H-E-B Secures City Plan Commission Recommendation for First Dallas Store
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Dallas is another step closer to getting its first H-E-B after the City Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend the grocer’s zoning request to build a 127,000-square-foot store at the southeast corner of LBJ and Hillcrest Road.
The project has drawn consternation from neighborhood residents who believe the location is inappropriate for a grocery store of that size. Citing the potential for significantly increased traffic adding to the already congested area, critics claim the big-box scale of the proposed store is out of step with the mostly-single-family character of the blocks south of the interstate.
“We appreciate the thoughtful consideration from city officials, staff, and community members throughout this process. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the city and neighbors,” H-E-B said in a statement, according to WFAA.
Roughly a dozen residents turned out to voice their opposition to the commissioners on Thursday before the vote on whether to rezone the site from neighborhood office to regional retail.
“I love H-E-B… but this is a really bad location for everyone concerned,” said Nell Taylor, who went on to note that in addition to the traffic implications, crime is also top of mind. “I just feel like there is going to be a lot of vandalism, and it’s going to make a lot of havoc for our neighborhood.”
The potential for such a big store to attract a criminal element was raised during a sometimes rowdy community engagement meeting H-E-B held earlier this month. The grocer’s representative countered that a lack of activity would be more likely to draw crime, adding that H-E-B would maintain a visible security presence regardless.
Another issue that emerged from the community meeting was whether another business could set up shop on the site in the event the rezoning went through but the grocery store didn’t get built for whatever reason. In a bid to assuage concerns, H-E-B added some prohibited uses to the zoning petition.
Only a few people spoke in favor of the project during Thursday’s CPC meeting. Nevertheless, the commissioners all decided to give their recommendation to the Dallas City Council, which will have the final say as far as rezoning goes.
“We are the anchor city of one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country, and I think the way that that continues to be true is that Dallas is a place where people want to live, work, shop, and eat. And I would suggest that this zoning change would be a positive step in that direction,” said Commissioner Mike Sims (District 11), who represents the area where H-E-B wants to build the store.
That growth has been a source of tension in Dallas, with some residents in single-family neighborhoods voicing their opposition to the city’s embrace of increased housing density in places where officials say it makes sense. Large projects with the potential to impact quality of life factors like traffic and neighborhood character can also prove controversial.
