The Dallas City Council gave city staff the green light to purchase land for a proposed northern Dallas affordable housing development. But the exact terms of the lease will be ironed out by the city鈥檚 housing committee.
Some city officials see the item going back to committee as yet another tactic to delay affordable housing developments in the northern sector of Dallas.
That鈥檚 what came out of nearly ten public speakers and a three-hour-long executive session that halted Wednesday鈥檚 Dallas City Council meeting.
The proposed Cypress Creek at Forest Lane mixed-income development would bring over 100 affordable apartments near the intersection of U.S. Highway 75 and Forest Lane in District 10.
The development has been the subject of controversy since it began 鈥� with legal hurdles around deed restrictions, accusations of NIMBY-ism and claims of further-deepening segregation in Dallas.
Most recently, the project was delayed after the Dallas Public Finance Committee voted to send the development project to City Council for approval.
Opponents of the development say they鈥檙e ready to sue the city if the plan is approved. Advocates and those in support of the plan say this is yet another example in a long list of backlashes to affordable housing in northern Dallas.
Ann Lott is the executive director of the Inclusive Communities Project, which works to implement strategies that 鈥減romote fair and affordable housing in high opportunity areas鈥� of Dallas. She spoke in favor of the Cypress Creek project during Wednesday鈥檚 council meeting.
鈥淚 urge you not to be persuaded by the patronizing voices that say it鈥檚 not the right location,鈥� Lott said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never going to be the right location as long as it鈥檚 in their neighborhood.鈥�
鈥楶romote integration鈥top segregation鈥�
44-year-old Brittany Jones relies on vouchers for access to affordable housing. She says stigma around mixed and low-income housing is a major barrier when it comes to getting projects like Cypress Creek built.
鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 know a voucher holder, never met one or haven鈥檛 taken the time to see how we live,鈥� Jones said.
Jones says she has a degree in criminology and experience in community organizing. But when it comes time to find suitable housing, all her accolades 鈥済o out the window.鈥� Jones says the Cypress Creek development would give individuals like her options in a thriving environment.
鈥淭here are schools, there鈥檚 hospitals, there鈥檚 churches,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淵ou have a better way of life, and nobody wants to give us that鈥n the end we just want options like everybody else.鈥�
Some District 10 residents, like Robb Stewart, argued that individuals and families moving into the proposed development wouldn鈥檛 be able to utilize the resources, due to a lack of walkable infrastructure and high crime in the area.
鈥淚n addition to being in a bad location, it鈥檚 almost two miles to the closest grocery store. It鈥檚 two DART busses to get there and three to get back,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淭hink of a young mother, with two gallons of milk, and two small children in tow.鈥�
Council Member Adam McGough represents District 10 where the development is planned to be built. He says some areas around the proposed site 鈥� like the DART station 鈥� are too dangerous for families and children.
鈥淲hen I myself was living on the streets temporarily, I couldn鈥檛 stay at the DART station because it was not safe for me physically,鈥� McGough said during Wednesday鈥檚 meeting. 鈥淵ou could stand there today and watch drug transactions happen one after the other.鈥�
But advocates of the project say these talking points are tried and true whenever an affordable housing project arises 鈥� especially when it鈥檚 not in southern Dallas.
Zachary Krochtengel of Sycamore Strategies 鈥� the project developer 鈥� says right now, District 10 has less than 1% of the city鈥檚 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units.
鈥淲hen you add the 103 affordable units from Cypress Creek at Forrest Lane, District 10 would still have he least LITCH units than any other council district in the city,鈥� Krochtengel said.
Lott says projects like Cypress Creek will ensure Dallas makes good on its obligation to provide essential services to all residents.
鈥淭he patterns of segregation that we see across the city, suggests that the City of Dallas has not met its obligation,鈥� Lott said. 鈥淎pproval of this particular project will help the city meet its obligation鈥o promote integration and stop segregation.鈥�
Legal Concerns
William Roth is an owner of a 75,000 square-foot commercial office building that sits adjacent to the proposed development. He spoke out against the project on behalf of himself and his business partners.
