SPECIAL nOTICE: fORWARD daLLAS
ForwardDallas, which is the city’s comprehensive land use plan, continues to be updated by city staff and the City Plan Commission (CPC). To date, city staff and CPC Commissioners have not included protections to homeowners from certain land uses such as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), duplex, triplex, fourplex as a primary use and multiplex (9 units or less) as a secondary use. Last month, CPC added tiny homes and cottage courts to the Community Residential place type which will include our Estates West neighborhood.
A tiny house is a small dwelling between 100 and 400 square feet, often built on wheels or on a foundation. A cottage court is a type of housing development characterized by a group of small, detached houses arranged around a shared courtyard or greenspace with little or no off-street parking. These new uses along with those previously included in the ForwardDallas plan could eventually be built next to your single-family home.
We encourage homeowners to familiarize themselves with the most recent version of plan found here: https://dallascityhall.com/departments/pnv/Forward-Dallas/Documents/FD Plan_Combined_Spread_Feb2024Draft.pdf. Please take time to express your views regarding the plan by emailing CPC commissioners at yolanda.hernandez@dallas.gov. Ms. Hernandez will distribute your email to all the commissioners. For individual council members, can be found here: https://dallascityhall.com/government/Pages/city-council.aspx. This could be the most important 5 minutes you could every spend!
CPC has scheduled what will likely be a final public hearing on the plan and vote for Thursday, July 11th. The hearing is the last agenda item for the day and will likely take place after 3 p.m. at City Hall in the council chamber as well as virtually.
I cannot overstate the importance of having as many residents in Dallas weigh in on the plan by showing up on July 11th and/or communicating any concerns you have to both CPC commissioners and council members. Preferably both. Please send an email to president@estateswest.org if you plan to attend the meeting in person and need a ride or can offer a ride to other Estates West neighbors wanting to attend.
Dallas needs a comprehensive plan use plan however the current version of ForwardDallas could allow more density in our single-family neighborhoods and thereby create more on street parking and a strain on city infrastructure and resources. Homeowners deserve to have safeguards in the plan to protect our neighborhoods and the right of self-determination. The current version of the ForwardDallas plan fails to do so.
Should you have questions regarding the plan, the hearing, or need a ride to the hearing on Thursday, July 11th, please email Jack Kocks at president@estatewest.org.
The Estates West Neighborhood Association (EWNA) is a volunteer organization committed to building community and keeping our neighborhood a beautiful, safe and fun place to live! Estates West was established in the 1960′s and we are fortunate to have many original residents and their returning children and grandchildren living in our neighborhood.
connect with us via Membership Toolkit and access:
- An online payment system for dues
- Our neighborhood directory
- Volunteer opportunities
- Message boards
- Newsletters
- And more!
