Some councilmembers worry the ForwardDallas plan will eliminate single-family zoning, but proponents say the proposed changes are necessary to maintain an adequate housing supply in the growing city.
“The ForwardDallas comprehensive land use plan will likely be adopted this summer, but there are some big hurdles to clear, including at least one council member who says she won’t vote for it as it stands today.” As April Towery explains, District 12 Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn says she wants to ensure the plan doesn’t completely eliminate single-family zoning.
City officials say the plan won’t change any existing historic districts or planned communities. “The ForwardDallas comprehensive land use plan only informs zoning; it doesn’t assign it or regulate it. It’s not necessarily about housing, affordable or otherwise.”
According to District 11 Councilwoman Jaynie Schultz, “The challenge with … single-family residential as a placetype is that it would look like one of those pixelated pictures because that means no churches, no schools, no small retail. What community residential means is the things that a community of residences needs to be a strong community. That’s why it has to include other uses besides one home per family.”
Read the full story: ForwardDallas Isn’t Going to Make Everyone Happy, But Will it Address The City’s Messy Land Use History?
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