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Dallas committee opens discussion on refining downtown Central Business District uses
Summary
Committee members discussed amending the development code to limit non‑retail and non‑visitor‑oriented uses in the Central Business District, using a local garage as an illustrative example. Staff will gather example code language and consider boundary changes and grandfathering rules before returning to the committee.
City staff and councilors on Jan. 27 began a policy conversation on whether to refine Dallas’s Central Business District (CBD) development code to favor visitor‑oriented retail, restaurants and complementary uses and limit industrial, warehouse or service operations in the downtown core.
The staff presentation noted most of the downtown core is in an urban renewal district and part of a national historic district; the intent of revising the code would be to protect foot traffic and businesses that attract visitors. Councilors used “Tim’s garage” as a local example of a business some see as inconsistent with the desired downtown character and said any new code should grandfather existing businesses as nonconforming uses so they are not forced to relocate immediately.
Staff also urged the committee to consider spatial strategies: rather than simply prohibiting certain uses, the city could expand the CBD boundary where appropriate (to the west toward Levins Street and to the south toward the Mill District) or designate other commercial or industrial lands to accommodate non‑retail services, such as internet distribution or warehousing, that do not benefit from a downtown retail setting.
Councilors asked staff to return with model code language and examples from other cities. Staff said it had included a color‑coded attachment in the packet showing permitted, conditional and prohibited uses in the current CBD and offered to pull development code language from downtowns committee members admire (one member suggested Third Street in McMinnville as a local model). The committee did not take formal action on code changes at the meeting; staff will follow up with examples and a draft when requested.
The committee also discussed whether the city should assist nonconforming businesses that wish to relocate to suitable sites within Dallas and noted that any changes will require planning commission review and a future council hearing.
