Joppa residents want to rezone their southern Dallas community to limit industrial polluters and bring in much needed development. After years of sounding the alarm over the environmental issues in their community, residents in the mostly minority community finally have City Hall support for the change.
A Dallas city plan commissioner told residents during Saturday鈥檚 Joppa Fall Festival that the city backed the idea of creating a planned development district for the area.
Caleb Roberts, the executive director of Downwinders at Risk, told 四虎影院 that the zoning tool offers 鈥渁 la carte鈥� zoning options that fit the needs and desires of a specific community.
鈥淔or an area like Joppa, that has the history it has, you need a little more wiggle room in those conversations,鈥� Roberts said.
That means allowing industrial uses like cabinet makers, plumbers and electricians but not others, like batch plants and lead smelters.
District 7 City Plan Commissioner Tabitha Wheeler Reagan told residents during the event that most areas of Dallas have planned development districts.
鈥溾�ut Joppa does not have one, which often leaves you鈥aving to go with the basic Dallas code,鈥� Wheeler-Regan said during the event. 鈥淲e want to help change that, and you all to be able to create a planned development on what you all would want Joppa, and the surrounding areas, to be.鈥�
The planned development could include commercial real estate, different types of housing options and would allow for strict design standards. Those standards could limit industrial polluters from setting up shop in the historic Freedman鈥檚 community.
鈥淎s we look at the industrial uses that are allowed, and those that are safe, we would also go in and鈥estrict any that are unsafe,鈥� Wheeler-Regan said.
Wheeler-Regan also apologized for District 7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua鈥檚 absence. Bazaldua represents Joppa but was not in attendance due to 鈥減ressing issues in the city of Dallas driven by outside organizations.鈥�
鈥淚 do apologize for him鈥e had every intention in the beginning to be here,鈥� Wheeler-Reagan said and cited three upcoming city charter propositions that elected officials have said could significantly change how local government operates, as the reason for the absence.
Bazaldua did not immediately respond to 四虎影院's request for comment about supporting the rezoning effort.
The historic Freedman鈥檚 Town is a residential peninsula in a sea of industrial uses.
That includes the Union Pacific rail yard that runs nearly an entire side of the community, the TAMKO shingle plant that greets visitors at the only entrance into Joppa and the former site of the Austin Bridge and Road asphalt plant.
Joppa residents have said for years the combined industrial operations have polluted their air and harmed their health. Last year, after residents and environmental activists launched an extensive campaign, the Austin Bridge and Road asphalt plant shut down.
四虎影院 reported at the time that while city officials said they were trying to work with residents who were concerned about the plant鈥檚 emissions, the city paid millions for building materials to the company that operates the plant.
Now that Joppa residents has the support of City Hall, the next step in the rezoning process is getting community members together on design standards, boundaries and development options. After residents come to a consensus on that, Dallas officials can step in and start crafting the potential change.
Roberts said having the city鈥檚 support is a new occurrence for his group and Joppa residents.
鈥淭he proof is going to be in the implementation,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淎s we get together and we do something, do we continue to have that support from the city?鈥�
Regardless of what the city says now, Roberts said Downwinders and the community will be pushing for that support throughout the entire zoning process.
鈥淒ownwinders doesn鈥檛 believe anything is done until it鈥檚 done and then you got to still protect it,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淚t is a turning point, but not the end goal.鈥�
The potential rezoning effort could also send a message to potential polluters nearby and across the city. Robert鈥檚 group is also campaigning to close the TAMKO shingle plant, which sits just outside of Joppa. Singleton United/Unidos, a West Dallas group affiliated with Downwinders, is also lobbying the city to close the decades-old GAF factory along the Singleton corridor.
With the city鈥檚 backing, Roberts hopes to start the conversation on how to eventually phase out legacy industrial sites can start.
鈥淚ts not going to be a silver bullet and their out of there,鈥� Roberts said.
But if residents say they do not want heavy industrial operations near their homes, 鈥渢hose industries are not in the city鈥檚 long-term plans,鈥� according to Roberts.
As the process starts, Joppa residents say they are feeling hopeful for the future 鈥� and for having the city behind them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a long time coming, it鈥檚 bringing joy to the community,鈥� Justice for Joppa Co-Chair Emmanuel Davis told 四虎影院. 鈥淗aving your elected officials and appointed officials to be on the same page that you are is [indescribable].鈥�
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter .
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