SALISBURY, Md.- The city of Salisbury is taking a look at how it handles recovery homes across the city.
Earlier this month the city hosted a discussion open to the public about how it processes recovery homes, while admitting some work must be done to close some gaps. Council member Sharon Dashiell says she hopes the city listens to the voices of everyone involved.
“Moving forward if nothing else, this has shown that some things have gone awry in the past and it is our responsibility as a city council and the people here and the people that we represent to fix some things that need fixing and I think we need their input in order to do so,” said Dashiell.
Director of Housing and Community Development Muir Boda says the city lacked a formal process.
“We had not defined a process, so that is what we were trying to figure out a proper process for when they’re identified… what is the proper way to move and handle them,” said Boda.
Mayor Randy Taylor voiced his concerns for the neighbors, but also for those seeking recovery as well as they may be easily exploited by those running recovery homes.
“Density means money and that’s the bottom line. It’s an ugly thing and we need to be protecting those that are seeking recovery as well as the neighborhoods as well,” said Taylor. “I think we better have done our homework on this.”
Neighbor Jeff Dean has spoken about this issue at numerous city council meetings for months. He said his issue is the city’s lack of oversight, not with those seeking recovery.
“This is not about a judgment value about the people in recovery at all. We very much want them to recover successfully. I do have a personal concern about their well-being in the sense that they are extremely vulnerable people, and without regulation, proprietors for recovery homes can overcrowd them in unsafe conditions,” said Dean.
Dean says he wants more answers moving forward.
“Moving forward, how does the city take requests for recovery homes from any future proprietor of recovery homes? Emphasizing that me personally, and none of my neighbors on the street are against recovery. We’re not against recovery on Middle Boulevard. We are against unregulated recovery,” said Dean.
In a statement to WBOC, the city of Salisbury says, “If a City resident thinks that someone is occupying a residence in a nonconforming way that hasn’t been approved by the City, there is a process to report that and we will inspect that property. Newtown is an historic district and there is a process to completing work on a house and permitting is required. If a resident thinks a neighbor is not following historic district guidelines, they should notify the City and we will check on it.”
We appreciate people who are helping protect the integrity of our neighborhoods. That is why we have an easy way to report potential issues. Our Citizen Reporter Application is accessible by clicking “Report an Issue” at the top of the city website”
The city went on to say, “The City is limited to enforcing existing City code. If people think there are opportunities to improve on our code, we encourage them to attend City Council meetings and make recommendations for council to consider."
For more information on registered recovery residences in Maryland, click here. Recovery residences must be registered if they receive state funding.