Lakewood Conservation District Trudges Forward in Effort to Protect Neighborhood From Teardowns, Incompatible Development
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Supporters of the Lakewood Conservation District expansion heard some good news last week. City staff “substantially completed” a revised draft ordinance and a neighborhood meeting will be held in August to review the changes.
Conservation districts help preserve the physical character of a neighborhood, such as its architectural styles or building heights, and differ from historic districts which have stricter regulations to preserve specific historical elements.
It appears the hard-fought conservation district may soon become a reality. But once again, it may be too late to save a historic, architecturally significant home from being torn down.
Is 6835 Westlake Ave. on The Chopping Block?
The price of architect Alfred Bossom’s historic Tudor just dropped by $1.5 million. To our eagle-eyed CandysDirt.com readers, that looks an awful lot like it could be demolished. It is currently not in the protected Lakewood Conservation District area.
Now listed at $5 million, the home at 6835 Westlake Ave. was built in 1926 and features eight bedrooms and 9,200 square feet of architectural genius.
“[It’s] what I refer to as a once-in-a-lifetime home,” CandysDirt.com senior columnist Karen Eubank wrote in 2019. “I genuinely envy the lucky person who nabs this beauty. It’s one of my all-time favorite homes. We’re particularly lucky in Dallas to have incredible residential homes designed by notable architects, yet some still rise above the rest. This Tudor manor house is one of them. It has an unmatched pedigree.”
But some fear it’s as good as gone if a developer and demolition crew get to it before the conservation district is in place.
Conservation Districts Are Protected From Density Outlined in Land Use Plan
Perhaps you’ve heard of ForwardDallas, the City’s comprehensive land use plan that is undergoing a rewrite for the first time since 2006.
City planners authoring the document with significant input from the City Plan Commission and dozens of public feedback sessions say conservation districts, historic districts, and neighborhood stabilization overlays will be exempt from guidelines that call for greater density in residential areas.
So those are options to ensure that single-family neighborhoods stay intact, but the suggestion is often met with groans at public forums. Conservation districts take a long time to complete. The South Winnetka Heights neighborhood began its conservation district journey more than three years ago and when their status was unanimously approved by the City Council in April, it was the first conservation district to be approved in 13 years.
The Lakewood process started in 2022.
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This home is not in the proposed Conservation District.
April,
6835 Westlake is not located in the proposed expansion of CD2. Maybe you can get city staff to add the 6800 block of Westlake. I am not sure why it was left out.
I am sure staff has told you that they are facing an uphill battle with their own survey after their last two neighborhood meetings showing 60% of homeowners in the expansion area against ANY conservation district and only 34% in favor. I guess they do need a revised draft!
The homes that were torn down that prompted this ordeal were not even considered historic by the standards of the proposed CD2 “expansion.” Why do you think someone is going to tear down 6835 Westlake? I highly doubt it.
Meanwhile, other homes on Westlake that are actually in the proposed “expansion” area are in such disrepair that the only viable option may be to tear them down. However, the proposed CD2 “expansion,” as currently drafted, aims to prevent nice new homes from being built in place of those that have not been maintained. How does this help our neighborhood?
As an avid Candy’s Dirt follower for many years, I am disappointed that this is at least the second “pro expansion” post that has appeared on the blog, without any post presenting the majority viewpoint which is opposed to the expansion. A few overzealous Lakewood homeowners are trying to impose their will over the majority of homeowners who do not support a proposal that is so much more restrictive than the original Lakewood CD. It is surprising that Council member Paula Blackmon has allowed city resources to be tied up on this project for over two years now. Hopefully the City of Dallas will come to it’s senses soon and honor the majority viewpoint of ending the unwanted CD2 expansion.
Every Hutsell home is in danger. Many Dines and Kraft are in danger. Expansion would preserve the character of Lakewood, the very reason most people move here.
Hmm. We are pretty darn good at our balanced coverage, so maybe you have not read all of it. From a historic preservation perspective, you can bet I’m on the side of expanding the CD. Lakewood is known for these historic homes, and yet this is an uphill battle to preserve them. That’s nuts in my book. Look at Highland Park. That’s where it’s headed. Why move to a neighborhood KNOWN for its historic homes and tear them down? It makes no sense to me. Take some time to read Forward Dallas and decide if you want a four-plex next door to you or a cottage court? This home on Westlake has enough land to create an entire cottage court. No expansion means no protection from that as well. The city planners have stated clearly that ONLY conservation and historic districts are protected from the mission of Forward Dallas. Carve out Tokalon if those residents are so completely against it. But save the historic homes that create the character of the neighborhood. Otherwise Lakewood is just going to look like any new suburban. Is that what you want? Really?