Introduction

Salisbury 2020: The Tradition Continues

Salisbury 2020 marks the second major phase of a community planning process started in the late 1980s, known as the Salisbury 2000 Strategic Growth Plan. During the rapid growth era of the past decade, the Salisbury 2000 Plan has served as the primary policy instrument of the City of Salisbury in managing its growth and development. It has become a fixture in the City’s development review system and generally, as plans go, has become quite well known in the community. Interestingly, since its adoption in 1988, much of the structure and content of Salisbury 2000 has also been emulated by other communities in North Carolina and elsewhere.

Beyond the Strategic Growth Plan, Salisbury has emerged during the past ten years as a model in the region, state and, in some respects, the nation for many aspects of successful community planning. In particular, Salisbury has earned recognition for its efforts in historic preservation, downtown improvement, community appearance, neighborhood revitalization, parks and recreation, citizen participation, public-private partnerships, and a number of other community improvement initiatives.

Salisbury 2020 is intended to continue the type of successful community planning that the original Salisbury 2000 Plan began, while bringing some of the most current and effective approaches to growth management into the body of the policies.

Need for Planning

Cities seldom stand still; they are continually, growing, changing, and evolving as places of human interchange. Salisbury is no exception. Salisbury 2020, therefore, addresses a number of pressing issues facing the city that require considerable attention and concerted action. Among these issues are:

  • traffic congestion on major streets increasing at a pace far in excess of population growth

  • some neighborhoods hampered by poor housing, crime and other social problems

  • strip commercial development and its plasticized, "anywhere USA" appearance

  • leapfrogging, single purpose subdivisions, isolated from services and jobs

  • near total dependence on the individual automobile, with few options for biking, walking or riding the bus

  • the rising cost of city services in the face of an inefficient, sprawling growth pattern

  • a downtown area that, despite considerable success, has on-going needs for revitalization and reinvestment

  • aging water and sewer systems in need of major improvements and replacement.

  • parks, recreation and open space facilities being strained to keep up with growth-induced demand

  • inappropriate development threatening Salisbury’s natural and cultural resources, unique sense of place, and quality of life

Leadership and Involvement

Effective leadership and involvement is critical to the success of an effective planning program. Fortunately, the Salisbury community is well stocked with talented leaders in all areas of civic life. From successful business people, to respected political leaders and public servants, to philanthropists-big and small, to community-minded news media, to institutions of faith and learning, to citizens with a special appreciation for history and tradition, Salisbury is unusually blessed with more than its share of gifted leaders.

Preparation of this plan involved an informed and active group of citizens, the Salisbury 2020 Steering Committee. Appointed by City Council, this 15-member committee represented a broad cross section of Salisbury’s people, from many geographic, economic and social perspectives. Through the dedicated efforts of this capable citizens’ committee, every policy statement considered for this plan was reviewed and discussed, approved, disapproved or amended. In addition, the Salisbury 2020 Committee received considerable support from the staff and consultant to the City of Salisbury, and input from the many civic leaders, board members, invited speakers, and citizens who attended the numerous input and educational sessions held during the planning process.

Plan Overview

This plan is organized according to a logical progression of thought. The plan begins with an historical perspective, establishes a future vision to be pursued, and then sets forth the specific policies to make that vision come true. Each major section of the plan may be described as follows:

Salisbury’s History and City Form provides an historical perspective of the growth and development of the City of Salisbury, not for the sake of rehashing the past, but to see if any valuable lessons can be learned from which the present and future city may benefit.

Salisbury’s Vision sets forth a collective view of how the citizens of Salisbury would like to have their city look and function by the year 2020. This series of vision statements evolved from town meetings held early in the planning process to gather citizen perspectives on "wanted" and "unwanted" futures.

Salisbury’s Areas sets forth policies on the preservation, development, and redevelopment of five principal types of areas that together make up the urban fabric of Salisbury:

Neighborhoods, Commercial Areas, Industrial Areas, Downtown Salisbury, and Parks, Open Space, and Greenways. In setting forth policies for neighborhoods, commercial areas and industrial areas, policies are organized according to older areas (pre-world War II, newer existing areas (World War II to the present) and areas yet to be.

Salisbury’s Transportation sets forth policies on the design and function of Streets, both Major and Minor, as well as Sidewalks, Bikeways, and Public Transportation. Much emphasis is placed on restoring the balanced use of streets by vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Salisbury’s Appearance establishes policies on various city amenities and their aesthetic impact on the community. Chapters include Street Trees, Streetlights, Utility Poles and Wires, City Entrances, Community Character, Landmarks and Vistas, and Residential Architecture and Landscape Design. Included in the chapter on residential design guidelines are measures to create a safer, more secure community.

Salisbury’s Water and Sewer Services provides an overview of the City’s water and sewer services, and explains their influence on the location, timing, and density of new development. Policies are set forth to guide the extension of water and sewer services so as to promote a desirable growth pattern.

Salisbury’s Growth Strategy builds upon the policy foundation set forth in the each of the preceding chapters and describes in mapped form the City’s intentions for the geographic distribution of growth over the next two decades. Also included in this section is a description of the neighborhood planning area concept, along with several guiding principles to encourage complete neighborhoods, rather than isolated, single purpose subdivisions.

 

 

 

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