Community "Standards"

Municipal governments can be the most tyrannical in Texas, wielding far more power than counties or state regulatory bodies. There has been an accelerating erosion of property, homeowner's and businesses rights in College Station and to a lesser degree, Bryan.

In the name of 'standards', the leaders of these cities seize more and more power for themselves and seek to implement THEIR view of what it means to live in the city.

The best recent example are the "No Smoking" ordinances. Where did the city become the arbiter of what private citizens can do in private businesses? They have taken the power to decide private business actions and forced decisions onto the citizens.

Now College Station is seeking to implement "architectural standards" to see to it that all new commercial buildings in the city are painted the same colors, have the same amount of 'stone work', and have sufficient 'islands' in the parking lots. From Economic Development Director Kim Foutz: "Here’s your menu of choices — you make it work for you." Notice that safety, convenience, and economic development are not mentioned, only ascetics.

Here is the point from Planning and Development Director Joey Dunn: “We want a higher quality, and that does come at some greater cost,” he said.