Planning commission approves private-school expansion at Harvest Hill after striking sidewalk-buffer condition

The Dallas City Planning Commission on March 6 approved an amendment to Specific Use Permit (SUP) 959 that will allow an existing private school and adjacent church at the southwest corner of Harvest Hill Road and Inwood Road in North Dallas to replace a gym and auditorium with new classrooms and to increase allowable enrollment.

Staff told commissioners the amended SUP and site plan would raise the school’s enrollment cap from 725 to 810 students and increase the allowable floor area to 105,000 square feet. Planners said the net additional school square footage on the campus would be roughly 10,000 square feet after demolition of an existing 14,000-square-foot building; the project also adds pedestrian amenities and a proposed landscape plan.

Why it matters: Commissioners focused on two practical trade-offs: pedestrian safety improvements along Harvest Hill and the potential loss of mature oak trees and on‑site parking. Staff recommended a 6-foot sidewalk with a 5-foot landscape buffer to improve student pedestrian safety, a condition the school’s representative said could force removal of mature oaks and dozens of parking spaces.

City staff and the applicant explained the campus plan and conditions. Staff said the sidewalk buffer language includes flexibility when existing trees, utilities or the right-of-way prevent the full buffer. But Commissioner Hall raised concerns that a fixed buffer could require cutting down a large number of mature oaks and could remove up to about 50 parking spaces along Harvest Hill, which the applicant said could jeopardize required on-site parking.

Applicant Bill Dahlstrom, representing the school, urged approval but asked the commission to remove the sidewalk-buffer condition. Dahlstrom told the commission the sidewalk-buffer condition would have a “devastating effect on 40 year old trees on the site and could, impact our parking as well.” He also said the school would maintain a traffic-management plan and pedestrian amenities shown on the site plan.

Outcome and next steps: Commissioner Hall moved — and Commissioner House Wright seconded — a motion to close the public hearing and approve staff’s recommendation while striking the specific sidewalk-buffer requirement that had concerned the applicant. The motion carried. The commission approved the amendment subject to an amended site plan, an amended landscape plan and the staff‑recommended conditions except for the removed sidewalk-buffer language. The item will return to city staff as part of final plan and condition compliance work.

Speakers listed in the proceeding included Bill Dahlstrom, applicant representative and attorney; Mister Bates, city planner presenting the staff report; Commissioner Hall (District 13); Commissioner Carpenter; Commissioner House Wright; and Chair Shadid. The commission recorded the approval and instructed staff to process the amended site and landscape plans for final compliance.

Ending: The decision allows the school to expand classroom and administrative space while preserving the flexibility staff added to avoid tree loss and parking conflicts during final engineering and permitting. The revised SUP and site plans will be reviewed by city staff to ensure the final design meets the conditions approved by the commission.