Rise and Shine, Park Cities (7-19-11)
1. In what is probably the (roughly) 2,367th meeting on the Legacy Hillcrest project, the University Park City Council will meet tonight to hold a public hearing on the proposed change. This is a BYOP (Bring Your Own Pitchfork) event. Hearing starts at 5 p.m., though you might want to be there a bit early to grab a seat; the last meeting was standing-room only.
2. Seems the city of Dallas is attempting to get more beautiful by becoming less beautiful. At least temporarily.
As part of the extension of the Katy Trail, the city recently tore down a bunch of landscaping that hid UP’s Peek Services Center from the discerning looks of DART passengers. The problem was by doing that, the center was then out of compliance with the zoning rule established when the center was constructed in the late 90s, according to UP spokesman Steve Mace.
Dallas City Plan Commission will take up the case Thursday, and they’re expected to change the rule to bring Peek back into compliance. Since, you know, they were the ones who made it non-compliant.
Moral of the story: if in five years you’re riding your Schwinn on the Katy Trail extension, it’s probably not University Park’s fault if there isn’t any landscaping in front of Peek.
3. Reservations for Dallas Restaurant Week kicked off yesterday. There is only one Park Cities restaurant on the list — Cafe Pacific — but hey, you’ve probably eaten there already anyway.
If I had to pick from this list, I’d probably go with Brownstone or Tillman’s Roadhouse. Actually, wait, Tei An. Yes, I’ll make that reservation now.
For more information, head to KLRD.
So let me get this straight. The Hotel Lumen, which sits just a few feet away from a preschool and multiple residences, is doubling in size with no visible parking (the expansion covers the hotel’s old and usually empty parking lot). Not a peep from the community.
The Chase Building has much more open space around it (parking lots and streets) than the Lumen and less residential density in the immediate area (sorry, screamers, facts are facts). But somehow, the redevelopment plans have been churning for over a decade, while the usual suspects – the tedious Huddelstons on one side, the crazy coven of neighborhood harpies armed with “NO WALMART” yard signs on the other – engage in yet another act of soul-eating city hall kabuki.
For the record, I live near the Lumen and actually like the mix of residential, hotel and retail in our little corner of the neighborhood, but someone needs to explain to me why the Chase Building redevelopment is such a big deal while the Lumen is not. Any takers?
Isn’t it KRLD?
Sure, Neal, I’ll be your huckleberry.
The Hotel Lumen, even doubled, is not at all comparable in size to the Legacy project. It will not generate anywhere near the increased vehicle traffic the Legacy project will. Nor will its height dominate everything else nearby, as Legacy would like its building to do. Nor does the Lumen’s expansion violate any pre-determined zoning decisions (to my knowledge). Nor have the Lumen’s owners repeatedly stuck their collective finger in the eyes of UP residents.
The phrase “apples and oranges” comes to mind. Have the courtesy to educate yourself on the fundamentals before you start calling people names.
hmmm… no Gobel homeowner in Dallas County. must be a snider plaza merchant, or even worse, A RENTER!