Dallas City Council to Revisit Lake Highlands ‘Hotel From Hell’ Rezoning at Feb. 22 Meeting

The ever-growing list of items deferred to 2023 is now facing a panel of Dallas City Council members, the majority of whom are seeking re-election.

One such item is Zoning Case No. 22-2168. The site in question is an Extended Stay America Hotel that’s been a hotbed of criminal activity on the north side of Vantage Point Drive near Greenville Avenue. The owner wants to rezone it to build an apartment complex. 

The City Plan Commission recommended such a rezoning at its June 16 meeting, 

Rob Baldwin of Baldwin Associates, representing property owner Three Wall Capital, explained during the CPC hearing that his client is requesting a zoning change from multiple commercial district to mixed-use district. 

“The new owner would like to transform it into a market-rate apartment project,” Baldwin said. “It seems to make a lot of sense. We’ve spoken to several of the owners around us. The transient nature of the current operation is a concern to them, and they would like to see people there for a longer period of time.” 

The owner has plans to add landscaping and remodel the units with new appliances and other upgrades, Baldwin said. 

During a Dec. 14  Dallas City Council meeting, District 10 Councilman Adam McGough proposed delaying the rezoning item to Feb. 22, marking the third time the project has been deferred to a later date. McGough is term-limited and will complete his service on the council in May. 

Demand For More (Affordable) Housing

As the Dallas City Council continues to dive deep into revising its Comprehensive Housing Policy, there’s no question more housing is needed locally. 

District 10 Plan Commissioner Tipton Housewright said he supports the rezoning. 

“It will provide more affordable [and] higher-quality housing options,” Housewright said. “It will provide a more stable resident community rather than a transient resident community. It will provide a more secure site and do all this in proximity to a DART station. I think it’s a big upgrade on this property in District 10.” 

This wouldn’t be the first time in recent history that Dallas has repurposed a hotel for housing. The city currently is accepting proposals from developers to repurpose a District 8 TownHouse Suites extended-stay hotel into affordable housing and permanent supportive housing for those who have experienced homelessness. 

City of Dallas Issues Request For Proposals to Turn a Dated Hotel Into Housing For Homeless

‘Hotel From Hell’

Adam Lamont, the co-founder of Dallas Neighbors for Housing, lives in District 10 and often bikes or drives by the Extended Stay America property deemed by residents as the “hotel from hell.” 

Rezoning the property is a no-brainer, Lamont said. Dallas Neighbors for Housing is a progressive “grassroots” organization founded by activists, including former District 11 City Council candidate Hosanna Yemiru. Among the group’s core beliefs are a housing-first approach to homelessness, changing or eliminating zoning to pack in more housing, no parking minimums, increase funding for affordable housing and the homeless, reduce displacement, remove Interstate 345, and create a community land trust.

“If I told you that you could do something today that would provide more housing in the city, be walkable from a DART station, not displace any long-term residents, reduce crime, and add money to the tax rolls, you would say yes in a heartbeat,” Lamont said. “Well, that’s what this proposal does.” 

Residents were told at an October community meeting that Dallas police have made numerous arrests at the location involving murder, drug trafficking, sex crimes, and stolen vehicles. DPD joined forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration, and federal charges were filed last year against two employees of the hotel who were taking bribes from drug dealers, said Dallas Police Lt. Brian Payne. An additional 44 arrests were made at the hotel property and Hamilton Park. 

“At one point the DEA was looking at seizing this property,” Payne said. “That is no longer in effect.”

The company’s corporate headquarters was unaware of the criminal activity, Payne added. Since then, numerous evictions have occurred and crime has been “greatly reduced.” 

While neighbors have said they want the corporate owner to “prove they have good intentions,” Payne noted in his October presentation that any development with a lot of residents, whether an apartment complex or extended-stay hotel, can potentially become a high-crime area. 

“We have issues no matter what occurs here,” he said. “If it stays extended-stay, we’ll have one type of crime. If it becomes an apartment complex, we’ll have a different type of crime. When you have a whole bunch of people, unfortunately, some of those people are going to commit crimes.” 

Lamont continues to advocate for housing on underutilized and vacant lots and said he plans to address the council directly when the matter comes up again in February. 

“Cities are great and have low crime when they are vibrant and have people around,” he said. “That’s what this rezoning will do.”