Pat Cole - no more credibility in my book
I read the article in the News-Herald regarding the proposed city improvements, and I'm on board with the projects at this point. In fact, I've said for years we needed multilevel parking downtown so that we would be able to convert a huge chunk of South Main into a pedestrian-only area. However, after reading what appears to be Pat Cole's opposition ("Do we need it?"), I find myself acknowledging that she has lost what little credibility she had with me. She has been a complete disappointment on the Council. And it certainly seemed as if Mike Wrob was wimpy at best on the proposals. Hopefully that was merely an interpretation based on the less than impressive writing and editing of the News-Herald. This council has been almost as bad as when Garza & Co. ruled the roost.
Very disappointing, indeed.
Rob Wade
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Where is this book of yours
Where is this book of yours at?
I feel that I should qualify
I feel that I should qualify my "lord knows how many times I have headed downtown to have lunch and ended up going elsewhere when I couldn't find parking" statement. I have headed downtown for a meal at least 2 times a week for the past (3) years. If I have to walk for more than 5 minutes or so to get where I'm going, I go elsewhere. No it's not laziness it's simply a time issue for me, as I'm sure it is for a lot of others.
Here's an example of a parking prob for me. Lunch at the Herald and having to park on the other side of the Roswell or near the Tracks on Main. That type of thing usually happens a couple of times each month. I [think] a large part of the problem is when the court is in session and or City Hall is very busy at the same time. So anyway given several years of that happening would equate to quite a few times I've turned around and gone elsewhere. My dollars still stay in town but they don't go to the downtown businesses. And that is what is at issue for those businesses downtown.
This also would lead to my questions earlier in that "can we support a garage given it's expense" or can changes to Main fix our problem? I have run into parking prob's, "nothing like a large City as nstrong pointed out" but I do have to admit that those problems don't crop up all the time.
I do need to take the time to thank the LRNB, because I often park there in front of the Brown Bag and go to either the Brown Bag or the Herald for lunch.
RobertCF I respectfully
RobertCF
I respectfully disagree with your assessment, Pat Cole asking the question "do we need it" is very fiscally responsible. Do we really need it? I think not, I have not spoken to anyone, and have not heard (except for AP) that people don't have a place to park down town. I have always found a spot, maybe a 1/2 a block away, but I have always been able to find a parking spot.
We need to walk more anyway. When you go to SA or Austin; you park and walk, what's the difference here?
Spend our money on more useful things.
Personally the street
Personally the street vendors and door to door people don't bother me in the least. However, I don't feel this is the type of issue where my personal opinion should influence my vote. I think the ordinance should reflect what the community wants for itself.
From what I've seen so far, everyone is in agreement that we should ban the people that stand in the street and collect money.
As far as the door to door people, I'm thinking a good compromise would be to prohibit soliciting at any house with a "No Soliciting" sign posted somewhere. That way people can choose for themselves whether or not they want the door to door people.
By the way, the city has had an ordinance in place since 1984 dealing with some of these issues. It is 25 pages long and this is an effort to condense it and make the provisions more up to date with community standards.
As always Robert, I welcome comments, no permit needed.
Mike Wrob
Why is it that at times the
Why is it that at times the community consensus matter to you and at times it does not? The community never wanted the police station to be moved out of down town, yet you voted for it to be moved.
Actually, I voted to keep it
Actually, I voted to keep it downtown.
Mr. Wrob, You know what else
Mr. Wrob,
You know what else I forgot to suggest? Maybe we ought to build the convention center that is rumored to be built out by the lake, right where the civic center is. Utilize the parking lot for a multi story building including parking garage (in this case it makes sense to build one for events etc.) and build a coliseum for all kinds of events, concerts, weigh ins, rodeos etc. I think that makes much more sense than a police station there and a convention center way out by the lake, don't you?
And oh by the way, anything on the second bridge, I heard that there maybe talks about plans for it out by the lake as along with the convention center? Is Ciro Rodgriguez getting money out Whasington for this project?
I've not heard anything
I've not heard anything about a convention center by the lake. Doesn't mean somebody's not working on it, I just haven't heard anything about it. If such a thing were to be built, I'd obviously prefer it in town.
