My business Parker Place survived downtown for almost 15 years, with NO HELP from the city. Our city isn't business friendly, PERIOD! The Mayor and the City Council need to be more aggressive trying to bring new businesses downtown, and they need to work with people. A great example would be Berlin and what Michael Day has done. I voted for Ireton 4 years ago,(AGAINST THE ADVISE OF MANY) because he used the magic word "CHANGE".....I am still waiting.
67 comments:
And you will continue to wait...
The END
Anne was the best thing to ever happened to downtown. Get her back Joe.
Its a damn shame Ireton bad mouths Businesses downtown, don't people get it he the mayor has NEVER been business friendly and is a slap in the face to every business owner in Salisbury, watch how he tries to take credit for the new businesses opening downtown, Its a little LATE Jim-bob everyone is ON TOO YOU and your FAILURE as Mayor...
It is not just the Mayor... It is also the Council, it is the Public Works Department, etc, etc. at almost each level of government there is a mindset to deter development.. They may voice favorable comments in the press but the overall mindset is just the opposite. Ask most developers or business owners...
Parker place was great for downtown. I wonder if Ann knows that the council tried to get the mayor to develop a pilot test of free parking for customers at downtown businesses and he refused. They also wanted to redo the guidelines for the loan fund to make it more useful to both small and large businesses/buildings. Again, the administration refused. Neither the paper or the mayor will be talking about that. They also don't want people to know that it was Debbie Campbell who worked to figure out how the redevelopment of River's Edge could help downtown and the economy. 100 units of artist housing with a gallery, etc. and NO subsidy from the city treasury. Go Debbie!
The city council needs to get there act together too.
12:11 are you are wrong. I go to council meetings. When it comes to what the council has done you are either poorly informed or worse.
12:17...how so. By giving away waterfront property or by putting the city in legal jeopardy by pretending like everything with the contract for the old fire house was A-okay? The city council brought the new project on Fitzwater (with the help of a visionary developer). The mayor would have tanked that if he could have figured out how.
That was my favorite store. I think when the other antique store went out of business that hurt her. Its hard to get people to come downtown when there are so few businesses. I loved her shop.
I found it rather insulting that the Mayor placed blame directly on the shoulders of business owners for a failed downtown. While out of the other side of his mouth he's always talking about creating "partnerships" between business and government. Small business owners took a risk and opened businesses. They upheld their end of the bargain. Now where was the Mayor? He should have been out stomping for a big drawl downtown such as an "anchor" type of thing or a "flagship" type of thing to increase interest in downtown. Instead he was out stomping for obama and omalley.
I went to Jacob Day's site and looked at his vison for Salisbury. He copied ideas for it directly off of Sby News comments! 2 of my own ideas even he's proposed which is something along the lines of a Youth Council who makes suggestions and recommending to the City Council. Then the Mayor's Mentoring program which he's changed up a bit so I guess to make it seem like it was his own idea. It's all well and good that he listens and takes ideas from others but it should be brought out that these ideas were first proposed elsewhere.
I guess it could all just be a coincidence but it's quite ironic that alot of his ideas are what's been already said on Sby News.
I live in an area that has quite a few downtowns within a 20 mile radius of me. (around 15) They all have a few things in common. Localy owned resturaunts, cofee shops, antique shops, cupcake stores, once a month activities, yoga and personal training studios, a theater for older movies, plays and comedy and most have free parking or free parking after 5. They are a destination location and very few people live there. During the day businessmen and women crowd the sidewalks looking for a nice place to eat. At night it becomes a place for families to visit and couples to have a romantic night at a quaint resturaunt. Here is the one thing that is going to get me in trouble. There is a large group of people that live in close proxomity to downton that do not supervise their kids and they will infest the downtown area. Look at the Salisbury Festival as a prime example. You have to fix that problem to bring people and businesses back to the downtown area at night. It is a beautiful area and I think the whole region would visit it and I have seen downtown bring back life to the whole community.
