NRH Today - January 26, 2005

- This brief photo essay portrays what is happening to business in our city.  You can click on any picture for a larger image.

   Circuit City recently moved to Hurst, Texas.  Why?  Could it be that city government is more friendly to business and taxes are lower?

   Best Buy moved to Hurst, Texas.  Why?  Could it be that city government is more friendly to business and taxes are lower?

    City Budget calls for $1,000,000 in signal and traffic improvements for this vacant mall.  Total city budget for existing street repairs for entire year is $600,000.   Why?

($600,000 figure in city budget as preventive street maintenance program - page 142)

    Golden Corral wanted to put up a pole sign to increase business but was not allowed to do so.  This was because pole signs are ugly and our city leaders want to cut them all down outside a 200 foot corridor along 820.

    A sad sign.  Mervyns store is closing and the Artisan Theater is moving to Hurst!  Why?

    Now the entire mall is vacant!  Why?   Secret deals, tax abatement and other incentives are promising redevelopment after razing.  While this has been announced, have problems developed to stop the deal?

           Maybe it is because we won't allow businesses to use existing signs to identify their businesses!  Neither of these signs are applicable to the businesses at these locations but the city will not permit changes.  Why?  The car wash sign was cut down so this business is now nearly invisible.  The city had the owner sign over ownership of the sign so that your tax dollars could be used to cut it down.

    This sign was apparently put up without proper permits.  The city is willing to pay to have it cut down with your city tax dollars.  Of course the owner would then have to pay for a tombstone sign.  Why?  As of 9/27/05, this sign was removed with your tax dollars by the city.  It was replaced with a nearly invisible tombstone sign.

    This is ugly - not the power lines, the pole sign.  Any new owner that buys this property will not be allowed to use it.  The city does not comply with state law regarding the denial of such usage.  Why?

        This property has been vacant a long time.  It is not too desirable since the pole sign cannot be used for people to find anything located here.  Based on current city ordinances, it may continue to be vacant.  Why?

    This business wanted to spend up to $1,000,000 rebuilding and updating the entire property if the city would only allow the conversion of the then existing Texaco pole sign to a Shell face.  The city denied the request.  Why?

    This is a beautiful sign by city standards.   A tombstone style sign that is almost impossible to see.  I guess whatever business was here found a new home where they could be seen.  I wonder why?  

    There is a lot of vacant commercial property in NRH.  It is all over the city and this small sampling is just that.  Why?

    This is so ugly that the city is requiring a masonry fence around it.  They made the owner of this business cut down the Long John Silver pole sign before they would issue a certificate of occupancy.  If city harassment continues, this owner is considering moving to Hurst or Richland Hills after the expiration of his lease.  Why?

Something seems dramatically wrong from the NRH City Hall.  Walmart, Sams and Target may have covered a very serious underlying problem with a small business - unfriendly - policy in NRH!    This policy may be the real reason for the drop in sales tax revenue from year to year - not our economy!

What do you think?