton wants to do things that simply COST the taxpayers. Don't forget his proposal last year to raise taxes, yet they had a $600,000.00 SURPLUS!!!!! Thankfully Debbie Campbell and the Council majority dug in deep enough to find that a tax increase was completely unnecessary.

Salisbury needs a new Mayor. We'll have to wait and see how WBOC twists this story for the Mayor.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's no different than any other vacant building in this town. Why tear them all down? It takes good money to build one of these buildings. Thes could be guttet and redesigned as ANYTHING.

Anonymous said...

Okay, good question. What should this building become? If you had the money to invest, what business would you put in that building to make it work? Ant ideas out there?

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be nice if a church had the money to buy this hotel and turn it into a homeless shelter to help people get back on their feet. Sometimes people can NOT get a place because they can't save enough for the 2 months rent that they need. This would be a great way to help them.

Anonymous said...

The place is a dump and doing a drive by inspection isn't worth the effort put into it. The last thing we need on this side of town is another homeless shelter. While well meaning, most shelters "dump" their homeless right back into the neighborhood each day, with or without the proper medications and supervisions they need. I would rather see a commercial venture pop up and that won't happen until the old structure comes down. Its not only structurally poor, it violates most state health and fire safety laws too.

Anonymous said...


That place has been a money maker!

Anonymous said...

I'm a contractor in town, and have been solicited to bid on destroying this building. I refuse. It does not belong to the city, and is structurally sound. It could be gutted to a shell and rebuilt into anything bu an investor. My guys are hungry and need work, but I won;t bid on this mistake.

Anonymous said...

Joe are going to be awesome Mayor.

Anonymous said...

It is an excellent opportunity for a low income housing project

Anonymous said...

It would make a nice brothel.

Anonymous said...

Another game by Ireton and his puppets. Keep The Bricks but knock down this building.

Anonymous said...

I think he is just trying to screw everything up for us so when you take over Joe it is one big mess.

Anonymous said...

Salisbury does need a new mayor. And that person is YOU.

Anonymous said...

How about a home for our homeless and needy veterans. One good turn deserves another one.

Anonymous said...

No way should it become a living quarters of any sort. It needs to become commercial space/ retail, offices, or something like that.

Anonymous said...

It may be the problem is that it's not up to current code and in order for a occupancy permit to be issued more work must be done that any new owner is not willing to invest. Let's face it no decent citizen or traveler will stay there so it will alleys be occupied by the less fortunate, ladies of the nIght etc etc etc.