April Towery

April Towery is former News Development Director for CandysDirt.com and covers Dallas City Hall. She studied journalism at Texas A&M University and has been an award-winning reporter and editor for more than 25 years.

Does Kayaking Ever Cross Your Mind? Fort Worth Gets Candid About $1B Panther Island Project

By April Towery / June 16, 2023 /

Fort Worth could soon have its very own Riverwalk, and the residents who live near the Trinity River might want to invest in a boat, canoe, or kayak.   Community leaders gathered Thursday for a candid conversation on the challenges of navigating $403 million in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ flood control projects while implementing a…

Dallas Opts to ‘Keep it Simple’ With Ban on Single-Family Neighborhood Short-Term Rentals

By April Towery / June 15, 2023 /

Four years of spirited debate came down to one vote just before midnight Wednesday, as the Dallas City Council banned short-term rentals in single-family neighborhoods. The measure, proposed by District 14 Councilman Paul Ridley and known as the “Keep It Simple Solution,” was recommended last summer by the council-appointed City Plan Commission. The new zoning…

Dallas City Council Approves Cypress Creek at Forest Lane Mixed-Income Housing in District 10

By April Towery / June 14, 2023 /

It’s official: An affordable housing project is coming to North Central Expressway in District 10. The project took on a life of its own as developers with Sycamore Strategies fought through prohibitive deed restrictions, one of the most contentious town hall meetings in recent memory, a failed attempt to use Public Facility Corporation financing, and…

Will Dallas Ban, Regulate, or Restrict? Residential Short-Term Rentals Decision Expected Wednesday

By April Towery / June 13, 2023 /

As a three-hour briefing on short-term rentals concluded last week, Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax promised that staff would issue a professional recommendation — a measure several council members said wasn’t necessary ahead of a June 14 vote.  We’ve got the memo, published below in its entirety.  But first, here’s what could go down at…

‘It’s The Right Thing to Do’: District 3 Councilman Zarin Gracey Aims to Bring Hope to The Horseshoe

By April Towery / June 13, 2023 /

“You gotta have faith” to bridge the gaps created by years of underserved communities in southwest Dallas says Zarin Gracey, the high-energy, newly elected District 3 Dallas City Council representative. And he might just be the man for the job.  Gracey spent 15 years wearing about a dozen different hats at Dallas City Hall then retired…