WE WON!
The case of the Marsalis Avenue townhomes was finally voted on by the City Plan Commission.
Dwaine Caraway and I, along with neighbors in the Summit Ridge/Marsalis Park Neighborhood Association, successfully argued against the zoning change to allow townhomes.
We finally got to hear from applicant Patricia Hawkins and her representative Michael Coker. They spoke of the ailments of the neighborhood. In my opinion, these ailments can be solved by increasing funding and support for Police, Code Enforcement, and other City functions not by building overpriced townhomes.
They were busted once it was revealed that all of the neighbors were not consulted. There are at least two neighborhood associations near Marsalis & Ann Arbor, and the plan was only presented to the Glendale neighborhood association.
At first, Ms. Hawkins wanted to saturate the area with more multifamily. Then, it morphed into a townhome development. She spoke of a home she had on Exeter in Oak Cliff and said it was broken into more than 10 times. However, the only property I saw on Exeter in her name was a vacant lot. That being said...
This was a major blow against possible gentrification. If the majority of the neighborhood wanted the townhomes, Dwaine and I will get out of their way. But they told us they wanted our help to fight the development, and we were glad to oblige.
In addition, the paperwork has been completed so that these neighbors will be notified far in advance about any development plans or proposed zoning changes. Never again will someone be able to sneak something under the radar in this area.
A lesson to developers: you can't pick a random street and try to call it transit-oriented development. The only place that townhomes should be built in South Oak Cliff are along the rail lines. And in this day and time, that might be a stretch.
But this day belongs to the members of the Summit Ridge and Marsalis Neighborhood Association. Their courage and determination allowed them to save their neighborhood from predatory development.
That's what Dallas Progress is all about.
About Me
- Michael Davis
- Named "Best of Big D" New Media Star by D Magazine, I write about politics, development, and whatever else comes to mind. The blog front page is here. I am also a member of the Dallas City Plan Commission, and Chair of the CPC's Urban Design Advisory Committee. I also was Chair of the CPC ad hoc committee on Form-Based Zoning.
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5 comments:
Man I gotta be honest, implicit in the word "progress" is the concept of development. Sometimes, you gotta get rid of the old and bring in the new...that said, I'm not really familiar with the neighborhood and I think the key to what you are saying is in your words: "If the majority of the neighborhood wanted the townhomes, Dwaine and I will get out of their way. But they told us they wanted our help to fight the development, and we were glad to oblige."
It's my opinion that technology and systematic advances in real estate now allow for better living environments than places built 20, 30, and 40 years ago. So development can (on occasion) be seen as a positive, not a negative.
Thanks for the post!
What the neighbors wanted was a planned development district, just like Dallasites have in other area. They were promised such a district by the developer. At the 11th hour the developer didn't want to pay the money to file the proper paperwork and instead re-filed with the City to do the original plan. The neighbors were livid.
This was all revealed in the Plan Commission hearing last week. If they won’t pay a grand or two in fees, what makes you think they won’t cut corners when they build the properties?
The developer never showed a blueprint or plans about what was being built. In addition, the developer only met with one neighborhood association instead of all three that are located in the area.
The neighbors of South Marsalis aren’t anti-development – they’re against builders who tell half truths and make verbal assurances but put nothing down on paper that can be enforced by the City. Residents in that area deserve to have everything in writing, just like residents in other areas.
The neighbors want smart, responsible development. Those neighbors have the right to live with their outcome of this decision, instead of it being forced on them by unscrupulous builders.
My mother was one of the people who was not aware of the plan to rezone her neighborhood. My parents were some of the first blacks to move into Marsalis Park, just north of Ann Arbor. She didn't find out until today, as a matter of fact, when she spoke to some neighbors about a group of men that were surveying in the neighborhood this morning.
How dare Patricia Hawkins speak of the problems of this neighborhood. My parents moved their in 1967 and their home has never been broken into. The people who have lived in that neighborhood for years know each other and they watch out for each other. My parents are elderly, just like many of their neighbors. They wouldn't be able to afford to buy a house anywhere else and neither would many of their neighbors.
I personally will fight it. There are plenty of empty lots to build more apartments and townhomes. Stay away from the neighborhood I grew up in!!!
The truth is, the type of development that is needed in that area is shopping, gas stations, etc. Ask anyone in that area how far they have to drive just to go to an affordable grocery store. Ask a community of homeowers what they prefer, townhomes or stores (that aren't Big T).
AKL,
Check out the site often. If this case or any case like it comes back to City Hall for re-zoning, etc we'll post it. We appreciate any additional info you have.
say I can relate to your problem. We're getting a little nervous over here concerning all the new development and rumors that our apartment complexes will soon be bought out and turned into a "up-scale" shopping district for the trinity river project--don't let them take over, we deserve to live and work where want without having to worry about "the city" taking over. I'm all for upgrading our neighborhoods, but not at the expense of people losing their homes.
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