District 9 residents are no strangers to rallying together at the grassroots level. And when it comes to Dallas’ beloved White Rock Lake, East Dallas really shows up to protect it.
Which is why several residents represented by District 9Dallas City Council member Paula Blackmon were stunned when she voted along with the rest of the horseshoe to approve a development that several East Dallas activists were against.
In fact, back in April when the development’s rezoning case went before the Dallas City Plan Commission, vocal opposition from a great many White Rock Lake-area residents resulted in nine of the plan commissioners voting to deny the project on the grounds that its height, density, lack of compatibility with the neighborhood, and impact on traffic were all red flags.
But in the wake of the City Council’s vote, several residents felt that Blackmon’s vote was not in line with her campaign, and while many people reached out right after the meeting, it was several days before anyone responded. Many people just wanted to know why their representative voted for a development that the district’s own plan commissioner rejected without fixing near half of the issues the commission itself pointed out.
After two attempts to get a comment from Blackmon, the District 9 City Council member responded today:
I feel I have worked to bring what is best for our community … basically, city council unanimously approved a zoning change for The Trailhead at the Intersection of 3G in District 2. After a few weeks of speaking to planners, transportation professionals, reading emails, listening to concerns, and reviewing development plans, I voted to support the zoning change as recommended by city staff with some changes to height (decrease), pedestrian enhancements, and access to affordability. This proposed development focuses on the Santa Fe Trail — a trail the city and private citizens have placed a significant investment in. The height has been reduced to 6 stories with a max of 75 ft with many pedestrian enhancements such as bike racks and sidewalks, significant setbacks, and housing units that will support a diverse workforce here in East Dallas. We are in a housing shortage in Dallas and we need more units that focus on multi-modal options. We need a developer who will work with us to give us the best and this is the highest and best use for this property. I know you may not be in agreement with this but a development that could come into this area by right would not be good in my opinion. I hope you understand and over time will gain an appreciation of this development. Thanks again for writing me.
With the unanimous support of the council, The Trailhead development will be on the consent agenda for the June 23 Dallas City Council meeting.
