Dallas Board of Adjustment postpones Champions Club appeal after full afternoon of testimony

The Dallas Board of Adjustment on Tuesday postponed for one month an administrative-appeal hearing over the certificate of occupancy for Champions Club at 17776 Dallas Parkway after an afternoon of public testimony both for and against the venue.

The hearing was put off until the board’s Sept. 16 meeting after a motion to hold the matter under advisement passed by recorded roll call during the Aug. 19 session. Board Chairman David Newman made the motion; Board Member Rachel Hayden seconded. Board Member Michael Hopkowicz registered a recorded “nay” during the roll call; Board Members Kathleen Davis and Hayden voted “aye,” and the chair voted “aye.” The board announced the postponement by a 3-to-2 margin. The chairman said the next hearing will be the first item on the Sept. 16 agenda and the board will limit public testimony there to one minute per speaker.

Why the board postponed: both the city and champions’ legal representatives asked for a delay so the hearing could take place with a fuller panel and with an assistant building-official-level witness who was unavailable because of illness. City attorney staff said they prefer the board hear testimony with the assistant director or other senior zoning official present to explain the city’s prior decisions and the steps that led to the CO being issued and then revoked.

What speakers said - Supporters described Champions as an economic and philanthropic contributor and urged the board to allow the business to operate while legal questions are resolved. Tanya Clark, who identified herself as chief financial officer of Knight Adventures (the parent company the applicant described), said: “Since 2021, Champions has invested over $5,800,000 in capital improvements and repairs at this particular site. We've spent more than $600,000 on security improvements. And at the same time, we've paid over $650,000 in state and local taxes.” - Staff and employees of the venue described jobs and community partnerships. Kara Hunter, resource-development chair for the Boys & Girls Club of Collin County, said Champions “served as our title sponsor” for a fundraiser and helped the organization raise nearly $100,000. Jessica Sullivan, who said she is a restaurant manager at Champions, described the company as caring for staff and community. - Opponents focused on the legal status of poker and public-safety concerns. David Walter, president of the Bent Tree North Homeowners Association, said his neighborhood circulated petitions and delivered “1,300 names on petitions that are opposed to gambling and poker at Champions.” Several speakers cited past opinions from Texas attorney generals and other local prosecutors and asked the board to deny or delay any reinstatement of a CO while the legal status of poker rooms is contested. Kevin Menzing said: “They revoked it because contenders indicated that they were going to keep a gambling place, which is in violation of Texas law.” - Multiple speakers — on both sides — described investments and security arrangements around the property, and said the building’s vacancy had contributed to blight in the corridor.

Process notes and next steps The board president explained the hearing format for an administrative appeal: the applicant and the building official each would have 20 minutes to present, witnesses may be cross‑examined for up to five minutes, and each side gets a short rebuttal and closing statement. Because the city’s representative requested a postponement and the applicant did not oppose, the panel agreed to reschedule the full appeal to Sept. 16, 2025, with public testimony limited to one minute per speaker. Board members said they expect the assistant building official or comparable witness to attend that session.

Why this matters The appeal concerns a certificate of occupancy that had been issued and later revoked earlier this year. Opponents argue the venue’s proposed poker operations violate state law; advocates say the business has invested in the property, created jobs and supported local nonprofits. The board’s forthcoming decision will determine whether the city’s building‑code decision is sustained, reversed or modified after the full evidentiary hearing.

Ending The Board of Adjustment will hear the Champions appeal as its first item on Sept. 16, 2025. The board saved the submitted documents and public comments from the Aug. 19 session for the record and asked city staff to make the relevant building‑division witnesses available for the rescheduled hearing.