Local officials are making preparations with organizers and neighbors ahead of an upcoming home-design event that was cut short in 2022 due to some backlash from the community.
The fourth annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House (KBDSH) design event will return to Dallas between November 2 and November 15 to completely transform a nearly 8,000-square-foot home located at 9446 Hathaway St. in the Preston Hollow neighborhood.
As part of this year’s model home event, several of the country’s brightest designers and architects will convene in Dallas to collaborate on how best to transform the Preston Hollow home.
Each design professional will be assigned a space in the home over which they will be given free rein to alter the space in whatever manner befits their respective vision for the property.
Despite typically spanning an entire month, this year’s show house event will only give the community two weeks to visit and enjoy the property.
While the City of Dallas has had success with the design event in the past, last year’s show house event drew criticism from neighbors and City officials over “unforeseen circumstances” relating to traffic congestion and incorrect plumbing/electrical permits, reported D Magazine.
However, the City of Dallas Attorney’s Office later reclassified the problem as an issue of improper land use, which resulted in the tour being trimmed down to four days. A “stop work order” sign was left on the property’s gate, D Magazine reported.
To avoid a repeat of last year, organizers have already met with City officials as well as the local homeowner’s association to develop a strategy for straightening out the kinks.
One of the biggest complaints during the 2022 display home event stemmed from the overflow parking encroaching into the adjacent neighborhood, making it difficult for emergency vehicles and mail trucks to operate as intended.
According to event organizer Kips Bay, off-duty police officers are expected to regularly patrol the site in order to limit event traffic to nearby neighborhoods, The Dallas Morning News reported.
“Towing around the neighborhood and Show House will be strictly enforced with no exceptions,” the organization said in a statement, per the DMN. “If guests park their vehicle on any neighborhood street, it will be towed.”
The KBDSH event will not only serve as a fundraiser for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, but it will also benefit several local nonprofits, including Dwell with Dignity and The Crystal Charity Ball.
