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Residents fight proposed high-rise apartment tower
A group of Far North Dallas residents fighting a proposed high-rise mixed-use development took their case against Dallas to court on Friday. They argue the developer did not put up proper notice about the proposed zoning change.
DALLAS - A group of Far North Dallas residents fighting a proposed high-rise mixed-use development took their case against Dallas to court on Friday. They argue the developer did not put up proper notice about the proposed zoning change.
It is said you can’t fight city hall. But a group of Dallas residents found you can take city hall to court.
"If you pay attention to the facts, and do your own research, you can take those facts to the city and hold them accountable for their actions," said Damien LeVick, who lives in the area.
The Dallas homeowners are trying to stop a proposed 12-story apartment tower at Preston and Belt Line roads that would have restaurants and retail below.
They claim the developers failed to post the required proposed rezoning signs.
If the signs had been posted, they would have immediately launched a fight against the tower that they say would bring a loss of privacy, traffic, crime, and potential school crowding.
"The notification signs were not posted as they were required to be. Development code is clear. We are asking for the city of Dallas to beheld to its own rules," said Anthony Ricciardelli, an attorney for the Save Pepper Square Homeowners Association.
Far North Dallas residents oppose proposed 12-story high-rise development
The proposal is for a high-rise apartment complex with restaurants and retail below. The developer argues the development would revitalize the aging shopping center. But not everyone seems to agree.
Former Dallas City Councilman Lee Kleinman, now with Masterplan, represents the developer.
"Over the past 2+ years, 10 or more community meetings have taken place, an informational website was maintained, mail notifications were sent out, public hearings occurred, and the zoning signs have been posted and reposted to the property many times (27 signs)," he said in a statement. "The City Plan Commission and City Council are granted authority to determine if a good faith effort was made to post the zoning notification signs."
In the end, the judge granted a temporary injunction to the homeowner's association.
The developer must post rezoning signs for the next four weeks, Then, the redevelopment proposal goes back to the City Plan Commission for re-evaluation.