The Dallas City Plan Commission met Thursday to hear public testimony on proposed updates to the ForwardDallas plan.
The City is updating its comprehensive land use plan, ForwardDallas, for the first time since 2006. The plan aims to “establish context-sensitive design and development guidance to help shape streets, sidewalks, landscaped areas, buildings, and open spaces to create functional, safe, sustainable, and activated spaces that reflect and enhance Dallas’ distinct places.”
The notion that ForwardDallas’ recommendation that more “affordable housing” could be achieved through increasing density and consequently rezoning single-family housing districts to allow multifamily housing units elicited mixed responses from members of the public who spoke at the meeting.
“ForwardDallas would give more people the option to live closer to work, open spaces, and daily amenities while removing air pollution [and] industrial facilities from residential neighborhoods,” claimed Dallas resident Ian Seamans. “If implemented, the plan would bring more green stormwater infrastructure and more low-impact development to the city as well as encouraging the development of brownfields instead of open spaces.”
“I ardently support ForwardDallas,” agreed resident David Chen. “For Dallas to grow, Dallas needs more housing, specifically more diverse housing. You can not remove 42% of Dallas [single families] and develop a sustainable solution. City leaders have the opportunity to build their cities and build for the future.”
“I live in a single-family house in a single-family neighborhood,” said resident Christopher Wyatt. “I welcome more neighbors in my neighborhood.”
While many attended the meeting to support the plan, just as many showed up to express their disagreement with it. Residents opposed to ForwardDallas often opened their testimony with the phrase, “Hands off our single-family neighborhoods.”
“Developers care most about money,” said resident Mike Sundine. “Dallas has a history of ignoring and destroying history.”
“This isn’t about affordable housing; this is about more taxes coming into the city,” agreed resident Rob Thomas. “I find the current approach disrespectful and manipulative, and pushing affordable housing as a front for more taxes is a threat.”
Other opponents cited the fear of increased traffic in their neighborhoods and a loss of parking spaces along the street as their reasons for disagreeing with the updated plan.
All in all, commissioners agreed that the plan’s supporters and detractors seemed to hold contradictory views, and both sides accused the other of being misinformed.
“I heard more agreement [in reasoning] between the two sides than I was anticipating,” said Commissioner Deborah Carpenter. “Some say I support it because of gentrification; others say I don’t because of gentrification.”
“In the next 20 years, if we do not open our doors to density, our children and grandchildren will be living outside of Dallas,” claimed Commissioner Tabitha Wheeler-Reagan. “The people that disagree with this won’t be living here in the next 20 years.”
At the end of the meeting, the CPC scheduled a special hearing for July 25 to discuss ForwardDallas further.
“We have to find a better way to do this, or we’re going to be here six months,” said Commissioner Joanna Hampton at the end of the 13-hour meeting. “This body is holding up Dallas and is holding up the economic development of the city.”