Salisbury, MD – The City of Salisbury has filed a Verified Complaint in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County seeking a Temporary Restraining Order, Preliminary and Permanent Injunctions and Declaratory Judgment against Mentis Lot 10, LLC regarding the use of the parking lot at 101–111 Poplar Hill Avenue, known as “Lot 10”, until Mentis Lot 10, LLC commences construction on the Property. The City sold Lot 10 to Mentis Lot 10, LLC in February 2023. Pursuant to the Contract of Sale, Lot 10 was to be developed into “multifamily apartment housing, office space, hotels, restaurants, ground level retail, storm water management facilities, parking structures, or other code compliment uses, or a combination of the aforementioned development types.”
The City was to retain use of Lot 10 as a municipal parking lot and was to keep any and all parking fees collected from the use of Lot 10 until Defendant gave the City notice of its intent to proceed with demolition of excavation.
The legal action comes after Mentis Lot 10, LLC, managed by Nick Simpson, announced its intent to terminate the City’s right to operate Lot 10 as a public parking lot and convert it to a private lot, despite not having applied for or obtained the necessary permits to begin demolition and redevelopment.
The City’s filings request the Court to prevent Mentis Lot 10, LLC from:
- Closing or obstructing the City’s use of Lot 10 for public parking
- Collecting parking fees that belong to the City under existing agreements
- Terminating the Parking Agreement until proper development permits are secured
Mayor Randolph J. Taylor emphasized the importance of Lot 10, which provides 267 parking spaces used daily by Wicomico County jurors, State’s Attorney staff and residents visiting Downtown Salisbury.
“The City entered into this agreement in good faith, ensuring that Lot 10 would remain available for public parking until redevelopment was ready to begin,” said Mayor Taylor. “The City has been and is willing to work with the Developer to make the project successful and an asset for Downtown.”
The City’s complaint asserts that Mentis Lot 10, LLC has breached both the Contract of Sale and the Parking Agreement by attempting to privatize the lot without securing demolition and excavation permits. The requested court order seeks to preserve public parking access and revenue until legitimate redevelopment begins.
The case is pending before the Circuit Court for Wicomico County.
