[Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and should not be interpreted as the editorial opinion of Daltxrealestate.com.]
A public hearing will be held at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, January 24, in the afternoon on the proposed PD and SUP for the Aldredge House, located on Swiss Avenue in the Swiss Avenue Historic District.
The Council will hear the request for the Aldredge House to permanently become a museum home and education center for non-profit use.
Support is needed to help the house as its future and use will be determined at the meeting!
As you may know, my beloved Aldredge House has had some unfortunate issues in the past. In a nutshell, a catering company (don’t ever use them) got the Medical Alliance, of which I am a member, in hot water with neighbors over wild weddings at the house. Naturally, neighbors were disturbed and complained, threatening to shut down Aldredge House. There was fear the house would be sold, which would obliterate its historic status. The City Plan Commission voted last year to recommend the creation of a Planned Development District (PD) and a Specific Use Permit (SUP) to allow the house to operate as a Historic House Museum and Meeting Space.
Wedding rentals and other commercial events are not allowed as part of the PD. With the PD there could be meetings and programs between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
However, a SUP was recommended to restrict activities at the house between 5 and 9 p.m. to only three non-consecutive meetings a month, or 36 a year. Even a small meeting of a handful of people would constitute an event and count toward the total.
The Dallas County Medical Society Alliance, owners of the Aldredge House, believe the SUP as recommended is too limiting and will unduly limit the use of the house after 5 p.m. for meetings and educational programs. They are asking the City Council to modify the hours and number of meetings to allow for more flexible and reasonable use of the home for educational programs and meetings with the non-consecutive clause removed. I mean, would you like the City Council to tell you how late you could have guests to your house?
Join me in supporting the future of the Aldredge House as a publicly accessible historic house museum and meeting space in Dallas, one of the few we have that have not been torn down. The House and the Alliance want to be good neighbors, but they also want to enjoy their home in the most reasonable way.
What you can do:
1. Send an email to City Council and ask them to support the PD – with appropriate conditions for the new house museum use. Please click here for a sample letter you can send to City Council members to support the Foundation.
Please email your support by clicking here.
2. Attend the January 24 City Council public hearing and wear green to support the Aldredge House. This item will be on the afternoon agenda for City Council which begins at 1:00 pm in the Council Chamber at Dallas City Hall – 1500 Marilla Street. (Parking is in the back.) The case is number 52 and you can click here to view the agenda for the meeting. After going through security at the front entrance take the red or green elevators to the 6th floor to access the Council Chamber.
As the Founder and Publisher of Daltxrealestate.com, this is my heart asking you for support. Thank you for your assistance in supporting the future of beautiful, historic Aldredge House!