There are some really good links on Campbell's web sie campbell4salisbury.com including some to grants that might be useful here.
I wrote the 102 comment. I left out that the downtowns that did have apartments and houses close by was high end. No low income housing. That would be a terrible mistake. I can't believe a rational person would even think it was good. I know people that live in low income housing and all they do is complain about the "other" low income housing renters. lol
Change you can believe in right Mayor...lol.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
It is not just the Mayor... It is also the Council, it is the Public Works Department, etc, etc. at almost each level of government there is a mindset to deter development.. They may voice favorable comments in the press but the overall mindset is just the opposite. Ask most developers or business owners...
February 20, 2013 at 12:11 PM
It is not the current city council majority. Get a grip!
Anonymous said...
The city council needs to get there act together too.
February 20, 2013 at 12:17 PM
Jim, your minions must have been taught by you in grade school.
their, there, they're
Public Works can only follow the orders of their director, Jim Ireton's appointee, Teresa Gardner. The people who actually do the work on infrastructure are pawns that have been yelled at, furloughed, fired, seen their insurance go up as real pay diminished. They have nothing at all to do with this topic, other than being another casualty of the Ireton agenda.
Anonymous said...
...Look at the Salisbury Festival as a prime example. You have to fix that problem to bring people and businesses back to the downtown area at night...
February 20, 2013 at 1:02 PM
The problem with the Salisbury Festival is they started bringing certain type bands that attracted Ghetto Thugs which brought gangs, large crowds that wanted to fight and crime. The Salisbury Festival will never be the same again until they bring in music like Randy Lee Ashcraft. It doesn't have to be Randy Lee Ashcraft, but that type of music. Reggae music is a mistake as well. The thugs can deal with reggae music so that is still an attraction. I will never attend the Salisbury Festival again until that type of music is gone. It may take several years to clean up the Festival, but that is what has to be done. Free entertainment brings trouble when you add the kind of music thugs listen to.
While we are at it let's do away with 3rd Friday or add a First Friday which is people friendly to everyone and not the art crowd.
And to the person that mentioned Debbie Campbell's hard work with the 100 housing units for the artist I agree about her hard work. I think her intent was good, but I doubt we will be able to attract 100 real/qualified artists and their families to move into these units. My fear is these units will turn into rental units with bad clients. The Condo's on Riverside Drive did not sell so now they are being rented out of desperation.
Vote Albero and Campbell!!
Help Is On The Way!!
I agree 1:47. I'm not at all convinced on the artist apartments. I would rather see the property developed as a high end office condo complex, with a beatiful lobby complete with a concierge and doorman. Have a meeting/banquet room overlooking the river for the office owners/tenants (or maybe to others to make money for the condo fund) to reserve for special functions.
Look at Berlin and Cambridge downtown's, I love going to them because of what they have done and I'm not affraid of "thugs" in those towns because of the revitalization they have done. Salisbury is a different story, years ago when my mom was alive she loved to go downtown Salisbury and shop and stop for a nice lunch when she was spending the day with her daughter. I would never take my daughters down there now for lunch or shopping. It's a Joke!
Anonymous said...
I agree 1:47. I'm not at all convinced on the artist apartments. I would rather see the property developed as a high end office condo complex, with a beatiful lobby complete with a concierge and doorman. Have a meeting/banquet room overlooking the river for the office owners/tenants (or maybe to others to make money for the condo fund) to reserve for special functions.
February 20, 2013 at 2:26 PM
I agree!
As far as the 100 artist units you have to think about how many artists attend the 3rd Friday event. The last 3rd Friday there wasn't 100 vendors are visitors combined so I doubt seriously we will be able to fill the units. Next comes low income housing just to fill the remaining 99 units.
We need some upscale housing and stores in Salisbury. We can't and will never achieve it as long as we have a liberal mayor and 2 council members who live in subsidized housing. We need some elected officials who don't cater to the entitlement concept.
