Salisbury council adopts zoning change to raise downtown density to 80 units per acre

The Salisbury City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 2909, increasing the central business district's maximum residential density from 40 units per acre to 80 units per acre after an extended public hearing and council discussion.

Supporters told the council the amendment responds to a recent circuit court ruling that removed a longstanding mechanism for approving extra units, and that modest increases in downtown housing will produce more attainable units. Opponents pressed the council for a pause, saying parking, historic character and developer incentives were not sufficiently studied.

Brian Showalter, speaking on behalf of Salisbury Town Center Apartments, said the project at the center of the debate was always planned for “226 residential units” and that the change is intended in part to address a court decision that reduced downtown density. “This is not a doubling of this density,” Showalter said. “It does increase from 70 to 80 units per acre.” Showalter told the council the text change restores capacity the city relied on when preparing its…