Salisbury attorney Mark Tilghman walks softly, but carries a big stick. While it was clear from the get go that the 4-2 housing ordinance was going to be replaced with 4-3, Mr. Tilghman stood up last night and quietly prodded Salisbury Council (by firm and non-confrontational questioning of City Solicitor Paul Wilbur) to close some of the loopholes in the new ordinances. Salisbury single family neighborhoods may have lost this battle, but thanks to Mark Tilghman they have some additonal weapons to continue the war.
In addition to his help in closing some of the loopholes in 4-3, Mark Tilghman basically summarized the other side's position for them -- "It's about money ..." Somebody had to do it, because the Salisbury Area Property Owners Association just couldn't fess up.
I thought T. J. Maloney, president of the Salisbury Area Property Owners Association, was going to start singing the "Star Bangled Banner". I didn't know until Wednesday's Council meeting that packing 4, 6, 8, or 10 people into a 2 bedroom house was about FAMILY VALUES and PROMOTING DIVERSITY. TJ brought a tear to my eye. All along I thought it was about money; but he showed me that wrecking family neighborhoods is up there with the Flag, Mom and apple pie.
4 comments:
Hats off to Mark Tilghman for preserving as much protection for single-family neighborhoods as possible, while COmegys and Dunn were giivng winks and nods to the landlords in the second row. It is clear that this is about money, not families, not neighborhoods,and not what our city will be for future generations. Thank you to Mark for his years of dedication to this cause.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SAINT MARK NOW LIVES IN NITHSDALE. JUST WHAT WE NEED MORE LOW COST HOUSING WITH LOTS OF KIDS
Perhaps "Saint Mark" whoever that is lives in Nithsdale, but Mark Tilghman and his family continue to live in the neighborhood where he grew up...in the heart of the city...in a single-family neighborhood. Much more enlightning is where the "players" in the rental industry who have made their money by converting homes in Salisbury's single-family neighborhoods (in violation of the code)to by-the-head rentals live that's quite another story.
Plenty of "active adult" communities are being built to meet the desires of people who don't want to live among families with children. Single-family neighborhoods on the other hand are being thrown to the dogs (or wolves). Neighborhoods thrive when they are filled with families, including families with lots of kids, elderly residents, non-traditional families...diversity makes a neighborhood strong.
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