Community Engagement & Zoning Change to Planned Development

Project Description

Through Community Engagement activities, Masterplan led the zoning change effort and provided transparency to the community.

Located at 5811 Belt Line Rd. Dallas, Texas, 18.5 acres will be rezoned from an MF-1 (Multi-Family) to a Planned Development (PD). This request will enable the owner to replace the aging apartments with new residential units that offer high-quality construction to current standards, more green space, new amenities, and better traffic management. This mixed-use project offers a coffee shop/restaurant/retail lease space, a 50’ linear park on Preston Road, 40,000 sf. of green space, enhanced landscaping and perimeter walking trail, tree preservation of large trees, multi-modal transportation choices, and an enhanced DART transit shelter.

Challenges

• Residents were concerned about being displaced and how they would be negatively impacted during the building phases.

• Is there an increase in traffic flow that would require the installation of a traffic light?

Community Engagement 

• A total of 185 letters were sent to nearby homes and businesses, inviting them to community meetings and informing them about the project.

• Communicated with the leasing offices of the affected complexes, inviting them to the community meetings.

• To provide transparency, a total of five neighborhood meetings were held. A website with project details and updates throughout the process was available to nearby homes, businesses, and community members.

• Residents were informed that there would be no impact on their lease term, and advanced notice would be provided for each phase before it began. As a result, residents felt assured that they would not be displaced and would be considered in the process.

Results

• The project was approved by the City Plan Commission as well as City Council.

Conclusion

• The updates are underway as of 2023, which the entirety of the community will benefit from when complete. Current residents are being provided with updates from the property management about the changes as well as provided with special preferences and support during the transition.