New Urbanism?

by Ron West

Hometown NRH is a project based on “new urbanism”. Now the same term is being used for the 820 Corridor Study and future development. Up until recently, I had kind of ignored the “new urbanism” label but with the addition of this label to the 820 Study, I think we all need to step back and see if that is something we – as citizens of NRH – would truly subscribe to and support if we knew for sure what it meant.

On a recent tour of Hometown NRH some significant facts regarding this concept were pointed out to me:

1) On street parking is encouraged to “calm traffic”

2) Streets are relatively narrow to cause drivers to drive more slowly.

3) The entire development is designed for residents only and is planned to discourage traffic from the “outside”. In this case – the outside is all other citizens of the city.

4) The business portions of Hometown NRH are designed to be in walking distance for Hometown NRH residents. Only very limited parking is planned – again to discourage traffic from the outside.

5) The strategic location of Hometown NRH is supposed to draw off traffic from our neighbor city Hurst – although the parking situation will discourage such visits.

6) Pricing of housing precludes any low income residents in the area. This means that virtually all service or minimum wage employees will have to drive to work but there is little or no provision for where they park.

7) The current plans for Hometown NRH include the moving of our existing – award winning library to this area. This must mean that it will then be for the primary benefit of Hometown NRH residents only. (Note: By design, outside traffic is being discouraged.)

8) The current plans also call for a $21 Million Recreation Center – as in the item above, apparently to enhance accessibility for Hometown NRH residents over the rest of us.

9) The same comment applies to the proposed conference center.

10) Multiple parks and lakes have been developed to beautify the Hometown NRH neighborhood and there is NO provision for parking by residents of NRH outside of Hometown NRH.

11) 0 lot line construction places residents very, very close together.

New urbanism, as currently defined for Hometown NRH is built around the concept of a localized community with services and shops in walking distance. Think of the larger congested downtown areas across the USA and you have an old picture of this new concept. Unfortunately for the rest of the residents of NRH, the idea of new urbanism is based on an old concept from someone all of us have heard of…"from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." Karl Marx. The needs in the case of “new urbanism” are apparently defined by our city council and their ability to tax without restraints is the way they fulfill those needs under this “new urbanism” concept.

Hometown NRH has the concept of Karl Marx embedded in the TIF#2 where all citizens of NRH are being required to subsidize city services for the residents of Hometown NRH while taxes from Hometown NRH residents are used exclusively for the development of the new library, recreation center and conference center. The idea of taking from the many to benefit the few is just not a concept that you would expect to find in our city. The needs being considered are apparently only those of the majority of the council and not necessarily those of the majority of the citizens in our city.

The alarming thing is that this term is now being applied to the 820 Corridor for future development. Since the study has been initiated very early and is under the influence of the same council that has so strongly endorsed new urbanism in Hometown NRH, my fear is that they have significant plans to help themselves for more skimmed taxes for their personal motivations.

If the concept of “new urbanism” was not supported by taking taxes from the many to benefit the few, I would find no problem with it. Each citizen and resident would have the right to make their own decisions and all citizens – regardless of their choice of location in the city – would pay their fair share toward city services. In like manner, all citizens would be considered prior to the relocation of the library or recreation center. As it now stands, only the closed board created by the City Council decides these issues without any voter or citizen input.

The real concern is the new – very premature study regarding land usage along the 820 Corridor before the state has even announced plans for 820. It is truly strange that we have the excellent new bridge over 820 on Rufe Snow Drive that will not accommodate any of the plans that are now being bantered about. As our current situation exists, the expansion of 820 to six from the present four lanes – which would fit under the bridge – would be a very significant improvement. Add to these concerns the use of the “new urbanism” term and it begins to sound like a new Hometown NRH type of project.

Having been a resident of NRH since 1982, I have enjoyed being in the city and the area of the county. I applaud the creation of the new parks we have but decry the lack of parking to make them available to all residents. I have no desire for NRH to become like Southlake or Colleyville. I personally believe that city services such as libraries and recreation centers should be centrally located and open to all citizens.

The question that truly needs to be answered is whether the majority of the citizens of NRH will benefit from this “new urbanism” concept and whether the majority of the citizens of NRH subscribe to the theory …"from each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

Taking taxes from the majority – without voter input or approval – for the benefit of a few is just not my idea of the direction our leadership should be taking us in.

I would welcome your thoughts on “new urbanism”.