SALISBURY, Md. -- City of Salisbury staff have been directed to halt their review process of the Salisbury Town Center Apartments project. The directive came from Mayor Randy Taylor, who has been a staunch opponent of various downtown development projects.
The following email was sent to WBOC by multiple sources.
Mr. Gillis,
I have been in conversation with Nick Voltic regarding your recent solicitations for the STCA project. As you well know, there are a number of legal challenges with this project.As a result, I have requested that DID suspend any further review until matters of the Circuit Court as well as the Salisbury Board of Appealsare concluded.
Regards,
Randolph J. Taylor
We asked Gillis if he believes Taylor is using ongoing litigation to his advantage to keep projects he opposes on hold.
"Well, I think the email speaks for itself," said Gillis. "Mayor Taylor makes no secret that litigation, like Miss Worthington has filed, is something that he anticipated and, in my view, desired."
Mayor Taylor sent the following statement to WBOC on Tuesday:
"The allegation that I am using any lawsuit filed against the City to my advantage is blatantly false, and makes absolutely no sense. These development agreements by the prior administration are not conducive to the health of the Downtown. That is not a subjective assessment, it is basic math. As mayor, it's my intention to continue to make Salisbury a place people want to visit and call home both now and for generations to come." - Mayor Randolph J. Taylor
One person in support of Taylor's decision is Holly Worthington.
"My goal would be that this goes back to the drawing board," said Worthington. "Everything gets re-evaluated, and the impacts of how it's going to affect the existing downtown are taken into account."
To further her efforts, Worthington filed an appeal to the Salisbury Board of Appeals. Worthington tells WBOC she believes the City's planning commission made a mistake when it approved the site plan for the STCA project.
According to Worthington, STCA failed to submit a comprehensive development plan, including a community impact statement, as required by the City's zoning code.
Her appeal also states that STCA's project submittal lacks the necessary information to determine if the project meets the City's apartment standards.
Worthington wants the City to reconsider the planning commission's decision.