After a Hard-Fought Battle, Dallas City Council Approves Elm Thicket/Northpark Rezoning

It was unclear whether anyone thought they “won” following a three-hour public hearing Wednesday, but legacy residents of Elm Thicket/Northpark got a “nod of respect” as the Dallas City Council unanimously approved a plan to change development standards for new home construction in their neighborhood. 

The changes, which opponents characterized as a massive “downzoning” that would strip them of their property rights, were approved in July by the City Plan Commission. 

City council members amended the CPC proposal to designate a 40-percent maximum lot coverage for single-story and two-story structures. The neighborhood steering committee had suggested 35 percent.

Jennifer Brower and her husband, Doug, have owned property in the neighborhood for 20 years and said 40 percent lot coverage is a win for everyone. 

“We’re not fighting the rest of it,” she said. “We’re just asking for lot coverage.”

The initiative also designates that new development within the “authorized hearing area” bordered by Lovers Lane to the north, Inwood Road to the east, Mockingbird Lane to the south, and Lemmon Avenue and Bluffview Boulevard to the west, must meet the following criteria: 

• Ninety percent of the roof of the main structure must be hip and gable when greater than 20 feet from grade. 
• Maximum structure height is limited to 25 feet. No portion of the structure can be greater than 30 feet from grade.
• Duplex uses will be allowed along Mabel Avenue and Roper Street. 

No Cure For Displacement

The changes basically limit developers from building massive mansions like the $3.96 million Tron House on Wateka Drive. 

Council members said zoning changes should have been approved 10 years ago and Wednesday’s vote doesn’t solve the problem of residents who are no longer able to afford their taxes because of increasing property values. 

“This is not going to stop displacement,” said District 1 Dallas City Councilman Chad West. “If we care about displacement, if we care about keeping our working class in the city, we’ve got to consider a little bit more density in gentle ways. This 1980s suburban mentality does not work.” 

The council’s decision came after more than 60 people testified in the public hearing. Some were concerned about gentrification and displacement, and others fought the changes, asking for a delay in the vote so they could reach a compromise with neighbors.

Resident Julie Coffman said the issue has divided the neighborhood. 

“Now you’re going to tell me what I can do with the single biggest investment I’ve ever made in my life,” she said. “I have a chance of losing 25 percent of [my home] value. That’s huge for my future and my family’s future.”

City officials clarified this is “just a zoning case” in which the city council is designating development standards and appropriate zoning. 

“This is not taking away property rights,” said Assistant Director of Planning and Urban Design Andrea Gilles. 

‘A Step in the Right Direction’

District 2 Councilman Jesse Moreno said Elm Thicket/Northpark is a vital part of the cultural history of Dallas. 

Elm Thicket/Northpark is one of 12 Neighborhood Plus focus areas. Residents finalized a strategic neighborhood action plan in 2017. 

“Legacy residents are being pushed out and there is destabilization of the area, similar to what happened when the Love Field Airport was expanded, forcing people out of the neighborhood by eminent domain,” he said. 

The councilman acknowledged the zoning change is not a “save-all, fix-all solution.”

“It’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “The standard changes will allow for homes to be built. This will not stop development. This is a compromise. This softens the transition from legacy homes to newer development. It is a chance to build out the neighborhood in an equitable manner for all residents.” 

Steering committee member and former CPC member Mark Rieves said the measure is a “tip of the cap” to the legacy residents of Elm Thicket.

“This proposed zoning does not stop generational wealth if someone chooses to sell or is forced to sell because they can’t afford the taxes,” he said. “It does not stop developers from purchasing and bulldozing legacy homes to build new, large homes for a very nice profit. This proposed zoning does not help Dallas’s affordable housing problem. In this neighborhood, that horse has left the barn.” 

Houses will be a little smaller, but the prices won’t likely go down, Rieves said. He said that builders will install more amenities and capitalize on the location near Dallas Love Field Airport. 

“What this does do is it provides a nod of respect to the existing legacy residents who have called Elm Thicket home for half a century,” Rieves said. “That’s what this zoning is about, and folks, this is a compromise.” 

Get to Know Elm Thicket/Northpark

The Dallas City Council adopted a Racial Equity Plan in August to address, in part, housing in historically-underserved neighborhoods. 

The Elm Thicket/Northpark neighborhood is one of several historic freedmen communities in Dallas; the area was 90 percent Black 20 years ago, according to the staff case report. 

As the area has become more diverse, “it has also experienced dramatic changes in historic character and is facing intense displacement pressure,” the report states.

The report also points out that median real estate taxes increased at least 33 percent between 2005 and 2019 and continue to increase. Median home prices have doubled in the last 12 years in at least two block groups within the authorized hearing area.

“New home construction has increased significantly, most of which has included tearing down original structures,” the report states. “The intent of the proposed land uses and development standards is to meet the goals of the Neighborhood Action Plan and facilitate greater compatibility, particularly in scale, between traditional and new development.”