There’s always plenty at Dallas City Hall we didn’t catch in time, and that’s especially true this past week.
An over-the-top Christmas display in a North Dallas neighborhood that went viral might have some policy implications for the holiday spirit, and controversial zoning cases remain a source of tension between residents and city officials.
Hopefully, this gets everyone up to speed on some of the real estate-related news that recently came out of City Hall.
Ma’am, Do You Have a Permit for Your Christmas Lights?
The extravagant Christmas lights display at a home in Preston Hollow that drew an onslaught of onlookers and cost the city roughly $25,000 in police resources last holiday season has some Dallas City Council members wondering if officials need to step in.
On Monday, council members on the Quality of Life, Arts & Culture Committee discussed whether the city should take any enforcement action in such situations. At issue is whether viral sensations like the house in Preston Hollow should be seen as an “extraordinary neighborhood event” in need of proper permitting.
Here’s that house:
Presently, things like small neighborhood parades, running events, and home tours all require a permit from City Hall.
“The suggested enhancements we have for you all to review today is one, the excessive light nuisance to add some more teeth to that code for us and consider prohibiting lighting that leads to sustained gatherings, traffic congestion, or blocked emergency access, which is some of the challenges that we saw in the Christmas lights scenario in North Dallas,” said Chris Christian, director of the Code Compliance Department, according to WFAA.
Council members were at odds over how to deal with the issue of potentially disruptive spontaneous crowds and the potential hazards they could cause. After all, who wants to be the Grinch at Christmas time?
D11 Candidates React to Latest Pepper Square Lawsuit
The battle of Pepper Square is back in court as a neighborhood coalition seeks a temporary restraining order to keep the city from issuing any permits related to the project.
CandysDirt.com reached out to the city council candidates running for the District 11 seat to get their takes on the latest lawsuit. This article will be updated as more responses come in.
Note: Some responses have been shortened to highlight the candidates’ most pertinent comments vis-à-vis the current lawsuit.
Mona Elshenaway: “I support the restraining order and I am proud to call this community home. The fact that I live in a community with assertive, vigilant, and thoughtful neighbors that are willing to fight for causes that we hold near and dear to our heart is a powerful testament. I have full faith that an equitable compromise will be reached by both the developer and our constituency. The city of Dallas has an obligation to cease spending taxpayer dollars on legal fees [for counsel to continue fighting this]; hopefully this is a wakeup call to the city that WE are not giving up. Billable hours incurred by the city to fight this injunction should be absorbed by Greg Miller.”
Bill Roth: “I am pleased that the judge is thoroughly reviewing this case, neighbors should not have to go to such lengths to express their wishes for their community. The neighbors’ reasonable demands for the zoning change should be respected.”
Kendal Richardson: “Some leaders don’t listen to their constituents, some city leaders and developers work out deals BEFORE they bring it to the community, some developers aren’t willing to compromise with the residents, instead they compromise only to fit the city’s protocols in order for their project to easily pass, because the requirements are met. … You wonder why we have low voter turnout. Voices are not being heard, and they only way voices are heard is when their money is being affected.”
Jeff Kitner: “I’m aware of the lawsuit and don’t have any comment about the pending litigation. I would have tried to handle things differently when the zoning case was filed, working with neighbors and the developer on something that revitalizes the shopping center while also addressing neighbor concerns about the project.”
Supportive Housing Project at Braniff Hostess College Takes Off
Dallas City Council voted on Wednesday to authorize a forgivable development loan of up to $7 million to Sycamore Strategies, LLC so the firm can convert the historic Braniff International Hostess College building in Oak Lawn into permanent supportive housing.
As previously reported by CandysDirt.com, this adaptive re-use project will comprise 48 apartments (12 studios and 36 one-bedroom units) in addition to a number of amenities and on-site social services. The housing is meant to support people experiencing homelessness and those living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS.
The 60,000-square-foot property is located at 2801 Wycliff Ave. Once completed, it will be called Braniff Lofts.
City Plan Commission Tests Residents Again
On Thursday, a majority of the City Plan Commission advanced a rezoning ordinance that would turn 35 acres around Hampton Road and West Clarendon Drive in West Oak Cliff into a walkable urban mixed-use district.
Fears of gentrification seemed to animate the residents and business owners who turned out to the meeting at City Hall.
“I’ve heard a lot of the people in the neighborhood, and I’ve talked to a lot of people [who] say, ‘you know what, the businesses and the housing that’s coming, they are not for us. They’re for the people that are to come,’” said Automotive Association of Oak Cliff member and small business owner Gerardo Figueroa, according to KERA News.
While two individuals spoke in favor of the rezoning, the majority present at City Hall were resoundingly against it, and a bilingual petition with more than 1,000 signatures was presented to the commission.
District 1 Council Member Chad West encouraged residents to express their specific concerns to staff, noting that the current rezoning plan will limit new housing developments to 12 units a piece, far short of what’s allowed in Bishop Arts, which some fearful residents pointed to as an example of what could happen as a result of redevelopment.
“Bishop Arts allows for five stories. We will be going less in terms of total height allowed in this zoning change,” West said, per KERA News.
Resources exist for those at risk of being displaced in Dallas. Check out our reporting on Builders of Hope, a community development corporation working to help those struggling with housing affordability issues.
Interestingly enough, the organization developed some heat maps showing what parts of Dallas are especially vulnerable to gentrification. It’s worth checking out.
NOTE: This article was updated at 9:42 a.m. and again at 9:57 p.m. to include comments by District 11 candidates Kendal Richardson and Jeff Kitner.
