Commission approves 53‑unit shared‑access townhouse PD on Ferguson Road despite neighbor concerns

The Dallas City Planning Commission approved a planned‑development district Jan. 23 to allow a 53‑lot shared‑access townhome project on Ferguson Road between Hibiscus Drive and Pasteur Avenue, carrying forward conditions on sidewalks, lighting and landscaping aimed at improving pedestrian connectivity.

What the commission approved Commissioners voted to approve a PD to allow 53 detached single‑family lots in a shared‑access configuration (TH3A townhouse district standards) on a roughly 4‑acre site. The PD sets two‑story maximum heights, 5‑foot minimum front and side setbacks, internal sidewalks along access drives and 6‑foot sidewalks on public street frontages, pedestrian‑scale down‑oriented lighting along street frontages, and a minimum 6,000 square feet of on‑site open space. Landscaping points and other quality measures were added in staff conditions.

Why it mattered The site sits among a mix of uses including existing multifamily, a private school and nearby churches. Neighbors and commissioners pressed for safeguards to protect the surrounding single‑family and multifamily context and to ensure pedestrian connections along Ferguson Road, which staff said the plan now provides through sidewalks and landscaped buffers.

Points of debate - Open space: Neighbors and some commissioners said the project’s 6,000‑square‑foot central open space is modest for 53 units. The applicant said lot configuration and engineering constraints limited larger contiguous green space but committed to meeting Article 10 landscaping requirements and to providing yard area on each lot and a maintained central green. - Fencing and street activation: The applicant proposed perimeter fencing to secure the project edge on Ferguson Road; staff recommended negotiating material and landscape buffering to avoid an uninviting frontage while preserving resident security. The commission added conditions for pedestrian‑scale lighting and sidewalks to improve activation. - Shared access design: The plan uses 22‑foot internal access drives; staff said Fire Department review would control allowable building heights in practice based on emergency access. Commissioners discussed the need to align driveway widths and building heights with fire code during permitting.

Implementation and conditions Staff recommended — and the commission approved — a development plan and PD conditions that include internal and perimeter sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, a minimum open‑space requirement, tree planting and a requirement for 6,000 square feet of common open space. The applicant agreed to a 10% open‑space target as part of discussions and to provide landscaping that meets or exceeds Article 10 standards.

Votes and next steps The commission approved the PD with the conditions outlined by staff. The project will proceed to final platting and permitting; engineering and fire‑code reviews during permitting may require adjustments to lot layout, drive widths and building elevations.

Ending Supporters said the project will add for‑sale housing choices the neighborhood has lacked and provide more housing diversity near transit corridors; opponents and some commissioners pressed for larger, higher‑quality contiguous open space. The project now moves to plat and permitting where final engineering, fire‑safety and landscaping details will be reviewed.