SALISBURY, Md. — The city of Salisbury has fenced off the area beneath the South Division Street bridge, closing a spot where homeless people had visited for years.
The city has put up fencing along both sides of the South Division Street bridge near the library. City officials say conditions under the bridge had become unsafe and unsanitary for both the people spending time there and for the city.
The city says encampments have existed under the bridge for eight to 10 years and gotten progressively worse. Mayor Randy Taylor said conditions reached a point where the city had to act.
“We were getting more and more reports from SPD, our police department,” Taylor said. “There were more and more activities coming from there. And on top of that, you know, we could see just by virtue, our office is right next to think. We can see that the population and the amount of trash and, you know, our folks that are cleaning it up.”
He also said people have fallen into the nearby river and that city crews were regularly cleaning up trash, clothing and human waste. The city provided portable toilets in the area, Taylor said, but some people did not use them.
Taylor said the closure took place last...