Will Dallas City Council Pass the Lakewood Conservation District Expansion? I Hope
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After more than three years of debate and at least 18 community meetings, the proposed Lakewood Conservation District expansion is finally going to the Dallas City Council for a vote on Feb. 26. With the City Plan Commission’s unanimous approval in November, there’s reason to be hopeful.
People move to Lakewood for many reasons. Certainly, location is at the top of the list. Access to desired schools, proximity to work, and amenities are also important factors. But let’s get real. People love Lakewood because the neighborhood has a unique architectural character. The main attraction is what I’ll dub the Lakewood Look.
Without the Lakewood Conservation District expansion, the fate of many of Lakewood’s most historic and architecturally significant homes hangs in the balance as does the neighborhood’s unique character.
What Lakewood Stands to Lose
Let’s take a look at what is NOT protected in Lakewood unless the Lakewood Conservation District expansion goes through. While none of these homes mentioned below are in immediate danger, if one of these owners sells, without the expansion, it could be reduced to rubble much like the historic Hutsell that once stood at 7226 Lakewood Blvd.
7035 Lakewood Blvd.
The stunning Spanish Eclectic home architect Clifford Hutsell built for his family in 1930 is one of the statement residences of Lakewood and defines the Lakewood Look. It’s been on the Lakewood Home Tour and featured by CandysDirt.com several times.
6915 Lakewood Blvd.
This English Tudor by Dines and Kraft was built in 1926 and won a Preservation Dallas Achievement Award in 2015. That same year, it was the Candlelight Bonus House on the Lakewood Home Tour.
6820 Avalon
This Charles Dilbeck has also been on the Lakewood Home Tour. It’s had four owners since 2014, and I knew one of them, so I have seen it in person. Photos cannot do it justice. It’s like walking into a fairytale.
6930 Lakewood
This English Tudor was built in 1925 by Dines & Kraft and designed by British architect Bertram Hill. It was featured on the 2023 Lakewood Home Tour.
Personally I will never understand why people are afraid of conservation districts. I am grateful every single day for my Hollywood Heights conservation district as I watch the complete decimation of Mount Auburn a street behind me. If you want to see what zero protections do to a neighborhood, wander over there and have a look. Let’s encourage our Dallas City Council in making the right decision to protect Lakewood’s historic and architectural heritage.
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I will hope that the City Council passes this as what was done to the Hutsell at 7226 Lakewood was so sad. It is now an empty lot. People say they wanted to live in Lakewood as they loved its charm, etc. and then do things like that or paint the houses white.