The Dallas City Council on Wednesday deferred a rezoning decision on a multifamily development for homeless veterans that has been operating under the radar in a single-family neighborhood on South Polk Street for eight years.
A code complaint was filed by a neighbor over the summer, prompting operators of the “dwelling unit” to request a zoning change to multifamily. City staff recommended denial of the rezoning to multifamily, and the City Plan Commission approved the rezoning in a split vote in September.
District 1 Councilman Chad West on Wednesday asked that the item be deferred to Jan. 24.
“This was a group home for formerly homeless veterans,” West said. “They converted the group home to a multifamily structure outside the provisions of code. We’re wanting to delay this so they can have an opportunity to work with Code, to get compliant before we approve the zoning change, hopefully in January so these veterans can stay in their housing.”
There’s a lot of work to be done “on the Code side of the house,” West added.
Originally, the site operated as a handicapped group dwelling unit, which is permitted in the existing single-family zoning district. When renovations were completed to create individual dwelling units, the use was reclassified as either a group residential facility or multifamily use. Neither use is permitted in the R-7.5(A) Single Family District, according to a staff report.
City Plan Commission Approved The Rezoning Request
The nine-bedroom home is on the east side of South Polk Street between Cascade Avenue and Elmhurst Place. It’s surrounded by residential neighborhoods.
Per Dallas Central Appraisal District records, the property contains 7,575 square feet of area developed with a one-story structure built in 1940. The structure has 4,417 square feet of living area.
Commissioner Amanda Popken, West’s District 1 appointee to the CPC, said in September this is an unusual situation.
“I want to be clear that we’re not in the business of approving illegal uses after the fact,” she said at the time. “In [the West Oak Cliff Area Plan] we heard loud and clear that we want to support small mom-and-pop local businesses that are serving locals. This is an example of a good operator providing a necessary service that fits into this particular location. We’re in the business of helping neighbors get into compliance and stay in operation.”
Property owners with Phase II of The Bailey Group Inc. agreed to deed restrictions that would limit the building height to 30 feet.
The plan commissioners who voted against the change — Michael Jung, Tipton Housewright, and Deborah Carpenter — said they felt compassion for the current tenants, but it’s simply not a compatible use for the neighborhood.
“It seems to me we’re opening ourselves up to another operator unforeseen in the future that would not do the job that our current applicant is doing,” Housewright said. “I think that is a risk to this neighborhood that I’m not sure I’m willing to promote.”