鈥淲e strongly oppose this project. It is a direct violation of a deed restriction that prevents apartments from being developed at this site,鈥� Roth said.
He says the case law is clear: Under the proposed site鈥檚 deed restriction, if the city allows the development of the project, Roth 鈥� and other business owners 鈥� will consider the action as seizure of their property rights for the 鈥渂enefit of a private developer.鈥�
鈥淲e will sue the city and the developer,鈥� Roth said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to do that, but we will do it. We are prepared to do it.鈥�
Philip Kingston is an attorney who was hired by Sycamore Strategies to oversee the Cypress Creek development. He says the city needs affordable housing, especially at the planned development site.
鈥淥ur lack of affordable housing is tantamount to a fire,鈥� Kingston said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 become dangerous to our city.鈥�
Kingston said this project has the potential to put over 100 families in quality housing.
But McGough warned against legal retaliation against the development.
鈥淲e absolutely know without a doubt not just that we will be sued, we know who鈥檚 going to sue us, we know what they鈥檙e going to sue us for,鈥� McGough said during Wednesday鈥檚 meeting. 鈥淎nd I can tell you鈥t鈥檚 not just going to be the city getting sued. We鈥檙e going to be sued individually鈥he communications that we鈥檝e had with everybody are going to come out.鈥�
McGough also says the proposal made its way onto the council鈥檚 agenda at the eleventh-hour 鈥� citing an email he received from the city attorney鈥檚 office on Monday stating 鈥渟taff has gone ahead and included the resolution for Wednesday鈥檚 agenda, despite no sign-off鈥� from their office.
City Manager T.C. Broadnax said that he understands any hesitation felt by council members because the agenda item was added the night before the meeting. He added that city staff鈥檚 revisions of the resolution were for the 鈥渂enefit of the city.鈥�
District 7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua said he would not support a complete denial of the plan.
鈥淚 feel that a denial is inappropriate,鈥� Bazaldua said. 鈥淚f there is any policy discussion based on the need for more understanding鈥enial would not give us that opportunity.鈥�
He says council members needed to be more intentional in their actions if the goal is to work out the issues with the plan 鈥� and not to just 鈥渒ill the project.鈥� Bazlauda requested the executive session to discuss legal concerns with the city attorney鈥檚 office.
鈥楽tand up today鈥nd do what鈥檚 right鈥�
After extensive discussion around the horseshoe and the introduction 鈥� and withdrawal 鈥� of multiple motions to amend the agenda item, council members voted to approve the land acquisition needed for the development. The terms of the lease will be discussed by the housing committee and again by the full council next month.
Bazaldua, who introduced the final motion, says he knows sending the item back to the housing committee gives it the ability to be 鈥渒icked down the road.鈥� But by acquiring the land now will keep the deal moving forward.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want perfect to be an enemy of good,鈥� Bazaldua said. 鈥淎nd us to see a good project for our city, go away.鈥�
Broadnax says the resolution going back to a committee wouldn鈥檛 yield anything new.
鈥淎 delay is simply a delay,鈥� Broadnax said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 simply a month longer that someone will go without housing.鈥�
Mayor Pro Tem Carloyn King Arnold expressed concerns and frustration over the debate over the questions about the housing project.
鈥淢ost of you have been reelected,鈥� Arnold said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be scared, stand up and do what鈥檚 right.鈥�
Arnold was not the only council member to express irritation at offering Dallas officials what city council member have long asked them to do 鈥� increase affordable housing.
鈥淭he council has the ability鈥o build some units for which you say is one of the top priorities of this city council, that you harp on us to find opportunities to do it every day,鈥� Broadnax said. 鈥淲e found the opportunity; we found the vehicle.鈥�
City staff will work on closing on the land for the proposed development. The city鈥檚 housing committee will discuss the term of the lease in late May. The item will be before the city council at the June 14 meeting.
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