Tour These Open Houses in Cities With Policies Rooted in Tree Preservation

Trees, it seems, are more valued than a strip of restaurants or luxurious houses in some cities. Like the Lorax, who speaks for the trees? As it turns out, several North Texas cities have come down on the side of our favorite atmospheric oxygenators in the past year, making decisions ranging from zoning decisions to adopting tree policies.

For example, the Dallas City Council designated some trees as historically significant, Fort Worth maintains an Urban Forestry Management department, and Colleyville keeps choosing a forest over a new subdivision.

Is it an emerging global trend? Could be. The city of Sydney, Australia, adopted a Street Tree Master Plan in 2023 to increase canopy cover, diversify species, and enhance the city’s character, and Vancouver, Canada requires a permit to remove a tree greater than 20 centimeters — that’s less than eight inches — in diameter.

Plenty of reasons exist for this. Maybe the various cities’ fathers and mothers want to dial back the urban heat island effect to reduce energy costs. Maybe it’s because trees can quiet traffic noise. Sustainability, managing runoff, pollution mitigation, and air quality improvement are important reasons to hug a tree.

And … they look nice.

Open houses are planned this week in lots of cities, and this week CandysDirt.com will showcase open houses in cities that have gone on the record of standing strong with trees. It could be the place homeowners want to put down roots.

14792 Lochinvar Court, Dallas

Flanked by trees, this custom two-story is located in Dallas, where tree policies got headlines last week in The Dallas Morning News.

The home features four bedrooms and three bathrooms in its 3,293 square feet. It comes with three fireplaces, custom cabinetry, a temperature-controlled wine room, plus a three-car garage equipped with a Tesla charger.

But there’s more in this updated house built in 1986. Its improvements include hand-scraped hardwood floors and a kitchen with professional-style appliances. The backyard is a place to enjoy the surrounding trees from the covered patio or the swimming pool. The price? It’s $1,049,000.

From 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, agent Kelly Boulton with Better Homes & Gardens will hold this house open.

7243 Oak Alley Drive, Colleyville

When a house has the designation of Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Home, you know it’s packed with some superior design. The 2023 Dream Home, built by Brian Michael Distinctive Homes, is located in a gated neighborhood of Colleyville. Colleyville is a suburb where officials have gone on the record multiple times to protect its trees.

The open floor plan features hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, five bedrooms, and seven bathrooms within its 7,823 square feet. There’s so much more, though, in this house listed for $5.2 million. A dining room, an office, two utility rooms — one per floor — multiple staircases, a mudroom, a reading nook, and game room. The kitchen, with its waterfall countertops, includes a La Cornue gas range and a butler’s pantry. Then the backyard is home to a heated pool, pickleball court, dog run, and fire pit.

Like everything you see, even down to the chairs, sofas, beds, and pillows? The dreamy furnishings can stay with the house for $625,000.

This home, listed by Realtor Sophie Diaz with Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate, will be held open from noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

1932 Chatburn Court, Fort Worth

The tree-lined Berkeley Place neighborhood is a great place to find charm, and this 1929 Tudor is part of it.  Original details abound, including a Batchelder fireplace in the living room, a sparkling chandelier in the dining room, and a covered front porch, perfect for admiring the trees.

Its 3,245 square feet contains high ceilings, bright windows, four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Downstairs is the formal living room, a study, an open kitchen, a guest bedroom, and two bathrooms. There are treetop views upstairs, location of the primary bedroom, two more bedrooms, and the laundry room.

The house, listed at $1.125 million, comes with a basement, gated driveway, and back patio complete with a fireplace. The location puts it close to both the Trinity Trails and the Fort Worth Zoo.

Carley Moore with League Real Estate will hold this house open from 2 to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.