Misc photos of currrent issues

The following photographs may or may not cause you any concern - but they are related to the erratic and often wrongly enforced city ordinances. Some of the photographs relate to the "beautification" of our city and some relate to "revitalization". See what you think. You can click on any of the small images for a larger view.

Recently, the city decided that there should be 9 1/2 clearance from the curb to any obstructions for safety reasons. Of course that is only to be enforced against those ugly RV's. This walk area on Glenview Drive near Spurlock Park measures five feet - without sidewalks. Many such sites exist within our city.

Revitalization & Beautification in progress. Crooked sidewalks - hope this is not true of our local elected officials. Crooked sidewalks cost more to build and more to maintain. Someone thinks they are more attractive than the functional straight walks. (They are not as easy for older folks to use for sure!) The following is an email received from a resident of this area on 3/10/05. (Name withheld but on file.)

"Where you have a picture of the crazy sidewalks by the church on Rufe Snow is across the street from my house. I live on Rufe Snow. I dislike the crazy sidewalk in my yard. I have had 3 months on noise & total mess. They did not even finish my second driveway. Total mess. Now I have this sidewalk taking up more space. While on the subject. From Glenview to Karen it is like the speedway. Current speed amount is 35 I have people flying down Rufe Snow like a Freeway. I never see any police on south side of Rufe Snow. They could write thousands of dollars worth of tickets in one day. That's just my opinion. I hate the sidewalks with even more of my yard gone and I hate the Rufe Snow speedway."

Near Richland Middle School, the recent street direction change sets up this five foot clearance problem on the corner for cars turning left. These lucky people apparently actually own their property to within five feet of the street. (Wonder if the city is planning to pass new ordinances to change that?)

You can recognize our public library. It is the third best library in the state for cities our size. With this type of recognition, this lousy old building needs to be torn down and $10 Million spent to build a new one closer to the higher income portion of our city called Hometown NRH. It will be a real monument to our elected officials who are spending our money for the new library without voter approval.

The city sent out a company to cut this sign down (with labor paid by the city) but the owner would not allow it without written documentation of the cost to the city. They haven't returned - I suppose because there is no real legal way to spend city funds to cut down signs. Funding must have come from Cunningham's $2,000,000 private slush fund. As of 9/27/05 this sign was removed and replaced by a hardly visible tombstone sign. So much for helping business in our city, huh?

I ask Bo Bass, Assistant City Manager in December about this sign which is illegal by current code - but since it is a real estate firm, I don't guess he has had time to look into it. It is still in front of the old Jubilation site. After multiple requests to city hall, they finally enforced their ordinance for this violation.

This is a new park located on BISD school property that the city has used city tax funds to develop. Great for the kids but closed to the public during school hours.

This is art that cost extra. Part of beautification and revitalization? It is also on the school ground. Watch for more of this type of spending in the newest city budget.

Another vacant building - this one on Davis Blvd. Sets way back from the road.... but.....

This sign in front of the vacant property can no longer be used in our city! Wonder if the city plans to pay for the sign or just blackmail the people into cutting it down before they will give a certificate of occupancy?

This is the current #4 NRH Fire Station with five bays. It is on Dick Fisher Rd in the city complex. We are basically abandoning this location and building an expensive smaller new one about 1.5 miles north.

This is the new #4 Fire Station under construction with 3 bays. Cost millions with the concept that smaller is better? Approved by voters as part of the Pork Barrel Bond election in 2003. Must have really been good selling by the big spenders.

This is the junkie old fire station on Starnes that is in such bad shape we needed to move it. (We are going to remodel it and let the Parks Department use it.)

This is the replacement and it looks really fancy. Again costing millions. Hope the neighbors sleep soundly when alarms go off! Hope these new buildings have longer lives than the old ones they are replacing.

This fire station located on Davis is getting a new exercise room as an upgrade. Hope the firemen are not to tired from exercising to fight fires. The other old fire station on Rufe Snow south of Glenview is also getting an expensive upgrade.

This is Lucille Stevens property that the City forced removal of RV's from. Funny note, the "supposed complaints" which the city will not reveal, were made if real - in November 2004. At that time, there were no residents adjacent to this property. Only developers in process. Did the city lie?

Please remember that this is the same group that put this plant on BISD land over many objections from residents. It was done with special - unanimous approval - of the zoning board. As they say, rank has privilege - certainly in NRH

This is the reward being sought by our currently elected officials. Build new monuments with Taxpayer money then take credit for it. The new fire stations, library, recreation center, conference center and ultimately a new town (city) hall will all have these credits to our politico's as if they were spending their own money. This particular plaque in City Hall may be torn down before the building is even paid for! These plaques ought to say "Paid for by the Taxpayers of North Richland Hills under the administration of....". A footnote should say that this monument will be paid in full in 2035 or whatever date the debt is paid off.