ForwardDallas updates land use plan to allow for dynamic future growth
District 9 Dallas City Council Member Paula Blackmon describes a city as a “dynamic organism”—something that needs to change and evolve to keep from stagnating and “decaying from the inside out.” And now, residents have the chance to shape what the city of Dallas’ growth will look like in the coming years.
Over the past few months, leaders from Dallas’ Planning & Urban Design Department have been hosting workshop meetings across different parts of the city seeking input on the update to the ForwardDallas Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which will help guide future development in the city.
Richardson ISD pilots new cellphone program, policy
RISD has been testing a new plan designed to increase instructional time during the 2022-23 school year.
Heading into the year, Superintendent Tabitha Branum said the use of cellphones during the instructional day had become pervasive throughout the district, taking away valuable instructional time while incurring a lot of disciplinary violations.
Dallas implements new rules for electric scooter riders, providers in program relaunch
Nearly three years after getting banned from the city, electric scooters are returning to Dallas with new technology and stricter regulations, according to city officials.
Dallas City Council banned electric scooters from the city in September 2020 amid concerns about public safety with scooters being parked incorrectly, driving too fast and cluttering streets. In June 2022, council approved new regulations for scooter usage, getting the city moving on reactivating its scooter program.
Connecting The Loop: Trinity Forest Spine Trail unveiled as part of $85M urban transportation project in Dallas
Dallas is set to open a new trail, the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, starting this spring.
The new trail is part of a project called The Loop Dallas that will connect many of the city’s trails into a contiguous 50-mile urban trail. Overall, the $85 million project will link 39 miles of the city’s existing trails with 11 miles of four newly built trails, including the Trinity Forest Spine Trail.
Decline in unhoused population spells change for Dallas
The state of homelessness in Dallas has risen and fallen over the past several years, but this year marked the county’s smallest number of people experiencing homelessness in five years.
In Dallas County, about 3,692 people were counted as experiencing homelessness during a single night in January. Housing Forward, a North Texas organization serving the unhoused population, conducted the federally mandated point-in-time count, which is meant to provide a snapshot of trends regarding homelessness Jan. 26. The organization released data related to the count in April, which showed that homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties has decreased by 4% since 2022.
Minority-majority ZIP codes facing lower life expectancies in Lake Highlands, Lakewood
In northeast Dallas, the difference in a resident’s life expectancy could change by a few years based on where they live in Lake Highlands or Lakewood.
County data shows people living in ZIP code 75243—which is a high-poverty, minority-majority census tract—face lower life expectancies and poorer health outcomes than people living in more affluent areas of Lake Highlands and Lakewood, such as the ZIP codes 75214, 75231 and 75238. Factors such as lower income, lower education rates and a lack of nearby health resources, such as grocery stores and health clinics, contribute to the lower overall health of the community.
Balancing growth with affordability in Lake Highlands, Lakewood
In 2013, Ryan Boyd decided to buy a home in Lakewood because of its proximity to other areas of Dallas and its access to White Rock Lake and other outdoor amenities. Since then, he has seen home prices steadily climb as more people move to the area.
As the president of the Lakewood Neighborhood Association, Boyd said the neighborhood’s character, history and sense of community are a major draw for him and many other homebuyers.
Dallas ISD budgeting for teacher needs amid limited state funding
With limited state funding for public education, Dallas ISD is “doing the best it can” to prioritize teachers’ needs and provide them with adequate compensation after adopting its 2023-24 fiscal year budget, the district’s chief financial officer said. However, some teachers say more is needed, especially from state lawmakers.
In June, the district adopted a $2 billion budget for FY 2023-24, which is about 7% higher than the previous fiscal year. At the same time, the basic allotment of state funding schools can receive per student, which is $6,160, has not increased since 2019, even to compensate for inflation. Without an increase in that allotment, school districts are having to pull from their own finances to fund student expenses.
Dallas updating White Rock Lake Park’s master plan
White Rock Lake Park’s master plan, which guides how Dallas maintains and renovates the lake and its amenities, is getting an update to consolidate decades of overlapping planning and provide standards for years to come.
Since the lake was built in 1911, city staff and contractors have produced over a dozen reports and plans that focus on various aspects of how it was designed and how it should be preserved. Now, city officials want to consolidate them into one plan that will shape the future of what many Lake Highlands and Lakewood residents have dubbed “the crown jewel of Dallas.”
Dallas’ $4.6B budget lowers property taxes, expands city services
The city of Dallas’ fiscal year 2023-24 budget, which totals $4.63 billion, includes a lower tax rate and a focus on public safety initiatives.
Dallas City Council voted to approve the budget Sept. 20 after nearly two months of meetings and back-and-forth debates over the property tax rate. Five members of the 15-member council, including Mayor Eric Johnson, voted against its adoption.
East Dallas short-term rental operators sue city over new regulations
After retiring, married couple Jeff and Shannon Veazey planned on continuing to rent out the converted garage attached to their home in Old Lake Highlands as a major source of their retirement income.
For the last six years, the two have listed it on the rental platform Airbnb, earning about $16,000 annually. However, due to a new zoning ordinance and short-term rental regulations passed by Dallas City Council, the couple will be “out of business” once the ordinance is enforced in December, Jeff Veazey said.
Dallas Park and Recreation project could bring 6 new pickleball courts to Lake Highlands
Several acres in northern Lake Highlands off I-635 could become home to new pickleball courts as city officials begin the planning stages for a new recreational facility and green space.
The project, which is still being developed and could be included in an upcoming bond package, comes after years of debate about how to use the land at 12000 Greenville Ave. Dallas City Council member Kathy Stewart, who represents Lake Highlands, said the plan could uplift a part of the area known for high crime. It could also attract visitors from outside the city and more economic development.