I agree with 1:47. I know many artists and most own their own homes. Why rent a unit there? I agree a high end complex with a doorman...etc great!
The problem with the Downtown Plaza is the property owners who do nothing but beg and whine for the City to help them with more tax dollars -- they should stop the BS and spend the money to help themselves.
If Salisbury were a few miles from OC it would be like Berlin, but it ain't.
1:47 I take exception to your comments re: reggae music which was performed by the band Image out of Washington DC and consisted of professioal people from that area. I ran the Festival for 3 years and believe that I was instrumental in keeping Image for several years. The problem did not start with the music, believe me. I stood there and watched everyone dance to the music, people of all races enjoying the music. It was a pleasue and was noted by many that the camaraderie beteen all attending was great. Now maybe there are some that just did not care for the reggae just like there would be some that would not care for other certain types of music
For years there were no fights, disturbances, etc. If there can be a certain factor that eventually diminished the reputation of the Festival it was the beer. I had moved away in 1996 and returned a couple years later and found that it had developed into a large beer bust with a great concentraion of college youngsters, etc. The area dedicated to the beer was overloaded with people. This was not the intention that those of us that worked diligently on the event, had in mind when it was conceived. Believe me, these thoughts come from someone who knows.
Ireton squawks Obamaese like a parrot. He hopes one day to nuzzle up to the ear of someone important.
Michael Day is not responsible for the rejuvenation of Berlin. That happened because it is just outside Ocean City and was resurrected by folks like the late Ed Hammond and others who started things when they saved the Atlantic Hotel about 25 years ago.
I could see some offices moving to a high end complex. Not only lawyers but financial services, accountants, even some doctors and businesses like audiologists (hearing aids)etc. I been in some of these office buildings and it's great. You ask concierge where to grab a crabcake and they direct you to area restaurants.
What's amazing is that these doorman know instictively when you are entering the building and are there holding open the door in their little red caps. Then they ask you where you are going as they lead you to elevator, and give you directions where to go when you step off onto the floor.
Doorman and Concierge usually do double duty as valets and will bring your car around to front of building (for a tip of course) if you so desire.
Some of these building even have shops (like coffee and bakery) on ground level but in this case I don't think it would be a good idea because the last thing that should happen is creating competition for other downtown businesses esp if the city has to offer developer incentives.
The project needs to be looked at in terms of compatible and compliment other area business as opposed to competing with them for revitalization efforts to be successful.
Jack Richards...sorry but I agree whole-heartedly with 1:47. Remove the Reggae and you'll have an automatic cleansing of 50% of the undesirable crowd. The music attracts that "element" almost as well as "free booze to anyone that can walk" would.
Actually most of RiverPlace is sold. There are two or three renters, one unit for sale and the penthouses are mostly empty, but the rest of the building (about 39-40 of the 42 units) are sold and have residents in them.
Some of you people forget that across the street from that condo are ramshackles owned by slumlords who are holding on for when the area "hits." It won't hit until those "high end" places come in, but they won't come in as long as those slums are there?
Get the vicious circle? The art community might be the one thing that can bring that area up. It sure won't be the slumlords with dreams of future riches.
My worry is that Ireton will screw the developers on getting permits and it will fail just like the last one. If that happens, bet your bottom dollar it's because Ireton has a friend in mind. No accusation, just a guess.
I was weened on Reggae at the Angler in Ocean City in the 80's, was a calm, cool and peaceful existance. No problems unless you were driving!
"Some of you people forget that across the street from that condo are ramshackles owned by slumlords who are holding on for when the area "hits." It won't hit until those "high end" places come in, but they won't come in as long as those slums are there?
Get the vicious circle?"
good point and this is where the people of the owner occupied houses need to step up to the plate and get very vocal about the slumlords.
