Lakewood Conservation District to begin petitioning for signatures in expansion bid

The Lakewood Conservation District is seeking signatures for a petition to add 275 more homes to its boundaries.

According to an April 28 release on the district’s Facebook page, it is seeking 58% of residents in the proposed expansion area to sign the petition. District representatives will spend the next 60 days reaching out to residents to acquire signatures. Currently, the district is made-up of 323 homes. If enough signatures are obtained, the release stated, the Planning and Urban Design staff with the city of Dallas will then meet with the district to discuss the proposed expansion.

If approved by city staff, an ordinance will then be drafted that must then be approved by the city planning commission and City Council. Summer Loveland, a resident representing the conservation district, said she expects the petition to attain the needed signatures.

“We have had a very favorable response,” she said. “We expect to get the 58% required. The primary driver here is to protect the historic character of the neighborhood and to ensure that any new construction or remodeling is fitting to the architectural styles existing in the neighborhoods.”

A conservation district is a type of zoning used to preserve certain characteristics by establishing regulations. The Lakewood district requires homes being remodeled or rebuilt to adhere to one of four architectural styles: Tudor, Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic or Colonial/Georgian Revival.

Loveland said the district will be holding a neighborhood meeting with the city of Dallas at 6 p.m. May 23 at The Filter Building located at 2810 White Rock Road, Dallas. She said all residents in the existing conservation district and the proposed expansion area will receive a notice about the meeting.

The Lakewood Conservation District was established in 1988 and is the second oldest district in Dallas. More information on conservation districts can be found on the city of Dallas website.