New PD-15 Proposal Submitted by Commission
The City Plan Commission has agreed on a Public Development 15 proposal to send to the Dallas City Council – one with an emphasis on green space.
(ABOVE: Ground-floor units get a view of a park, instead of concrete. Courtesy City Plan Commission)
PD-15, a 14-acre zoning district north of Northwest Highway between Baltimore Drive and Pickwick Lane, has faced increased scrutiny since 2017 when a fire destroyed the Preston Place condominiums and questions emerged about whether existing height and density limits would allow for redevelopment.
With neighbors of PD-15 requesting a more vibrant outdoor area, the commission recently voted near-unanimously on a proposal that will reserve up to 45 percent of the space for parks, open space, and other “green areas” within the development.
The proposal also allows for a new tower directly on Northwest Highway standing 310 feet, with 360 units.
That’s smaller than Preston Tower, which also sits in the development.
The green space is expected to go between Preston Place and the Royal Orleans.
That means that part of Diamond Head Circle, between the Athena site and Preston Place would become a park instead of a street connecting residential buildings.
The ground-floor units would have a view of a park, instead of concrete.
An underground parking garage is also in the new plan, officials said.
All of this must be looked at by District 13 council member Jennifer Staubach Gates and her staff before going to the council.
“I plan to meet with my staff to fully understand the conditions and the amendments before I can really comment,” Gates said.
Gates will be watching the residential proximity slopes, a measurement of how nearby buildings of varying heights relate to one another.
Affordable housing units are included in the plan to qualify the proposed new tower for greater height.
Gates said she would remain open to more input from the community as the process unfolds.
The commission voted 12-1 in favor of the proposed plan.
