Transit-oriented development (Source: Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
The Dallas City Plan Commission will hear a rezoning case Aug. 3 that could pave the way for apartments along the north line of Walnut Hill Lane between North Central Expressway and Manderville Lane.
The area near Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Walnut Hill station is already zoned for regional retail, mixed-use, and planned development.
“The property is currently developed with a variety of retail, restaurant, personal service, and office uses,” according to the staff report.
The applicant for the 19-acre tract is listed as “The Hill Owner,” represented by Tommy Mann of Winstead.
A rezoning would consolidate the property under a new Planned Development District for MU-3 Mixed Use, which allows the shopping center to remain as-is while allowing for apartments to be developed nearby.
Proponents are billing the item as “transit-oriented development” — something city leaders have agreed is needed — because of its proximity to the DART station.
Staff recommended approval subject to a conceptual plan, development plan, tree preservation plan, pedestrian improvement phasing plan, and staff’s recommended conditions.
Originally scheduled for a July 20 CPC meeting, 18 speakers signed up to support the zoning change before an announcement was made that it would be deferred to next month.
District 13 Housing
The proposed development would be in Dallas City Council District 13, represented by Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis.
Willis was at the forefront of the recent short-term rental debate, advocating for the residential STR ban that ultimately passed in June. Willis also has advocated for using grant funds to house the homeless and providing resources to first-time homebuyers.
Residential development near the proposed rezoning site includes the upscale Glen Lakes and Preston Hollow Village apartments.
Preston Hollow Village on nearby Firefall Way
Recent debates have brought to the forefront potential safety issues surrounding apartment complexes, and it’s not clear yet whether the Walnut Hill proposal will be well-received by the City Plan Commission or the Dallas City Council, which would likely hear the matter in late August or early September.
Multi-Family Housing on Walnut Hill Lane
According to the staff report:
The proposed request would allow the construction of up to 1,200 multifamily units for the entire Planned Development if all units are market rate, or up to 1,740 multifamily units if mixed-income housing is provided.
Under the applicant’s request, development bonuses are available if a minimum of 5 percent of the total number of units are available to households earning between 61 and 80 percent of [Area Median Family Income] and an additional 3 percent of the total number of units are available to households earning between 81 and 100 percent of AMFI.
If the project is developed with the greatest possible number of multifamily units under the applicant’s request, this equates to 87 units at 61-80 percent AMFI and 52 units at 81-100 percent AMFI, for a total of 139 affordable units.
Dallas City Staff Report
Under city staff’s recommendation, development bonuses are available if certain criteria are met related to area median income.
“The applicant requests development rights to allow an increase in dwelling unit density, leveraging their proposal to provide urban design standards and ensure the development has an affordable housing component,” the report states.
April Towery covers Dallas City Hall and is an assistant editor for CandysDirt.com. She studied journalism at Texas A&M University and has been an award-winning reporter and editor for more than 25 years.
