In Dallas, stepped‑up code enforcement is working to curb crime in the city’s entertainment districts. Only, some city leaders say, it’s working so well that now a task force is looking to address some unintended consequences: good businesses are being hurt by the enforcement of some outdated rules.
“We as a city have the habit of sometimes taking a sledgehammer to fix a problem that could be fixed with a scalpel,” says District 1 Councilmember Chad West. “And in this situation, the nighttime code enforcement department came in with good intentions, and for the most part, they did a great job. And they still are holding these operators that are problem people accountable.”
Of course, there’s a “but” coming.
Old rules resurface under scrutiny
“They did such a good job, to be fair, that they ended up enforcing old rules that had never been looked at in decades that ended up harming and shutting down operators that have never caused any problems — both in Deep Ellum, in Bishop Arts, and possibly in other parts of the city,” West said…