Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Downtown Salisbury Master Plan Meeting Thurs May 26th 6:00PM

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO RSVP! If you have not already sent your RSVP for the Downtown Master Plan Update meeting please do so by contacting Shuntale Smith /Downtown Salisbury, Inc.
704-637-7814.

DATE: Thursday, May 28, 2009
TIME: 6:05 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Rowan Museum (Second Floor)
MORE: Dinner will be served so please remember to RSVP.

Our downtown and city core is vital to the growth and vitality of Salisbury and our North Main Street neighborhoods - especially because of our proximity to downtown. Many of you may have suggested changes or ideas that you feel would create a more inviting and vibrant downtown. We need to hear your input and ask that you take an evening to attend the first planning session for the update to Downtown Salisbury, Inc. master plan. Please contact Shuntale Smith at DSI for further information.

Contact Information: Shuntale SmithDowntown Salisbury, Inc. 704-637-7814

Check out www.downtownsaliburync.com to see a copy of the current master plan. The plan was last modified 10 years ago (and about $40 million has been invested!) and if you have been here over that time period you can plainly see many of the changes that have come to be. Let your voice be heard for the changes to come in the next 10 years!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Salisbury Parks Master Plan

Hey Friends & Neighbors!

We attended the Salisbury Parks & Recreation Master Plan Update Meeting last night. You will recall that there was a public meeting back in March where we got to brainstorm our parks "wish-list" to the consultants that Salisbury has hired to update the master plan and to the City Parks & Recreation folks. Last night's meeting was to present the preliminary proposals to the public. It's a long-term plan, as master plans are, that covers about 10 years out. Here's some of what we learned:

The Lincoln Park Pool will undergo a phased improvement plan that should take about 3 years. The existing pool will change to splash pools - very fun for kids mostly. A new pool for swimmers is planned at the Civic Center! There are plans to add more neighborhood parks - but unfortunately there are none slated for the North Main area. Although our landscape architect drawings for the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan show several pocket parks in the area, when we ask the City, we are told that our proximity to City Park will not allow us to have new parks. What can we do about this?

We were told that we should watch for foreclosing properties that could be perhaps purchased inexpensively to be used as park or green-space area. Also, if you know someone who perhaps was left a property as an inheritance, but is not interested in the upkeep they can donate it as a tax write-off. This is largely how the Fulton Heights neighborhood got their park. It is important to note however, that Fulton Heights raised about $40,ooo to get their park by holding fundraisers, etc. and that the neighbors there do much of the everyday maintenance.

It is very interesting to see the Parks plan unfold. The hard part once the plans are in place is funding the changes - as always. It will be even more interesting to see how far we get in the phyisical changes once the new Parks Master Plan is in place.