By Liz Holland

Salisbury’s new "Here Is Home" housing incentive program – which waives city fees normally charged to developers -- has so far resulted in applications for 2,216 units of single-family houses, townhouses, duplexes and apartments at 15 different developments.

And city officials know even more applications are coming in before the Feb. 28 deadline.

“It’s staggering,” said Amanda Pollack, the city’s Director of Infrastructure and Development, “I know that number will keep growing.”

Pollack said some developers are already on the city’s radar, and she has urged them not to wait until the deadline to apply.

The incentive program caught the attention of the National Homebuilders Association, which put out the word to its members, said Mayor Jake Day. It is so far unknown what effect that may have.

“There are tons of them out there that we know about,” he said. “But there are projects we can’t anticipate.”

In October, Day announced the new initiative aimed at increasing the city’s housing stock and affordability. The city – the fastest growing municipality in Maryland -- is facing a housing deficit as more people want to live there.

To incentivize the construction of new housing stock, the Here Is Home initiative makes use of fee waivers. Property owners and real estate developers must sign an agreement with the city waiving any and all fees associated with development – including annexation fees. Projects that stay on a defined timeline will pay nothing in city fees.

To meet the requirements, a project must receive permits by Feb. 28, 2023, and break ground by Oct. 31, 2023.

If they meet all the requirements, developers will be reimbursed for a range of fees including building plan review, building permits and water and sewer connections.

So far, applications have come in for projects in the north end, the Snow Hill-Johnson Road corridor, Beaglin Park Drive, Downtown and Pemberton Drive.

“It definitely covers every part of the city,” Day said.

The applications received as of last Friday are:

• The Ross, a new multi-story building under construction in Downtown, 101 apartments.
• Glen Heights, a new development near Spring Chase, 60 duplexes. 
• Sassafras Meadows, Section 3, expansion of an existing development, 44 single-family houses and 128 townhouses.
• Heritage, a new development on Pemberton Drive, 128 single-family houses and 180 townhouses.
• Aydelotte Villas, expansion of an existing development on Beaglin Park Drive, 200 duplexes
• Commonwealth Senior Living (formerly Harbor Pointe), 16 assisted living units and 19 memory care units.
• Manhattan Square, expansion of an existing building Downtown, 10 apartments.
• Jasmine Drive Apartments, a new development off Naylor Mill Road, 264 apartments.
• Salisbury Town Square, a new development planned for the large parking lot near the Downtown library, 240 apartments.
• Summersgate Apartments, expansion of an existing development, 240 apartments.
• Summersgate Assisted Living, expansion of an existing development, 100 assisted living units.
• Sassafras Meadows Section 2, expansion of an existing development, 26 single-family houses.
• Snow Hill Road at Johnson Road, a new project, 100 single-family houses and 150 townhouses.
• Cotton Patch Creek, a new development on Pemberton Drive, 97 single-family houses.
• Millers Edge, a new development on Pemberton Drive, 153 apartments.

“It’s meeting my wildest dreams,” Day said. “We’re really excited.”