SALISBURY, Md.- Competing petitions are circling Salisbury as some downtown business owners voice frustrations over the difficulties of having a business downtown.
Business owner Nicole Blackwater created the petition, called ‘Help Us Save Downtown Salisbury’, advocating the city change it's zoning laws to allow the construction of more residential development.
“We are working to break the cycle that downtown Salisbury has been in for decades. It’s definitely been struggling for years,” said Blackwater. “This is our chance to break that cycle. When we have more development projects here, we are bringing more people, more businesses, more jobs. And what we’d really like to see more people downtown.”
Blackwater says it is hard to get customers downtown, as well as business owners to open shop there. Alfred Brewer wanted to open his business downtown, but was suggested to steer clear of downtown Salisbury.
"I was almost turned away from going downtown, not by any of the developers or real estate people, but by the locals who were like, don't do it, it's a death sentence for you," said Brewer.
But another petition is also at play, called 'Don't Strangle Downtown Salisbury'. This one backed by Mayor Randy Taylor, who argues the city is at it's capacity.
"We don't have the capacity for this level of density nor does it fit in the accessibility of downtown nor does it fit in the footprint in the accessibility of downtown and I think will ultimately hurt downtown business and make it very difficult to do business downtown," said Taylor. "Density is not a bad thing. It's not the enemy. But you have to do it in the context of your capacity to have allow for accessibly and parking that's convenient."
Taylor says it's simple math.
"It's not a difficult calculation but somehow we've gotten to this point and this is where we are," said Taylor.
On Thursday the city's planning and zoning commission will decide whether or not to change the city's code to allow for an increase in residential density.