CHANGE , he did change his boxer shorts to silk panties. That's about it .
Look at the council bashers. I've talked to the good council people. They've proposed things, some pretty cool things, too. Mayor did nothing. Mayor won't meet with them, unless it's to throw hissy fits for the camera, in case the haters didn't notice.
Sorry this lady left. What specifically did she ask the city to do to help?
We need free parking!
I was looking at that fat bloggers site a few minutes ago out of boredom and to see if he was back to his old tricks. He is! He made this stupid comment about Jake Day:
"The thing I like about Jacob Day is his ability to work with all parties, his energy and enthusiasm, and last but not least his experience."
How in the H3ll does he know that Jake Day can work with all parties? Where did he see him working with all parties? What experience does Jake Day have to prove that he is qualified to be an elected leader? That fat blogger is still a liar and will stoop low enough to post it for the world to see. He is only supporting Day because Day is aligned with Ireton who now attacks Debbie Campbell. Funny how 4 years ago that fat blogger was posting homophobic comments and attacking Jim Ireton while pimping for Bubba Comagys.
Jack Richards you are wrong on this one. Obviously you haven't been around for a while. I do like Reggae music, but it has to be played at places that don't attract thugs because of free entertainment that suits them. Sorry to call you out on this one, but I live in this cess pool of a town and I have experienced years of attending the Salisbury Festival and watched it go down every year. The committee just didn't get it and they still don't.
Vote Albero and Campbell!
The green blobber has two posts about Day, they've been up for three days, and between the two posts they got two comments. not much support it looks like. if he does another post that draws more comments it's probably two people are making all of the comments.
Thought for the Day-When ordering something online, stop and think is it really worth the 5 bucks you may be saving? While I know some things just cannot be purchased locally almost everything else can. We are only hurting ourselves in the long run when we do our shopping online. We are helping the communities where these companies such as Amazon are located and are hurting our own.
Why did ROBINSON the two face rent the building downtown and put up IRETON signs what a Fn douche-bag.
Anonymous said...
The green blobber has two posts about Day, they've been up for three days, and between the two posts they got two comments. not much support it looks like. if he does another post that draws more comments it's probably two people are making all of the comments.
February 20, 2013 at 5:51 PM
It's probably Jake Day promoting himself. Debbie will beat him by a landslide. Ireton is a Douche for supporting him instead of his once ally Councilwoman Campbell.
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5:55 that a lovely thought, unless I am being price gouged. Then I have no reason to buy locally when i can get it online shipped to me for less. that $5 is a gallon of gas and not in the pocket of some low wage paying price gouging local business
artist housing, door men in red hats, concierge, ... what the heck are you people smoking? This is your vision for Salisbury? And you wonder why we have troubles. How about a family community with fair paying jobs, affordable housing. clean up the ghetto, lower the crime and get rid of the drugs/gangs. Why don't we work on that instead of your fantasy high rise that no one will live in.
I agree about the cause of the decline of the festival and respectfully disagree with Mr Richards. I also previously stopped attending the festival as well. this year also stopped attending the Friday events.
I do not like ordering anything on line, as nine chances out of ten, it will have to be sent back because it does not work, it's too small, it's too big, it's the wrong color/size, it's not what it looked like in the picture online. I own a business here in Salisbury and have lost a client due to something being the same price on line as what I am quoting the price for, and better yet, I have found a less expensive price then what they are seeing on the internet, but they still go ahead and order it online because in their pea brain, they still think they are getting a better deal. I fully support a local business if they have what I want and even if it a few dollars higher than on the internet, I would rather buy local.
Anonymous said...
CHANGE , he did change his boxer shorts to silk panties. That's about it .
February 20, 2013 at 4:54 PM
No, he's been wearing them for a long time.
Anonymous said...
I agree about the cause of the decline of the festival and respectfully disagree with Mr Richards. I also previously stopped attending the festival as well. this year also stopped attending the Friday events.
