Developer Maggie Parker Brings For-Sale Townhomes to Southern Dallas

Innovan Neighborhoods’ 203-unit townhome project isn’t just a much-needed transit-oriented development, it’s an opportunity for families in Southeast Oak Cliff to own a home and build wealth, developer Maggie Parker told the Dallas City Council last week. 

Parker was granted a rezoning, paving the way for her project at 6601 S. Lancaster Road and ensuring that for-sale housing options are available near transit. 

The Dallas City Council’s decision to move the project forward also means that a 1,000-unit housing challenge initiated in 2020 by Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, Councilmember Chad West, and former council members Lee Kleinman and Casey Thomas has been met. The goal of the challenge was to provide 1,000 new housing units within a mile of a transit station. 

“We didn’t meet the deadline,” West said at the Dec. 11 council meeting. “It’s like three and a half years past that but we did meet the intent of placing 1,000 new units within a mile of transit on city-owned property or DART-owned property, so utilizing underutilized land, which is what this is all about. I think when we passed that the intent was really just rental units at that time because we needed so many more rental units in the city. This is even more of a success because it’s potentially for-sale property.”

An April 23 staff memorandum shows that some of the projects designated for the housing challenge haven’t actually been approved. In response to questions about whether the housing challenge information was accurate, Interim Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley provided further clarification in this Dec. 20 memorandum. City officials told CandysDirt.com that some projects not included in the April memo have since been approved but were part of a different request for proposals and therefore not mentioned in the original briefing. 

The Vision for 6601 S. Lancaster Road

Builder Anthony Natale with Grenadier Homes plans to construct 118 two-bedroom garden homes (single-family detached townhomes), 66 three-bedroom townhomes, and 19 four-bedroom garden homes with square footage ranging from 1,150 to 1,900 across the three product types, according to city documents. 

“Our company has been focusing on residential and townhouses since 1991 and we were approached by Maggie to get involved in this project,” Natale said. “We think it’s a unique opportunity to provide housing for sale in the community. We realize that anytime we get involved in a project … we’re trying to leave a legacy for the neighborhood and the city and we take that very seriously. We’re not a big builder. We build two or three communities a year. It’s something we can focus on. We’re excited to be a part of this.” 

A case report filed in October 2023 shows the 15.8-acre tract would be rezoned from residential to a townhouse district. City staff and the City Plan Commission recommended approval subject to a conceptual plan and conditions. 

The site is currently vacant and homes could be occupied by late 2028, according to city documents. 

Opposition to 6601 S. Lancaster Road

Parker’s proposal was met with opposition from residents who have concerns about flooding and traffic near the Hidden Valley neighborhood and the University of North Texas at Dallas campus. 

More than 70 notices were sent to property owners within 500 feet of the site and staff received three replies in favor and one in opposition. Councilmember Carolyn King Arnold said that could be because renters live in the area and those notices go to their landlords, leaving them in the dark. That’s one more good reason to provide opportunities to own a home in southern Dallas, she said. 

“As we move forward in Dallas with housing … My calling is to make sure we do everything we can to provide housing that will bolster the realization that we need to own the dirt, own the property, so we can make decisions,” Arnold said. “We don’t want to keep raising generations that are already challenged in the communities that they grew up in where they didn’t have resources and equity. We must train and indoctrinate our younger people and even those who are seasoned about the importance of owning the dirt because they cannot really make any decisions about zoning or the future of their community.”

Former District 8 City Council candidate Subrina Brenham said residents were told at a community meeting on Nov. 19 that the townhome project would include complete infrastructure needs for Crouch Road. 

“After rereading the zoning information on the agenda, it does not indicate anything about infrastructure needs for Crouch Road,” she said.

She asked for the vote to be delayed until the residents of Hidden Valley could get a better understanding of potential impacts including flooding. 

Dallas Water Utilities Director Sarah Standifer said her staff reviewed the drainage system in Hidden Valley and while there have not been a lot of flooding complaints from the area, the storm drainage system is undersized, she said. An upgrade is proposed but unfunded.

An unrelated Crouch Road project is funded through the 2017 bond program and would remove bar ditches and install an improved street with additional drainage and water/wastewater services. Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2025, Standifer said. 

Maggie Parker’s Commitment to Southern Dallas

Parker explained that her original idea was for a 300-unit multifamily development but she heard “loud and clear” from residents that they didn’t want more apartment complexes. 

“The goal of this project is really to be responsive to the community,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re looking to build wealth in this neighborhood. We’re looking to provide for-sale housing and enhance all the amenities that are going forth. Through all the community engagement that we’ve had, we’ve worked to address a lot of the questions.”

Suzan Kedron, a land use attorney with Jackson Walker LP, said she was excited to be part of Parker’s team. 

“I don’t have a lot of clients that would pivot and accomplish what the neighborhood really wanted,” she said. “Thankfully, Maggie did that. We’re really excited to bring more housing to this community, especially for-sale housing.”