In the wake of a controversial towing spree two weekends ago at Montgomery Plaza in the West 7th Street corridor (“Wreckers Haul Away Dozens from Montgomery Plaza,” Blotch, Monday, Jan. 13), the massive entertainment/residential complex anchored by the old Montgomery Ward building took a kinder, gentler approach this past weekend, as promised (“Montgomery Plaza’s New Parking Tact,” Blotch, Thursday, Jan. 19).
Still, some people weren’t satisfied. On Friday night, spotters hired by Montgomery Plaza to patrol the parking area in question –– about 100 spots on the western and southwestern sides of the complex that has about 400-plus spots total –– warned 33 people that they had illegally parked and needed to either relocate their vehicles or risk being towed, according to Fort Worth police office Ken Jacobs, the NPO for West 7th, nearby So7, and the nearby Cultural District. Twelve of those people, however, “chose to walk off and leave their cars,” Jacobs wrote in his most recent e-newsletter to about 600 recipients on his beat. “None were towed, but that is pretty sad that 12 felt it was OK to keep walking.”
Jimmy Moore, owner of the nearby 7th Haven, described the spotters as “courteous.” Moore is known for broadcasting deep thoughts on his bar’s conspicuous marquee and had recently posted “Car Towing Alert: Montgomery Plaza is Towing Customers’ Cars. Park There at Your Own Risk.” But, he said, “the [parking] situation is much better. I’m satisfied.” He pulled his rhetoric Saturday morning.
Part of the credit for the improved relations over the weekend, NPO Jacobs believes, should go to Lone Star Towing, the company just hired by Montgomery Ward to replace Tarrant County Abandoned Vehicle Removal (TCAR), the perpetrators of the previous weekend’s massive tow-off. Montgomery Ward fired TCAR after learning that TCAR wreckers had performed aggressively. They yanked cars instead of securing them properly as required by law, and at least one TCAR wrecker had used a Slim Jim to break into a vehicle to release its parking brake for easier towing. “Unfortunately,” Jacobs wrote, “the tow company did a despicable job on their part and created significant bad press for the West 7th area, not just Montgomery Plaza.”
Jacobs is investigating TCAR for any potential administrative or criminal violations.
While Montgomery Plaza’s touch to illegal parkers will remain soft, Jacobs said, “responsible towing” will resume soon.
In the meantime, Jacobs is trying to organize a discussion among West 7th businesses about parking and safety. “The West 7th area needs to work as one,” he wrote.
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Officer Jacobs thinks some people are just asking for trouble. In a phone conversation today (Tuesday, Jan. 24), he said that one woman over the weekend parked her vehicle in Montgomery Plaza’s lot and then “ran into 7th Haven.” Another driver of an illegally parked vehicle, Jacobs said, responded to a spotter’s request to move by saying, “I’ll take my chances.”
“I’m pretty confident,” Jacobs said, “that some people are trying to set up the tow company and get their 15 minutes of fame, post a video on YouTube or something.”
Jacobs is spearheading a campaign to solve the parking problem. He has arranged a powwow for Wednesday afternoon with several area businesses and associations, and he also has reached out to the Fort Worth school district and The T –– the school district owns nearby Farrington Field, whose massive parking lot is empty most of the time. Jacobs thinks The T might be able to provide some sort of shuttle service between the field and West 7th.
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I have visited this area frequently and the only mar on many otherwise brilliant evenings was the parking situation. Developers, and business owners need to understand that convenient parking is part of the equation for many people when considering where to spend their money. We want to frequent your establishments, help us to do this! I have to admit that I’ve already went somewhere else on several occasions because I was frustrated on where to park.
West 7th retailers, bars and developers need to work this out and leave the customers out of their business or we will take ours elsewhere.
Saturday after Thanksgiving, 3 of us went to Fred’s at about 2pm for a burger and beer. We parked in a garage immediately east of Fred’s, we were the only car in the garage. There was a garage monitor who asked where we were going, we said Fred’s and he said in that case we would have to move, we did but, the ill will I feel is to the 7th street developers not Fred’s. I’m a regular 7th street patron, to all the establishments.
I have an idea… Everyone just park where you want to and go where you want. ~ The idea that I can’t park in an open legal space (not reserved, loading, or handicaped) to go someplace within walking distance for an hour or two is just silly. This type of thing works itself out if you let it. People leave an “area” because of parking, not a “specific business”… In due time, the locations without true “draw” will wither and die. Also, isn’t this area designed as a destination area? If I go to a location and park in it’s parking area, then go across the street to meet friends for a drink; planning to go back to my starting point to end the night, bringing said friends along; it would be smart of the location at which I parked to leave me alone because I’m bringing them money… Hence, “destination area”. ~ Anyway, this really is pointless for me because I really don’t like this area anyway. It’s so lacking in character, the new Sundance Square if you will. It’s too safe for any real fun. A bunch of gays like Tony Pena hanging out and telling themselves how wonderful they are. I know all about it, I was one of those silly douches along time ago. ~ So in closing… Go to a dirty dive bar with an edge, (like maybe The Cellar) have a beer and a shot like a man, get in a fight or maybe get laid… MAKE SOME STORIES HAPPEN PEOPLE!!! Great tales don’t include “sushi” “bowling” or “an icecream sandwich”. The best stories have whiskey, blood and breast. LIVE PEOPLE, until you die… BLUE
Terminal heterosexuality much? Come on out of the closet Blue. It’s really fine out here.
HA! LOVE IT! LOL – Nice Roy, I dig it… I wasn’t being mean to the gays, I’m just a throw back butch kinda guy… LMAO. ~ Seriously though, I’m an old school kinda guy but not hatin’ on gay people. I’m just a very real, confidant man. So much so, I’ll give ya a hug and kiss on the cheek if I see ya out some night… Oh darn Roy, I better settle down; my wife said I have to stay straight… 🙂 Blue
I have had that experience as well Perry. We were going down there for a pub crawl (you’d love that Blue!) and because we weren’t going to a specific business only some of our party was asked to park elsewhere. This is in spite of the fact that the business in question was being frequented, just not exclusively.
How about everybody going somewhere else this weekend and leaving 7th Street alone. That way Montgomery Plaza can look out at a big empty parking lot all weekend and start to appreciate cars and customers instead of trying to run them off.