February 20, 2013 at 7:17 PM
Ditto.
The music the committee chose for the past ten years or so is what brought the Church Street and West Side thugs to the to the Salisbury Festival. The crime riddled thugs and gangs love to go to places that have free entertainment and their preference of music. What moron thought it was a good idea to bring a band to the Salisbury Festival that played "dance" music. The Salisbury Festival is a place for family entertainment and I also disagree about the beer drinking bringing the festival down. The majority of decent Americans in this country drink beer and the ones in the area dedicated to the beer drinkers were well established citizens in Wicomico County and certainly not college youngsters. I have never had one beer in my hand at the Salisbury Festival and I knew most of the beer drinkers there and I looked forward to seeing them at the Festival every year. The trouble makers were the gangs of thugs running around attacking white people and even a few black people. They were and are uncontrollable. You know it's sad when the Wicomico County Detention Center had their paddy wagons stationed at the Salisbury Festival.
Hopefully Joe Albero will understand what most of us are saying about the Salisbury Festival and influence or appoint a new committee to start over with the Salisbury Festival.
It would also be a great idea to have a Fall themed festival in downtown Salisbury as well. And please don't make it the same weekend as the Sunfest in Ocean City. That was another mistake the Salisbury Festival Committee always made.
753, to continue your comment, I spent 12 years in the Florida Keys. Every weekend there is another "Festival" somewhere, but NO ONE steps on toes! There is only ONE per weekend in a certain mile radius, and everybody got their turn! Works great, and sooner than later, you have your whole year filled with tourist oriented events and something for everyone every week, which makes a steady income for everyone.
Anonymous said...
Thought for the Day-When ordering something online, stop and think is it really worth the 5 bucks you may be saving? While I know some things just cannot be purchased locally almost everything else can. We are only hurting ourselves in the long run when we do our shopping online. We are helping the communities where these companies such as Amazon are located and are hurting our own.
February 20, 2013 at 5:55 PM
WTH did this come from?
Do we have a tourist information website that touts Salisbury's and OC and other regional events to the rest of the country? I know O.C. is on the web, but Salisbury is mainly inner city business oriented. There's not a lot of tourist info there.
Going to that website contains me to county business only.
Salisbury has 3 extremely fine council members in Debbie, Terry & Tim. Bright, hard-working and with genuine accomplishments before seeking the position. By far the best council line-up since before the Barrie era.
Debbie's professionalism provided the foundation to attract other good candidates who eventually were elected.
It is clear that vested interests hope to defeat her with a pincers movement of two less qualified candidates.
Young, inexperienced Mr. Day should be disqualified just on the basis of his driving record. Common sense suggests he had many, many more violations where he wasn't caught. Remember the last boy wonder elected to council? He quit in order to move away, only later to darken our door when he ran for mayor. No more Ireton clones. Vote for Debbie!
Jake Day, while a nice young man, is just too close to mr. Ireton and SAPOA. If you wish to continue Salisbury's owner occupied to rental housing movement, then vote for the Ireton/Day ticket.
"Anonymous said...
Some of you people forget that across the street from that condo are ramshackles owned by slumlords who are holding on for when the area "hits." It won't hit until those "high end" places come in, but they won't come in as long as those slums are there?"
True-It's called the old "wish in one hand, crap in the other and see which one gets filled quicker" scenario.
In the meantime there are still a few owner occupied residences in that area whose properties are becomming virtually worthless due to the slumlords. Isn't this Shanie's district? Whoever the rep is should be rallying these homeowners, storming the council chambers and mayors office and demanding the slumlords get their act together.
8:26-Support local business is where it came from. The post was about a business that closed and everytime someone purchases something online that hurts our local economy. You may be saving money now but the long term effects are not good. Wouldn't matter to me if the whole Eastern Shore becomes destitute because I will be dead and gone and have no children but for those who do it's something to think about.
