U-Haul/SPAm-CS010314 (2)MRR !5 ' 00! 0g:47 FR Iq!CHOLS JACKSON
gtar~.14-Z ~1 04:46~e Fram-t/INSTEAD SECHREST & LtlNICK/Z
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DILLA4
965 OD 1 0
TO 9723047092 P.02
T-O~I~ P.OOZ/O03 F-H6
.M~ch 14, 2001
VIA FAX (214) ~65-0010
Robert E, finger, Esq.
Nichols. Jargon, Dillard, Hager& Sm,~h
500 N. Akard
Suite 1800
l)~ll~, TX 75201
Dear Bob:
214 745.5745
:cm~cT~un~Cl$C~'ad corn
U-Haul International Sire Plan
Drmcon Tap @ $.H 121 Bypass
Th~s icom is ~chcdaled for heanng tomorrow mght by the Coppell P~.. The purpose
of'this letter is co address the sraffcummencs and sr.~'f rcpo/rs pertaining to the comfrany logo
contained on U-Haal's vehicles. This ~ssue app~ co be governed by the foflowing
provismns of the City's zoning ordi~ce:
Sign. ~elde'klar; means my atgn on a vd%icle umving ~long me gromu.l
or on any ,ehicle p~rked ~pofarfiy, inc~den~l m Irs pr~cip~l use for
tnm~lmmdon. This definition ~11 nm inclu~ d~n~. which are being
transported Io a sire of permanem crcc~ion
Sr~flr has m&c~ced .n ic~ reports tier "there is no &since in the Coppell Zoning
Ordlmnce (~h~ch) ~llows rh~s type of vehicular s~gnsge." Howler, ar ~e most r~cenc DRC
meeting, [he Building Official scared ~nd confi~ed ~ac v6hlc,~ sig~ge is pe~icccd
andre ch~ zoning &t [he sire. I~ spastic statements were char he h~ yet co decide whether
the t~acks are perm~n~nr signs as opposed to vehicular s~gas. I ~ certain rh~t you wilt ~grcc
zliac any inrcrptecarmn by ~e Building O~ci~ that ~ crocks are ~tmmcnr slgmge h
moons;scene w]~ ch~ ~smblish~ sc~d~d char has ~re~y been ~mblishcd in the City of
Coppcll. The avenge ram=ruund Ear the renal of a r~ck ~s a very short rime ~:lod. Th~,
thc rrac~ can ~rdly be considered "perm~enc."
In the present c~,e, ic is clear char the City wo~ld ~ singling-our U-H,ul and
creating it differend~ chart ocher simil~'ly situated businesses should the Braiding O~ci~l
dete~in~ ~[ U-HauI's vehicles conscicu~ p~nenc si~ge. Wr have token a
pho~ogmphic invcncu~ of various busmess~ located throughout the Ci~ of Coppell ~ac
e~rablls~ a city-wide paKem. N~eroas busia~ses h~w vehicles l~red ia ~e front
ponlons of their sk~ w~rh com~ay locus and advertising chic ~ c~arly visible from C~ry
srr~cs. We ~lso h~ve photographs ofm cresting b~,ness located in the City r~c condac~ a
crack rcn~l usc rh2c pzt~ ~cs C~,Cks m the front potion of ~cs sire adjacent co the street.
Ad&cmn~y, "Kent M~" is prummentl~ d~sptaycd on i~ c~ks U-Haul ~ acrid n0r co
pl~e "r~nr-me" signs or ssgns ~hac advem~ th~ price of the rental on i= ~c~.
MAR 15 ?.001 09:4? FR NICHOLS JACKSON DILLA4 9G5 00]0 TO 9723047092 P.03
Mar~J4-~:,O1 04:46pm Froe-~tlN,~TEAD SECHltEST i MINICK/Z Z14-'r45-5~O T-031i P 003/D03 F-3Zll
Robert E. Hager, Esq
Match 14, 2001
Page 2
Ir is cleirly forese~ble tu the City of Coppell, considering that the i~d~rry standard
for ct~ck :encais is ~o ~dvenise ~he company's ~me on irs vehicles, chzc U-H~I's ~rucks
would contxin the U-Ha~ logo. Th, ske ~erm~ a truck r~n~l ese ~ ~ m~ecer of right, The
ve~ ~c~t~ oE the ~rack r~t~l ind~ ~s~ that this type of cr~ck design ~ allo~ed.
~s furc~et fo~e~ble co gh~ City of Coppell and ~pproptiace E~c U-Haul would park
v~hicles on the s~ce conside:ing the asr of its clucks
U-H$-I conducts business throughout the county. When dealing with chis issue in
ocher jansdicrlons, c~tT attorneys h~e agreed with U-Hm~I duc ch~ prohibition of the U-
Haut logo on ic~ v~hicl~s vsolares the lrttsr ~a~endment, unco~sotutson'dly ~ff~crs interstate
commerce and violates U-H-,uPs equal protection tights.
As the le~der m the do-it-yoar$~lf moving industry, U-Haul is concerned
~sszsring Large numbers of p~oplr move across since lines ~d pl~ys · critical role in
cummerce. To prohib:r the U.H~ul logo on irs v~hicles would severely rc~rricr the number
cracks U-~ would bc able co have on ~he ptoper~ ar ~ny given rime. Obvloas[y, ir would
be an unreasonable harden ro ~cr U-Haul ro srrzp ~e dec~ls off ks vehicles every
nec~ss~ ro ~rk in the spaces along S H. 12l. By limiting ~h~ n~b~r of p~es where
crocks co~ld be parked, the C~ry would cr~ce a d~inc~nrive &r U-H~ co ~low customers
bring rruc~ toro the Ci~. U-Haul controls cluck distribution through rices, a~d mccad
r~r~s would d~ssu~e customers from brin&ing cracks into rh~ Cky.
This ~ould have a chilhng ~ffrcr not only on the number of lO,pi= moving toro the
City, bur would ~lso nesaovely ~pacr the awihbility of vehicles m the Ci~ for c~rome~
~ceking co r~vel oursld~ uf Te~. The overall discrimination ~d buden on ;nre~sc~re
co~erce &r outweighs the Ci~'s prohibition of the logo on U-Haul's ,eh~cl~s In our
e~erience, ir is unprecedented for a c~cy co ~rtempr m chis ~nner to interfere ~kh the vit~l
role of U-Haul in inters~re culotte. Therefore, U-Haul respectfully ~qu~ t~c ~e C~ry
nor attempt to restrict or prohibit the U-Haul logo on irs vehicles char will be pa~ed in tM
front pornon of the s~re.
If you have any question~ or need additional int'onnmtion, please let me
Sincerely.
Arthur ]. Andenon
cc:
R~ndy Csriln (vi~