Salisbury - Mayor James Ireton, Jr. today reiterated his commitment to solving the issue of over-occupancy in Salisbury neighborhoods after it was discovered that EIGHT (8) non-related tenants were living in a rental home at 429 Druid Hill Avenue.
On Thursday morning, January 29th, Salisbury Police, in response to information which indicated a possible CDS marijuana sales situation, served a search warrant at 429 Druid Hill Avenue. Upon entering the residence, officers determined that there were EIGHT (8)tenants living in the structure. Further investigation led to the location and recovery of twelve (12) stolen road signs, and a small quantity of marijuana. Charges are being pursued against seven (7) of the eight tenants.
The residence, which is a rental owned by Wilson E. Davis, has drawn repeated complaints from neighbors for noise, suspicious activity, and evidence of over-occupancy.
Since November, 2012 Salisbury Police Department data shows calls for service for:
CDS - 5
Prowler - 2
Loud Party - 6
Suspicious Vehicle - 1
The property is a designated legal non-conforming use, which means it was granted an exemption in 2006 to allow up to four (4) non-related occupants. Under current law, that exemption will now be forfeited. A $500 citation has been issued for violation of the occupancy provisions of the Salisbury Municipal Code, and an order to reduce occupancy has been served.
Proposed legislation currently under consideration by the Salisbury City Council would allow for the suspension of the landlord’s unit registration and/or rental license for a period of 3 months for the first offense, 6 months for the second offense, and a full year for the third offense.
Mayor Ireton urged City Council members to act decisively to pass the legislation, and to consider further measures aimed at fixing Salisbury’s housing codes.
“I encourage our citizens to voice their support of legislation that will penalize these properties to the fullest,” said Mayor Ireton. “This on-going battle is now 35 years old, and the remaining homeowners that we have must be given relief from the continued onslaught of properties that do not lend to increasing values in our neighborhoods. With this blatant case and the 44 others that preceded it this year, Salisbury is in a position to truly change the face our neighborhoods with the right tools. There are tools in front of the city council for consideration, yet I believe they are not enough.
“Additionally, I will ask the Council President to place a discussion on the table regarding making the University zoned areas of our city the only place that college rentals like this would be legal. We have the capacity to place all our student rentals in an area where they can more easily be provided services from SU and from City agencies.
“429 Druid Hill Avenue is a classic example of the fact that Salisbury has still not gotten its housing codes right, and that single-family neighborhoods continue to be degraded by those who make millions of dollars a year off of rental properties.”
The City Council will discuss the legislation at its February 17th work session, at 1:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, third floor of the Government Office Building, downtown.
Following the discussion on the 17th, a second reading of the legislation will occur on Monday, February 23rd, at 6 p.m., in Council chambers. The Mayor encourages citizens to attend.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
25 comments:
WTF , they don't even know what a week-day is!!
Stronger Laws? , enforce and abide by the ones we have now for a start.
At law school , the first thing you learn is " law is clear".
Glad they raided the place They should have waited till Friday when they load up on drugs to sell all weekend long. You'd have to be blind not to see what they're doing in this house. 8 Cars parked outside every night. Duh !
Liarton would have to actually understand the laws in place. Remember, the 2006 laws were written by Cohen and Campbell. They would definitely be above Liarton's reading level.
So now why does Jim Ireton want to start pushing all these laws on the slum lords again. He hasn't done this in a couple of years. He is up to something. He is either trying to pick a fight with Jake Day and the City Council like he did with Debbie, Terry and Tim or he is just trying to get his name out their for the rapidly upcoming election.
Really jimbo? Pot.....your third favorite drug after alcohol and male sex.
One of your Council members lives on Druid Hill. Do you think that member is going to allow the tom foolery to go on any longer??
"I encourage our citizens to voice their support of legislation...."
Why??? So you can shut them down, like you want to shut me down?
Pass a ordinance in Slimsbury that honest law abiding citizens can carry concealed guns. Then watch crime go down!
I saw this coming and moved several years ago. This isn't new and will continue. I tried to get police involved and complained but things only got worse. Time to leave.
Six more homeless holding cardboard signs...
Towjam, this is just a few houses from Jake Day.
Maybe if Ireton could take a break from his busy schedule of press releases, drinking and b*tching out citizens, he could enforce the laws there are.
Come to think of it, if he hadn't spent so much time harassing the previous council, maybe they could have finished things like this. I recall them working on this, but there were some complicated legal issues Plus a whole lot of squawking from the mayor's SAPOA friends who helped him spend his time on the attorney referendum of Laura Mitchell's that failed.
Jimbo is trying to buy votes again, acting like he cares about the neighborhoods and hates landlords.
HIS council with Jake Day at the helm has been around for nearly two of those 35 years, and nothing for the neighborhoods. Nothing. Everything for downtown.
Now a crazy plan to put students in their own ghetto. There already is a university district. There already is student housing. What is Jimbo saying, that students can't rent outside of the red line he draws? Maybe electricians and plumbers should get their own district. How about dog groomers?
The thing is that the university doesn't have enough housing for about 12000 kids so basically he would have to make a partnership with university to create more housing which would be he will raise taxes and wasteful spending.
I like dog groomers. Thier groovey. Come on jumbo wash my tail. Licking lick lick
Campbell presented proof of the disproportionate drain on resources that non-conforming houses are by studying 60 or 70 in Camden. Looked at historical calls for police service, code violations, and much more. Presented it to Barrie Tilghman before Campbell was elected for her first term. She continued to present evidence and solutions, but Tilghman and Ireton didn't want reform and still don't. Drive the students into a University District, you fool (aka Jim Ireton). If you don't take care of gangs, guns, drugs, crime, dilapidated houses, crumbling streets...the landlords will just rent to the next bunch of people who they can easily exploit. You have to have brains and fortitude to fix this. Jim has neither.
But alas, they can't take out the drug dealer behind me, but focus in on sign stealers.
hey, those signs cost good money!
7:49 - I guess you do not happen to live in a council persons neighborhood.
The university hasn't made a district yet!!!! Look at there master plan... They won't to create a university district, there's not one already in place
50 unit 200 student complex going in across from Royal Farms on South Division.
Its never going away my friend.
"Intestinal fortitude"
Thats known as having balls.
Nope. No balls in sight.
You got that right !!
wow road signs. good job. how about doing a raid on these potholes in ur streets? ur a damn joke mayor. I shudder to think you are teaching kids. Even more so when I think WHAT you are teaching them.
Move to rehobo. thats where your kind belong
yet another rental property bringing down the property values as well as the quality of life in a once nice neighborhood.
great job getting these criminals off our streets. A couple college students potentially getting their lives ruined over an "undisclosed amount" of drugs (read: too small an amount for this to even be worthwhile) and street signs. Its great seeing all this money and energy being put to take them down. I'd much rather have these guys locked up than actual criminals like rapists and murderers. Thanks!
Yup, go after the students and make a big deal out of it as if Salisbury is really cracking down on crime.
Meanwhile, back at the crack/ heroin store, a thriving business is saving Salisbury's job numbers as sales jobs are skyrocketing! With all the addicts, the courts and rehab centers are reaping record profits!
Hooplah! Hooplah!
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