Vocal Opposition Emerges Against Proposed Mill Creek Development at 3G Intersection
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Front yard signs seem to be how East Dallas conveys important messages. Case in point: Signs planted neighborhood yards that are near White Rock Lake often tell you to “Keep Little Forest Hills Funky,” demand that Dallas Arboretum traffic find somewhere else to park, and admonish passers by to “Save The White Rock Lake Skyline” with a caricature of a high-rise building crossed out.
The last on this list, however, is the most immediate cause for action for East Dallas neighbors.
At 1:30 p.m. April 22, the City of Dallas Plan Commission will hold a public hearing on Z201-139, which is regarding the proposed rezoning case for the Trailhead development brought by Mill Creek Residential‘s representative Rob Baldwin of Baldwin Associates. The deadline to register for public comment at this hearing is 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 20. You can register to speak by using this form.
Return Trip to P&Z
Mill Creek has been busy at City Hall, as the company just got the thumbs up from the Plan Commission for their Oak Cliff apartment building located on the Trinity last November. This project, though, could prove to have more stumbling blocks. However, one organization — the Friends of the Santa Fe Trail — has already voiced support for the mixed-use rezoning that would take over the tracts that once were home to The Lot and Local Traveler, two local businesses that were early casualties to the pandemic.
If you recall, two years ago one particular District 9 candidate made the madness of the Garland – Grand – Gaston (3G) intersection their campaign issue. Sarah Lamb, a commercial real estate broker at the Retail Connection and founder of Lakewood Citizens for Responsible Traffic, said in an 2018 interview with NBCDFW:
“We worry about the people who live and work off Gaston. Our neighborhood can’t hold all of the additional drivers. It’s just not safe.”
Sarah Lamb
However, according to several posts in the “Save White Rock Lake Skyline” group, members of Friends of the Santa Fe Trail didn’t consider traffic when they threw their support behind Mill Creek’s development, dubbed The Trailhead because it sits at the start of the Santa Fe Trail.
Proposed MU1 Rezoning
The proposed rezoning for The Trailhead is a mixed-use designation. According to the City of Dallas Department of Sustainable Development, MU1 zoning allows up to 80 percent lot coverage with maximum heights between 90 and 120 feet. That could allow for seven to nine stories depending on whether retail is a component of the development. The site is currently limited to four stories or 80 feet in height.
Is There Precedent?
The building’s not the first swanky apartment development in the area. The Drake, a luxury building just up East Grand at Coronado Avenue and has seven stories with 85 units overlooking the area where The Trailhead is proposed. However, Mill Creek wants to build a seven-story, 305-unit apartment building next to the Santa Fe Trail, which could ostensibly affect the views of nearby homeowners in communities that border White Rock Creek just past the spillway.
Deed Restrictions
There’s an additional wrinkle for Mill Creek: There are deed restrictions in the books for this site, limiting lot coverage to just 60 percent. If there’s no mitigation in place, additional lot coverage could possibly result in more runoff in an area that, in extreme circumstances, has some flooding and fast water.
With so many factors at play, it’s sure to be an interesting public hearing on April 22. Tune in here, and don’t forget your popcorn.
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There is so much misinformation within this blog post. If you attended any of their community meetings you might come to find that the proposed rezoning is not what you have stated in your post; the proposed max unit count is 305 and height of 80′. Additionally, that the City of Dallas storm water design manual would NOT allow for additional runoff. In fact, Civil Engineering standards actually don’t allow for you to increase the amount of runoff on any new development.
Being a local resident, I think this would be a great use of this space. This intersection needs a rebirth of new restaurant space – not filled by yet another fried chicken drive-thru. The renderings that they have been showing at each meeting for the Santa Fe trail they are proposing would be awesome. Finally, a friendly trail entrance with nice landscape where the community can be proud of this trail access.
Hi there HOC Member. There’s no real misinformation here. All I referenced was the actual zoning parameters available on the city’s sustainable development page. And as a resident of the area, I’ve seen what happens to the spillway and creek when we’ve had heavy rain. It’s just a fact that the creek turns fast and the water gets high under those circumstances. With another building with more concrete covering the ground, I’m not sure how you could say that it’s NOT possible for this proposed development to create more runoff. Concrete doesn’t allow water to percolate through the ground, and this area has tons of open space around it right now.
Of course, I’m absolutely open to proof that the site will have appropriate mitigation efforts, but there’s no way you can say that it won’t cause excess runoff. No one really knows for sure, right?
In any case, I very much appreciate your involvement in this issue. The whole city benefits when more people are involved!
Please reference the City of Dallas Design Manual 2.3.1 which details your concerns exactly (Page 16 of the following website:https://dallascityhall.com/departments/public-works/DCH%20Documents/Public%20Works/pdf/Drainage%20Design%20Manual_091019.pdf). Being a civil engineer as my profession, it concerns me that people believe that developers would freely destroy our environment such as what is accused above. My profession has continually fought for transparency on environmental matters such as this and tried to help educate the general public so that they can become more informed that all development is not bad.
Hi again, HOC member. I feel like that’s a little out of proportion to say anyone has “accused” anyone. I hear you: Not all development is bad. And to be perfectly clear, I don’t think development is bad at all! All this story does is show that there’s vocal opposition to this development. In fact, as I understand the developer is working quite hard to help educate residents, including putting a construction boom on the site today to show the proposed height of the building. That’s definitely above and beyond, and it’s admirable to see such community engagement.
Again, I’m sorry you don’t like that there are people who are concerned about the potential fallout of this proposed building. Additionally, I’d like to remind you that I’m glad you’re involved as more people using their voice is a good thing.
Cheers!
More concrete equals more runoff on this steeply sloping property. The developers talked about a detention basin but have no plans to address the massive line source run off that will across the Santa Fe trail and likely negatively affect the trees that stabilize the white rock creek bank – an area owned by DART that doesn’t have the funds or staff to enforce the destructive problems this proposed shoe horned building will cause. And of course the traffic of hundreds of cars trying to make a u-turn by the Goody Good liquor every morning to get to Gaston and I30. This is a High RISK and LOW return project for local citizens.
Another restaurant is nice but not sure where folks will park to use it. The developers are only proposing 420 spots for the 305 apartments- many 2 bedrooms. They have also decided not to allow public parking for use of the trailhead which will limit the benefits and essentially cut it off to nonresidents.
https://lakewood.advocatemag.com/2021/04/21/garland-road-vision-committee-endorses-the-trailhead/