Dallas City Council

West Oak Cliff Area Plan Approved, Giving Residents More Control Over New Development

By April Towery / October 26, 2022 /

As the threats of gentrification and displacement loom over the neighborhoods of West Oak Cliff, the Dallas City Council took action on Wednesday and approved the West Oak Cliff Area Plan. Advocates consider the plan an opportunity to shift control of future growth from developers to residents.  District 1 Plan Commissioner Amanda Popken and District…

The Missing-Middle is Still Missing: Lochwood Shares Cautionary Tale For Neighborhoods Across Dallas

By CandysDirt.com Contributor / October 25, 2022 /

By Thomas BuckSpecial Contributor In what retired Dallas Observer columnist Jim Schutze calls “today’s weakened media environment,” many have not noticed a storm brewing in far East Dallas. At the intersection of Garland and Centerville Roads, a seven-month “Fight The Height” battle has pitted Lochwood and nearby neighborhoods against the City of Dallas. A developer —…

Rental ‘Inflation Pandemic’ Prompts Overhaul of Dallas Eviction Ordinance

By April Towery / October 20, 2022 /

The rent is too damn high.  And renters who can’t make their monthly payments are likely to be evicted, which causes a whole new set of problems contributing to Dallas’s homeless rate.  The Dallas City Council heard Wednesday from officials with Child Poverty Action Lab, who said more than 19,000 evictions have been filed in…

Game Changer: West Oak Cliff Area Plan Could Put Residents in Zoning Driver’s Seat

By April Towery / October 10, 2022 /

Dallas is finally paying attention to West Oak Cliff. The City Plan Commission last month unanimously approved the West Oak Cliff Area Plan — a guide to drive new development while protecting current residents.  It actually does a lot more than that. For example, it encourages accessory dwelling units to provide more choices for missing-middle…

Budget Talks Continue as Dallas Adds 10 Code Officers to Address Apartment Violations

By April Towery / September 24, 2022 /

09/25 This story has been updated. Initially we said CM Tennell Atkins did not want to reduce the new city tax rate beyond the proposed 3-cent decrease; another CM reminded us that was inaccurate. Dallas City Council members deferred adoption of the city’s $4.51 billion budget Wednesday but approved several amendments, including an allocation to…