Letter to the Editor
Amarillo Globe News

AMARILLO -- I've been amazed by the wild tales circulating Amarillo conjuring threats posed by Amarillo's recently enacted Downtown Design Standards.

Perhaps rampant conspiracy theories and speculation about "the suits" lording over struggling downtown landowners are unavoidable. Internet froth too easily supplants reality in contemporary culture. Wired though we may be, the "unplugged" often carry the argument.

Property owners downtown have endured decades of neglect, bad planning and periodic, dead-end schemes with little to show for it besides leaky roofs, empty buildings and another year's taxes.

For better or worse, downtown remains the city center. If current planning and revitalization efforts finally yielded stalwart property owners a bit of gain, the whole city accrues much more in terms of improved property values and tax collections. Certainly for many, it will remain the most significant measure of success for current revitalization efforts. (Click here for full story)