As Yogi Berra aptly said, “It ain’t over til it’s over.” That’s certainly the mindset that Highland Park has taken, as the wealthy enclave has filed for an injunction against the planned redevelopment of the Saltillo Apartments in the 4700 block of Cole Ave., which was approved by the Dallas City Council in a 12-3 vote back in August. You can see the full press release from the Town of Highland Park after the jump.
First, let’s recall the showdown at City Hall that Candy covered, one that featured several Highland Park residents coming up to the mic and claiming that this structure on the Katy Trail would overshadow Abbott Park and ruin the quality of life for many Highland Park residences and have a negative impact on property values.
Of course, Rudolph Bush at the Dallas Morning News countered, saying that dense, walkable developments are just what Dallas needs, and that the effects of this development will usher in greater progress toward a walkable Dallas. Even the neighborhood development watchdogs, the Oak Lawn Committee, say that this plan is good for the neighborhoods, and it’s a heck of a lot better looking than the apartments at 4719 Cole.
“There’s been lots of misinformation about this project,” Brenda Marks, president of the Oak Lawn Committee, said when the City Plan Commission gave the project the go-ahead back in May. “Most of it came from Highland Park.”
“This one has what we believe is good density development,” says Brenda. “It’s on the trail, near major transportation corridors, near the vibrant Knox Henderson retail, and very walkable.”
The 85 feet in height is not all of the building, says Brenda, but rather it stairsteps up from the trail. The tallest portion will be seven stories. There is a nice green space as buffer before the Trail.
But you’d think that this would be a shadow-bearing behemoth from Highland Park’s viewpoint:
Highland Park Mayor Joel Williams said, “This is a very special, one-of-a-kind neighborhood. Thousands of people enjoy the Katy Trail and Abbott Park every year, and it’s our obligation to protect this community treasure. A seven-story, multi-family high rise building does not fit this neighborhood and violates Dallas’ own master plan.”
Here, read the whole thing for yourself and tell us what you think.
Town of Highland Park Injunction Against Saltillo Redevelopment Plan
