According to a circulating report (one of many) ON the city of paris verses Alarid . . . .
. . . . the apparent stoppage of work on the downtown properties owned by David Alarid is the fault of the City of Paris, Texas, as – either thru’ deliberate ignorance or stupidity – the city is still riding its high horse.
A poor animal that should have died of old age 30-years ago.
Seems the city recently “red tagged” the First National Bank building. But before any restoration effort started, the city reportedly said a red tag did not exist. (A building is normally red-tagged because it doesn’t have a permit or has structural issues or violates building codes.)
The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce is told that a person cannot legally enter a building that has been red-tagged, unless they have a special permit.
So, here we are today: The city has red-tagged the bank building (and other properties) in order to cut-off utilities to Alarid’s residence. A sneaky and odious harassment.
The report is that while Alarid was in Austin for extended specialized medical care, he missed paying electric bills mailed to his residence. So the provider switched power off for non-payment.
After Alarid’s return to Paris, the bill was paid. The company saying the energy would be on the next day. Then they called, saying that they could not turn power back on, as the city reported the building was in violation of city codes, and stating it would not approve the meter, unless it was removed from the interior of the building (where it has been for years), and re-attached outside the building.
Local Political Fluff
All this, according to Alarid, is just another excuse to prevent restoration of his property.
It does seem to rank as another harassment. Without electricity, he’s limited on what can be done. All he can do is sit on the sidewalk: The one the 2012 Paris City Council approved repairing – stop its draining of rainwater into the bank’s basement area and damaging the structure – years before Alarid purchased the building. Now, the city has blocked access to the sidewalk and allows it to continue to do more damage, as the water continues to pour in —
In 2012, twelve years ago the city admitted its responsibility for the sidewalk, but now claims it’s Alarid’s responsibility – and has blocked his access to his property, which means he cannot even pump the water out — ?
Currently, the city
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wants the electric meter moved from the basement to the facade of the building ( which seems to violate state and federal historical regulations, which prohibit anything that cause the facade to be different than historically accurate).
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It states the meter is not safe in the basement, and that Oncor does not want it there in case of a need to turn the power off. But Alarid points out that Oncor does not care and turns the power on and off on the roof of the building.
But cutting off utilities at Alarid’s residence is just a tie-in to his other still-to-be-restored properties, which amounts to an estimated 141,000 square feet (an estimated 83,500 in Rodgers-Wade, 52,500 in the FNB; and 5,400 in the Varner building). By claiming “code violations” the city will not allow utilities to these properties.
Does anyone at the City of Paris consider that when doing re-modeling or construction, code is only a factor when the work is fully completed? Only then can it be determined as upgraded or acceptable? Using ‘code’ as an excuse to prevent bringing things up to code is not how things are accomplished in the real world.
Putting the cart in front of the horse is not the best way to get results . . .
The Paris Chamber doesn’t care if Alarid is an aggressive, arrogant, dumb as part of a smart horse, one of the nicest guys on earth or crazy as some of your relatives. Its his money being spent for improvements. Not the taxpayers. Not the city’s.
His money.
These on-going years of the city demands of “meeting code” and demanding permits and other mickey mouse jumping thru hoops, and later changing demands, revoking permits and requiring new ones … simply is wrong.
Its also bone-deep stupid; especially, when you’re giving money and other incentives to others to build low-income slums.
You don’t brag about doing the best for the community when you stop someone from spending their own money to improve over 140,000 square feet of downtown buildings.
And no one asks, “Why would Alarid want to destroy the value of his own property?”
BOTTOM LINE
It seems the city is demanding that Alarid “…must comply with all zoning ordinances.” But, no, what the City of Paris is saying is, “YOU do what we tell you to do!” And if those demands fail state and national historical restoration standards, “that’s your problem.” Its political nonsense gone mad (not angry, crazy). Some of the city’s reported previous demands have been outside any existing ordinances.
And all ordinances are not enforced equally. Period. Surely, the city realizes that not all ordinances are enforced? Consider:
grass and weeds are growing far taller – some of which have not been cut for 4-years or more – on properties all over Paris, including around utility poles, street signs, right-of-ways, and some city-owner properties in violation of ordinances
Autos and other vehicles are parked in front yards and on or in non-designated parking areas in violation of ordinances
City planned and approved street intersections that do not meet ordinance requirements
Commercial businesses in zoned residential areas (without ordinance required permits or without approved zoning changes)
Single-family homes permitted and constructed in retail and commercially zoned areas
Historical District (homes and buildings) city permitted that do not meet national historical accuracy
Buildings, commercial and residential, that fail regulations and codes on health, fire, litter and junk.
As exemption after exemption are permitted on other ordinances and zoning, if this all goes to court, how can the city justify its demands?
What kind of stupidity tells a property owner that he or she cannot spend their own money to improve their own property, when the city is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to try and improve the property for others in the same downtown area?
But, is putting zigs-and-zags in downtown streets improvements?
It certainly does not improve traffic safety.
The city wasted more than a decade trying to improve the Grand Theater, a downtown historical-designated building, but failed to do so after spending over a half-million dollars ear-marked for that purpose, and has recently handed it over to another group to try and accomplish it.
IF the city can’t improve its own historical property, how can it demand the right to tell others how to do it. . . ?
The City of Paris can talk about “must comply” all it wants but, as a servant (supposedly) for the public, it cannot selectively enforce a demand that does not meet the test of “equal treatment.” Or demand others to foul-up as much as the city has in improving its own properties.
To be correct, government can do anything it wants to – until someone says, “NO!” (And means it.)
The way things are going, it’s likely to end up being the City of Paris vs Alarid, and whatever happens will cost taxpayers more money to pay for the stupidity.
Surely, adults, regardless of personalities, can find common ground to do what is best for Paris?
IF not, why not?
Return to Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce
