We Asked, They Answered: District 1 Incumbent Delia Jasso Feels City Code Regarding Historic Districts Could Use an Update

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Editor’s Note: This is the fifth and final installment of our series of Dallas City Council candidate questionnaires. You can view the first here, the second here, and the third here, and the fourth here. We attempted to contact each candidate in every contested race (10 races total), and those who responded with a working email address received the same eight questions. We gave them until April 5 to respond. Below you’ll find the answers to our questions, which we did not edit or abridge.

District 1 is a bit of a pickle for voters this season. Because of redistricting, two Oak Cliff incumbents — Delia Jasso and Scott Griggs — were drawn into the same district. District 1 includes pretty much all of North Oak Cliff, such as Kessler and Stevens Park, the Bishop Arts District, Winnetka Heights, and loads of other small but active neighborhoods. We tried repeatedly to contact Scott Griggs, even leaving two phone messages, but we never heard back.

Read on for Delia Jasso’s take on hot-button Dallas real estate issues:

Delia Jasso

Delia Jasso

1.In your view, what are the strengths of the Dallas real estate market versus the rest of the nation?

The Strengths of the Dallas Real Estate market versus the rest of the nation are:
a. Dallas did not go through a recession as did much of the nation.
b. Dallas is not dependent on one industry, this helps the economy continue at a stabilizing point when other parts of the country do not.
c. Large banking centers are headquartered in Dallas. We can benefit from that.
d. Dallas has a good supply of used housing in many parts of the city.
e. Taxes are low and the price of goods and services are still low comparatively.
f. Amenities continue to grow in Dallas that attract more people.

2. What are the next areas/neighborhoods you feel are poised for high-volume growth?

The next areas poised for high volume growth are the Southern Sector near the inland port and near the UNT Dallas campus. Both of these areas have large amounts of acreage and are in Transit Oriented areas to move people in and out of the area.

3. What areas/neighborhoods need the most help and any solutions?

The areas that need the most help are West Dallas and SouthCentral Dallas. Both of these have seen much progress by including better roads, and attention to crime. More of the new restaurants near the MMH Bridge are needed and attention to crime is paramount. In SouthCentral Dallas, as stated above, the development of a campus atmosphere with single family homes, multifamily developments and restaurants and retail will transform these areas for the benefit of the city of Dallas.

4. Would you support retaining the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research to do a study of the root causes of decline in the City of Dallas, as it did for NYC during the Giuliani era, leading to one of the most compelling restorations of a major city in history?

I would support any study of the root causes of Dallas’ decline that is current and actionable. The city did a survey of residents in Dallas last year and provided some general information on why people live here, perhaps this survey would be coupled with a study to provide more specifics on where Dallas needs to focus to lead us into the next 10-20 years.

5. Would you approving the zoning variance to allow an on-campus lighted soccer field at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, winner of 22 state soccer championships?

I would be favorable to this zoning if the councilperson’s whose district this is a part of would also favor the zoning.

6. How would you handle the Museum Tower/Nasher Sculpture Center impasse? Should the Nasher also play a role and adapt some structural changes? Or is the burden purely on Museum Tower and future residential developments to mitigate impact on surrounding structures?

The Nasher and Museum Tower should reach an amicable solution together. As a board member of the Dallas Police and Fire Pension Board, I am not at liberty to comment as there may be litigation pertaining to this issue.

7. Historic and conservation districts are a great way to maintain a neighborhood’s character, but some older districts have regulations that seem somewhat out of date. For instance, a homeowner in Junius Heights was cited for having xeriscaped his front yard in lieu of a traditional water-hogging front lawn even though our region faces long-term drought. Should alternative landscapes and eco-friendly materials be allowed in historic and conservation districts as a citywide policy change?

The idea of alternative landscapes and eco-friendly materials is an issue we should make sure that our Landmark Commission looks at as a whole for the City of Dallas.

8. What is your stance on hydraulic fracturing (better known as fracking) inside the city limits? Do you feel it poses a danger to residents and nearby businesses? Or does the potential income to the city outweigh overblown risks?

The issue of gas drilling within the Dallas city limits was an issue that was decided in 2008 by granting leases to companies. In 2013, the City Plan Commission denied the permits that were requested by one of those companies. With this denial, the City of Dallas has been placed in a posture for litigation. As a councilmember, I would not risk adding to litigation by expressing my opinion on what Dallas should do regarding gas drilling.

Joanna England is the Executive Editor at CandysDirt.com and covers the North Texas housing market.

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