Photo Courtesy of Fox 4 News
DALLAS – Residents of Far North Dallas have successfully secured another delay in the decision on a controversial 12-story high-rise apartment complex proposed for the Pepper Square development at Preston Road and Belt Line Road.
The Dallas City Plan Commission was scheduled to vote on Wednesday on whether to approve the rezoning request for the project. However, the decision was postponed after homeowners argued that the city failed to adhere to its own public hearing notification requirements.
Community Concerns
Opponents of the development maintain that a high-rise structure is incompatible with the suburban character of the area. Their concerns include increased traffic congestion and the potential loss of privacy for nearby homes.
“There are still 1,000 people who oppose the zoning request,” said homeowner Sandy Greyson. “We can sum up our opposition in less than 10 words: It’s too high, too dense, and in the wrong place.”
Janet Markum, president of the Northwood Hills Homeowner’s Association, echoed these sentiments. “I urge you to vote no on the zoning change application because it has yet to reflect or respect the surrounding community’s wishes,” she stated.
The Developer’s Perspective
The Henry S. Miller Company, the developer behind the project, argues that apartment complexes generate less traffic than retail establishments and points to the presence of other high-rise buildings nearby.
“As you can see, we are incurring significant legal costs, and every delay results in substantial economic harm to this property,” said developer Greg Miller. “We are unable to secure long-term leases because of the pending development decision.”
Lee Kleinman, a representative for the developer, emphasized the company’s willingness to compromise. “We have made multiple concessions, including reducing the number of units requested by half,” he said. “The response has been, ‘Keep it retail.’ We lowered the height by half—still, ‘Keep it retail.’”
Legal and Procedural Challenges
This latest postponement comes just over two months after a judge ruled in favor of the homeowners, determining that the developer had failed to properly post rezoning signs. The court mandated that five signs be displayed for four weeks—an order that the developer demonstrated compliance with through extensive documentation on Wednesday.
The City Plan Commission is now expected to render a decision on the development on February 6, with the matter advancing to the Dallas City Council in early March for a final vote.