Pepper Square Standoff Continues, Ruling Now Expected on Nov. 8
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District Judge Martin Hoffman heard testimony Friday morning from residents who claim that proper notice was not given by developers with the Henry S. Miller Company regarding the Pepper Square mixed-use development — but a decision was delayed until 1:30 p.m. Nov. 8.
The Pepper Square development at Preston and Belt Line roads calls for a maximum of 984 housing units along with retail, greenspace, and other amenities. Proponents of the project say it could breathe new life into a once-thriving, now-vacant shopping center.
Those against it are concerned about traffic, density, height, and aesthetics. And while residents from more than 20 neighborhood associations surrounding the proposed development don’t like the plan, the issue they’re currently fighting has to do with whether the project was properly advertised.
Residents calling themselves the Save Pepper Square Neighborhood Association hired Plano powerhouse attorney Anthony Ricciardelli and are reportedly spending about $75,000 in an attempt to halt the project.
They argued in a 117-page filing that the Dallas City Council shouldn’t be allowed to vote on Pepper Square because proper notice was not given about the proposed zoning change. Signs advertising the rezoning may have come down during a windstorm prior to an August City Plan Commission hearing and were not replaced, residents told CandysDirt.com.
It’s also been suggested that the neighbors themselves may have removed the signs in an effort to thwart the zoning case, but Ricciardelli said there’s no evidence to support that.
A temporary restraining order granted last week by Dallas County’s 68th Civil District Court prohibited the City Council from voting on the project as scheduled at an Oct. 23 meeting. The City Plan Commission voted 12-2 to recommend the project in August.
Masterplan consultants Lee Kleinman and Andrew Ruegg are working with Henry S. Miller Company and have declined comment on the notification matter.
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How long will this drag on? Oh how Jaynie messed this one up, should have never had to get to this.
Thank you for the update. To be clear, council member Schultz was never an advocate for her constituents on any of their concerns or recommendations for Pepper Square. She also makes it sound like there is no availability in North Dallas for apartments, which is completely falls. There are plenty of vacancies and there are also another 2000+ being built by approved rezoning within a mile of Pepper Square.. Now she plans to retire in 2025, so getting reelected is not her concern either. Perhaps an acid test is whether any of the homeowners in the surrounding single-family neighborhoods would purchase their home again knowing that a 12 story skyscraper, two 5 story towers with 1000 apartments were effectively across the street. Pretty sure the answer would be no. Most people bought in single-family neighborhoods where they were zoned around them not to have apartment buildings or skyscrapers. If anyone wanted that next to them they would’ve purchased closer to downtown or uptown.