Dallas planners brief commissioners on South Dallas–Fair Park area plan, move toward authorized hearing

City planning staff presented an overview of the South Dallas–Fair Park area plan to the Dallas City Planning Commission on Jan. 23, describing a multi-year community-driven process and the land‑use and design recommendations that will form the basis for an authorized hearing on PD 595.

The presentation, delivered by Patrick Blades, chief planner for Neighborhood and Community Planning, and Lindsey Jackson, senior planner, outlined how a task force of local stakeholders and residents helped identify five focus areas: land use, housing, economic development, infrastructure and history/culture. Blades and Jackson emphasized that the plan’s recommendations come from community members and task force participants rather than from staff alone.

Why it matters: the area plan would be used to guide amendments to PD 595 — a large, two‑decade‑old planned‑development district — and to inform implementation steps with other city departments. Planners said the plan aims to preserve neighborhood character while encouraging mixed‑use corridors and improving housing design so new construction is compatible with existing homes.

Key recommendations and details - Place types and mixed use: The plan uses the city’s ForwardDallas place‑type map to designate low‑rise and mid‑rise mixed‑use corridors along Second Avenue, LC Faye Higgins, MLK and Malcolm X Boulevard, and mid/high‑rise nodes closest to Fair Park and the MLK DART station. - Design standards for single‑family context: Task‑force members identified five “concepts” to reduce “grossly incompatible” infill housing: a front porch, a rear or side garage (not dominating the front facade), a maximum of two stories, a pitched roof, and smaller front driveways. Staff described how design details (porch width, roof pitch, garage offset) would be defined in the authorized hearing and enforced when new zoning or development permits are requested. - Duplexes and ADUs: The area plan does not recommend allowing duplexes by right in single‑family zoning districts. Rather, the plan proposes a duplex zoning option inside the PD with the same design standards as single‑family homes; a separate diagram shows how duplexes could be subdivided for homeownership. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) were recommended to be allowed by right, subject to the PD’s design standards. - Commercial uses and parking: Staff said the plan would allow more neighborhood‑serving uses (restaurants without drive‑throughs, small retail, personal services) while keeping convenience stores under special use (SUP) review. Planners also recommended reducing or removing some parking mandates — and easing the PD’s “no parking in the front 30 feet” — to make it easier for small businesses to open along commercial corridors. - Historic preservation: Queen City (a historic African American neighborhood) was highlighted; staff said Queen City already has a national register listing and is pursuing local historic designation and a survey of historic homes.

Process and next steps Staff told commissioners they will post a draft plan for public comment, hold a CPC public hearing, and then forward recommendations to City Council. If Council supports changes to PD 595, staff said an authorized hearing would be scheduled to work out the design‑detail language (e.g., how deep a porch must be, how to define “garage in the back”). Planners also noted ongoing interdepartmental coordination for implementation, including housing designation for the area as a neighborhood revitalization strategy area, and follow‑up with the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability on environmental remediation and funding opportunities.

What commissioners asked and heard from the public Commissioners pressed staff on specifics including maximum heights in the mid/high‑rise areas near Fair Park, whether duplex conversions were allowed without rezoning (staff said no), and how parking reductions might be implemented. Commissioners wanting assurance about community outreach were told planners had held neighborhood coalition meetings, property‑owner roundtables and pop‑ups over the past three years.

Ending Staff characterized the briefing as an informational step rather than a final decision; the authorized‑hearing process will be where the PD amendments and precise design standards are written and adopted. Commissioners and staff said they expect more public meetings and hearings before any changes to PD 595 take effect.