DAY DREAM...I arrive and park FREE (no guard gate of fees) behind the building where I am scheduled for a wonderful massage. (dream location). I spend an hour of relaxation and then walk to ENZAS (great place is really there) on the plaza to get a wonderful organic hair cut and color. I then leave there and feel great as I wander up the plaza to get a wonderful lunch which is all in the same block. The flowers are in bloom and people are milling around looking in shop windows and dining under brightly colored umbrellas all around. I enjoy a wonderful light lunch and then make my way to Kuhns for a gift for my niece and find something beautiful. I stop at the art gallery and enjoy the wonderful local artist and purchase a handmade sweater for my grandchild. Then I make my way back to Parker Place (like I have done so many times in the past and brouse in their outdoor garden and purchase items for my garden. As I head back to my car I stop at the south end of the parking lot where local farmers and artists come each week to sell their wares and pick up something for dinner and a beautiful potted plant. (Their revenue helps to pay for my parking.) I have had a wonderful morning and am now ready to return home with my purchases. This would be the most wonderful place to shop (and it was) BEFORE the parking meters and the fines and the fees to the shop owners. If Easton can do it and Berlin can do it...then WHY cant we??? We have better parking areas and just as much available space. What is wrong with this city? Bad thinking and planning. I want my city back!!!!!!
951 too much rift raft in the area look what shoreline bus company had to do just to stop the BS fights and drug dealers/addicts great job mayor imagine when the 500 welfare units move in.......sell....sell....sell.
Unless I am mistaken, and think not, the Reggae music was circa 1990 and back then there was no problems. Everyone enjoyed the music. If you are old enough and attended the Festival back then you would have to agree. I left in 1996 and I believe that the band Image was lot playing after that time period. And it seems that it was at that time that problems erupted and was not due to music genre. I am in constant contact with many in my age bracket that feels as I do....It turned into a big beer bust. They came in droves for beer, in most cases, probably did not support the various food booths etc, which was a primary purpose of the Festival.....helping various organization to raise money. I was there either chaired the Festival or worked on a committee for every year till I relocated so feel that my insight is much better than most.
10:27 a.m.....you hit the nail on the head. Unlike Berlin and Easton Salisbury's downtown is surrounded by undesireable neighborhoods and people. I wonder how we could make the place safe for all the people who seem to want it back. Could we possibly stop housing drug runners and by making it easy for them? Could we clean up the streets? How could we clean this mess up? Does anyone have an answer?
Jack Richards no offense but this isn't 1990 so quit living in the past. Salisbury is a different world these days as it is 95% Ghetto.
Yes I was around in 1990 and I am sure you did a wonderful job with the committee for the SF. However, it is or was the Dogwood Festival.
Again things change and the same ole same old gets stale. Not only that when the thugs got wind of free entertainment and music of their liking they came to the SF in droves. The attraction to that music and the thugs was just like flies and crap.
The thugs can't stand music like Randy Lee Ashcraft or country music so why not use country music as the entertainment. Country music is more popular than it has ever been and it is tolerated to say the least by good citizens that spend money. No I am not talking about country music that is played by redneck cover bands that play in dives either. Wake Up!!
12:11-The answer lies in being on the landlords that rent to these criminal undesirables like flies on you know what. If not already in place set limits on # of occupants based on sq ft of dwelling. Have concerned neighbors form a watch group to report any code violations immediately and make sure they are followed up on. Increase fines for violations and have a 3 strikes rule. 3 code violations and rental license increases significantly. Come up with some severe penalies for those residences that have numerous police calls and complaints.
Now of course this will be portrayed as being against the renters. The answer to that is no-we are not against renters. We want a safe place for the children. We don't want children to be subject to drugs and violence and possibly be unintended victims of crime that may be associated with certain people.
As long as PERDUE is in that AREA nothing will keep the thugs/low lives out.
More on Perdue? Please get a life and move on to something else.
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