Preston Center West Zoning Case Was Originally Scheduled March 7, But CPC Will Hear it Thursday

The matter of rezoning the Preston Center West shopping center to allow for a high-rise office building and apartment complex is set for the Dallas City Plan Commission’s Thursday, March 21, agenda. 

The development proposal — which drew criticism from former District 13 Plan Commissioner Claire Stanard — was set for a CPC agenda two weeks ago. 

“When I, as District 13 City Plan Commissioner, was originally presented with the developer’s plans — prior to a formal application being made to CPC — in meetings for hours with the developer and his architects, attorneys, and lobbyists, I denied their proposed plans as not representing the 2017 Area Plans and requested they bring an alternative plan which recognized the neighborhood recommendations in a compromise form,” Stanard told CandysDirt.com. “I clearly stated that whatever proposal was made in Preston Center would require a community meeting and some kind of uniformity all around the parking lot.”

A consultant who attended the March 7 meeting told CandysDirt.com that the Preston Center West issue was postponed because it wasn’t properly advertised. We reviewed portions of the nine-hour meeting video and were unable to find any discussion of the proposal or why it was removed from the agenda. 

The March 7 and March 21 case reports both state that 63 property owners were notified, suggesting a proper notification process was followed. Assistant Director of Planning and Urban Design Andreea Udrea said Wednesday the matter was postponed due to “a [typographical error] in the name of the PD in the description of the request.”

The item was listed in Planned Development 317 on the March 7 agenda and was revised to reflect Planned Development 314 on the March 21 agenda. 

City staff recommended approval subject to a development plan and recommended conditions.

Regardless of the action taken by the CPC on Thursday, the matter will go before the Dallas City Council for a vote. 

CandysDirt.com will continue to follow the story.