Nothing new on the bridge. As I've stated, I'm not opposed to one forever, just until there is some indication of large Mexican highway being built to it. Maybe something will come up at the Ports to Plains conference in October.
Mike Wrob
ROFL... Mike its refreshing
ROFL...
Mike its refreshing to see you have a great sense of humor. Keep on posting and making comments about what's happening down at city hall. It's nice to hear it from somebody.
Here's a new idea or challenge to spread. Why not have some rich investor/developer build a nice resort out by the lake? If they can do it at other places, why not here? I'm dying to hear some opinions about this one??? Lake Amistad is a diamond in the rough, just waiting for someone to polish it up... There are so many possiblities/opportunities if one can contemplate it?
Thanks and cheers,
Go Cards!!
Mr. Wrob, I applaud you for
Mr. Wrob,
I applaud you for that. I wished we could reconsider the whole thing and go back to the drawing board on this police station issue
I have no idea whether or
I have no idea whether or not a parking garage would generate revenue for the city. That's why I requested a feasibility analysis before we proceed any further. Until I have enough numbers to make an informed decision, I will not vote for a parking garage. I will need to feel fairly certain that it will work because I don't think the City should be participating in speculative ventures.
I do wish we would have kept the police station downtown.
Mike Wrob
With all due respect to all
With all due respect to all the proponents of a multi level parking garage down town, I think this would be another grave mistake by city council (to follow a list of other mistakes they've made recently), it would be a waste of tax payers' money. Covering up the mistake of moving the police station out of down town by committing another mistake of building a parking garage is like spraying perfume on dog S__T, it's still gonna stink.
Like devoted2DR, I also have lived in a big city, what we referred to as "the city" mid town Manhattan, and I know what parking problems are really like, Down Town Del Rio has no parking problems. And for all of you lazy bones that simply drive away because you could not park directly in front of your favorite restaurant down town, I have three words for you, get a life.
So let me get this straight.
So let me get this straight. If I am on a time crunch for lunch and don't feel like walking 3+ blocks to get to the restaurant and then back to my vehicle I need to get a life? I get my exercise after work not in the hour or less that I have for lunch thank you very much.
It was bad enough when the
It was bad enough when the garage sale permit was instituted. That's a royal pain. Too many permits and not enough substance. Street vendors and the like abound in Texas cities and towns. Anyone been to Austin lately? They can be ignored. I'd rather have my police force enlarged, parks monitored, and plans for a downtown revitalization made--including a plan for ample parking. The petty complaints can wait.
"Ridiculous ordinances
"Ridiculous ordinances getting passed every time we turn around...and all probably because of some powerful special interest."
Can somebody name them? I don't read the DRNH so I really have no clue as to the articles inside it's pages.
I don't see alot of the ordinances being inforced that I know we have, such as the permits for street vendors.And, I'd love to see more especially when it comes to people parking their cars and boats, etc.. along Veterens for sale. That to me is trashy looking.
I've always said that one of the reasons I don't go downtown that much is the parking sitituation. I don't know that a multi level parking garage is the answer, but it would be a start in the right direction in my opinion.
I've never had a problem
I've never had a problem finding parking downtown. In fact, I find parking to be quite abundant. Maybe that's because I lived in a big city (Philadelphia, PA) where parking truly is a nightmare. Seems that a multilevel parking facility would be plain silly. Find a way to attract enough people downtown to fill a multilevel parking structure first, and then build the multilevel structure.
Rob, I read the same story
Rob, I read the same story but I took her question a little differently. Of course I read the story pretty fast and may have missed something. I haven't followed Pat's decision's on the council like I have followed others so basically I have no opinion one way or the other in regards to her performance. That being said I tend to want my elected representatives to ask questions and deep ones at that. Even if those questions seem contrary to what I want to see happen. Blind obedience to an idea is downright scary and besides It's the vote that counts not the questioning leading up to it.
Now I'm no fan of the DRNH for a couple of reasons, but I've always found Karen to be an excellent writer and reporter. It's some of the others that scare me. If you wouldn't mind, could you give some clarification on what was "wimpy" about Mike Wrob's proposals.
