Council denies request to make downtown a multi-family zone

Nearly 20 years ago with Downtown Howe looking like a ghost town, M.E. Curtis convinced the city council to place a “hotel” in the historic business district which would leave the zoning as a commercial district.  The “hotel” then became “apartments” where tenants pay by the week.  Marie Curtis, representing her husband, told the Howe City Council on Tuesday night that because of the commercial zoning of “hotel”, it will cost them $500 more per year for insurance and requested to change the zoning to multi-family.  She also told the council that they plan to add additional units to the north side of the complex.

Councilwoman Debbie Lowery stated that she had phone calls from citizens that opposed making Howe’s commercial historic downtown district a multi-family zone.  Councilman Bill French said that he was concerned that changing the zoning to multi-family would affect what type of businesses could be in the downtown area.

“The downtown area does not make as much money now as it did when there was an upholstery shop that was paying taxes, a beauty shop that was paying taxes, and a hardware store that was paying taxes.” said Marie Curtis to the council.  “It looks good, but you don’t get as much revenue.”

With the recent upgrades and renovation of the buildings that housed the former beauty shop and hardware store, the taxable value of each building increased by over $30,000 each.  The renovation to the building that housed the upholstery shop increased the taxable value by nearly $30,000 according to the Grayson County Appraisal District.

The council unanimously denied the zoning change and the “hotel/apartments” will remain as is.  Any additions to the property will have to be approved by the city as a standard hotel.

(full story in Monday’s Howe Enterprise)