SALISBURY, Md.- The Salisbury Council will vote Monday night whether or not to increase its residential density in downtown Salisbury, allowing more people to live downtown and green-light new construction.
The decision comes after months of public comment and petitions around the issue.
Realtor Holly Worthington opposes the city increasing density, arguing that construction of more apartments could negatively impact businesses in the short and long-term.
“Even though this is a couple year project, we could be looking at many years of this interference in our downtown. I do feel that maybe after development occurs, yes there will be more feet on the street, but what’s going to happen in the interim and at the end of it, what is going to happen with all this traffic that we are going to have downtown? I just think it’s going to be a cluster,” said Worthington.
Worthington says the downtown traffic and parking is already at capacity, and hopes the city council makes the right decision Monday night.
“I hope that they are not basing it on personal relationships or things that will benefit them personally. I hope they’re doing this and listening to the actual downtown,” said Worthington.
However developer Brad Gillis, whose project depends on this decision, argues that decades of research shows increasing the density downtown will benefit Salisbury.
“4+ major reports that all have said let’s increase density in our central business district. We are simply fulfilling those obligations and those studies and those recommendations over the past 40+ years,” said Gillis.
Adding that his project has the support of major employers in Salisbury like Perdue and TidalHealth.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have not only the downtown business association, downtown business alliance support our projects, but also the state of Maryland supports our project along with major employers,” said Gillis.
Gillis argues that increasing the housing supply will also benefit people living outside of downtown.
“Right now we’re in a housing shortage, and we think that increasing the supply will then lower the cost for all the community,” said Gillis. “Having increased density downtown will also bring heads in beds downtown and will bring commerce to the local businesses.”
“It’s a big step for moving the city of Salisbury forward and also helping with the current housing crisis that we have by increasing the supply of housing in the community,” said Gillis.
The Salisbury Council meets at 6 p.m. Monday night.