On this particular topic,
On this particular topic, it's not a matter of blind obedience. As I stated, I've been making similar suggestions to a number of people who have solicited opinions on why downtown is dead and what would attract activity. It strikes me to be the height of ignorance to ask if we need a parking structure. How can a person live in this city for any length of time and not think we need one? Especially if they actually are sincere about wanting to revitalize downtown. Parking is just one of several reasons why I avoid downtown like the plague.
Regarding Wrob's comments, perhaps the more appropriate description might have been they appeared to be indifferent...or unenthusiastic. As I said, perhaps that was merely my interpretation based on the way the story was written. But then, now that I read that they're trying to force yet another permit on citizens, ones who wish to make house calls for religious purposes or fund-raisers. I'm sorry, I'm just sick of the intrusiveness of this council. The whole lot of them need to quit. I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but I'm just tired of it. Ridiculous ordinances getting passed every time we turn around...and all probably because of some powerful special interest. It's getting so you can't walk down the street anymore without getting a permit. Sigh.
Oh I certainly don't argue
Oh I certainly don't argue that parking isn't needed "lord knows how many times I have headed downtown to have lunch and ended up going elsewhere when I couldn't find parking", but I would question which is the best way to go about it. We are re-doing Main St anyway, so will turning Main into a one way street with expanded parking give us as many parking spaces as a costly parking structure? What are the ongoing costs involved in a parking structure. You know the ones we have to pay whether or not court is in session or whether or not we are having any major public activity downtown. People are soo danged cheap around here any paid parking had better be inexpensive or people will simply not go downtown at all. Another question is can we do it without it's becoming an eyesore?
Oh and the City's decision to move the Police Station is one of the more crack smoked laced decisions to come out of City Hall in recent memory.
1). There was a way to build a new bldg right where the present one is with little or no disruption of normal day to day activity at the Station.
2). The Police Chief's saying that he fears a chemical spill from the Trains that run near there is like saying that I can't build there because I fear freak tornadoes. Total load of bovine soil.
3). Hmm let's see the location they decided to place it on is already occupied and is well lets just say that it's periodically overloaded with people. Hey here's a great idea! Lets take up some more parking spaces so people won't want to have their activities there. Mark my words in less than 5 years there will be a large structure like it out near the lake and whammo half the revenue. And don't tell me that this isn't an issue because they are already worried about the construction going on on the weekends when there is activity there. Bunch of boneheads.
At first I wholeheartedly supported the Garage Sale Ordinance since I was told it would curb or stop the eyesores along Veterans Blvd. Since then I have learned two things. One, it did not stop all the silliness along Veterans and Two, free people of the U.S. living in Del Rio are only allowed to have "if I remember correctly" 4 garage sales per year and no more no matter what. I'm sorry but apparently I was unaware that we were having an epidemic of people making a living by having dozens of garage sales per year. And doesn't the flea market count as one really big garage sale? As far as I know the vendors there do not have business permits posted and I bet they don't pay taxes so ergo they are garage sales.
Parking downtown is often at
Parking downtown is often at a premium, particularly when juries are being panneled in federal and state judicial courts. A parking garage would be a real investment in the future growth of downtown, and might spur some of that growth if investors realized the city was serious about improving the business climate.
Moving the police headquaters out of downtown does not appear to show that commitment.
Mike Wrob is anything but indifferent or wishy-washy. He, more than any other councimember sitting on that dais, has striven for transparency and taking bold steps to solve problems. What his often dry personality reflects is the caution that reserves judgment until he has more and better trustworthy information, and sometimes getting that is exceedingly difficult.
Robert, there are some good, conscientious folks up there, and a few that should have never gotten there and did so only by the "grace" of moneyed interests who wanted their puppet in the council chambers. But be cautious about throwing all the babies out with the bathwater.
As to the permit issues, you may loathe government interference of this sort, but know this: An overarching reason that the permit system is on the docket is because ol a blizzard of complaints the city staff and council members receive from people angry about the interference of peddlers, religious organizations of unproven connections, curbside marketing of cheap mementos, uninspected produce and little dogs almost certainly from "puppy mills."
I, for one, am sick and tired of people in wierd clothes with blue buckets rushing my car at the Gibbs/Veterans intersection, thrusting their pitch on me every time I stop for a red light. They are unwelcome by most, but it must be a lucrative operation with no oversight to prove how their largesse is used.
Bill Sontag
Feature Writer
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