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Dallas passes first significant change to parking code since 1965

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Dallas passes first significant change to parking code since 1965


Finding a parking spot in Dallas may become more challenging after the city passed its first significant change to the parking code since 1965. 

Developers say the change will help make room for more housing in the city. 

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The idea behind the city’s new parking code is to let the market decide how much parking is needed for a development, instead of the city.

But some residents are skeptical that developers will have their best interests in mind. 

New parking code

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The new code adopted by the city council on Wednesday will: 

  • Eliminates parking requirements downtown and by DART stations.
  • Removes mandates for office, retail, and bars and restaurants under 2,500 square feet.
  • Parking requirements will be reduced for large apartments to one space per unit, down from one space per bedroom.

What they’re saying:

Dallas city councilman Chad West has been working to reform the city’s parking code for nearly six years.

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He argues the current parking code mandates hinder new housing and business developments.

“Our city’s parking code is wildly out of date, written in 1965, with minor changes since,” said West.

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At city hall on Wednesday, advocates in favor of parking reform, such as Brenda Gurumoorthy, argued that once parking becomes more challenging, public transportation will improve.

“More people would take transit to see friends and go out if activities were close to DART,” said Gurumoorthy. 

The other side:

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Oak Cliff homeowner Laura Palmer says her neighborhood has learned it doesn’t always work that way.

“People will find a place to park. They will park on sidewalks, empty lots, even if you don’t require it. That puts the burden on us, the neighbors. We have to do the policing,” said Palmer.

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Ronnie Mestas lives in the Los Altos area of West Dallas. The former Chicago resident says he’s concerned Dallas is using a Chicago-like parking code but without the Chicago-style vibrant public transportation system.

“If you have cars on both sides and try to get emergency vehicles through, you’re going to be playing bumper cars bouncing off the cars,” said Mestas. “As a senior I don’t want to carry my groceries more than 5-6 car links to get to my house.”

Dig deeper:

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Dallas city councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn was the lone vote against the new parking code. 

She called it overly ‘urbanistic’ and said it did not fit the needs of far North Dallas. 

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The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Dallas Council Meeting on May 14. Additional comments were provided through interviews conducted by FOX 4’s Lori Brown.

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Dallas, TX

Dallas Police tweak off-duty job rule after saying man impersonated police

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Dallas Police tweak off-duty job rule after saying man impersonated police


No outside agencies or businesses will be able to directly hire off-duty police officers through the scheduling platform RollKall after police say a man impersonating law enforcement and killed by SWAT officers earlier this month slipped through the cracks.

Police Chief Daniel Comeaux announced the change in a memo Friday. He said Diamon-Mazairre Robinson, 39, who worked security for U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, had a company that was active and compliant with the Texas Secretary of State’s records as of March 2025.

Comeaux said this “allowed him to register as an external RollKall coordinator requesting services and he also fraudulently created an officer account.” Robinson logged into RollKall as early as April 2025.

The police department caught wind of it nearly a year later, after it found an individual using the platform was impersonating a peace officer. The police department’s intelligence unit investigated and the fugitive unit tracked Robinson down earlier this month.

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Police said Robinson had multiple active warrants against him, with some dating back to 2017. He worked for Crockett under the alias Mike King, and police said used an alias to connect off-duty officers with work. Police said he maintained a false persona for many years.

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Amid questions about the platform’s integrity, Comeaux said Robinson had no access to personal information of officers. No investigations or proprietary information seemed to have been compromised.

Meanwhile, the department met with RollKall executives to review safeguards in place.

The rule change, Comeaux said, will ensure all departmental policies and legalities are followed with “no interruption of off-duty services.” The rule goes into effect March 25.

The police department used RollKall, a job tracking system for off-duty jobs, to help officers find and manage additional work. The city started transitioning to the platform in 2023 after a 2018 city audit called for improvements in the oversight and documentation of the department’s previous off-duty program. RollKall is an Irving-based company.

By late 2024, the platform was deployed throughout the department.

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Taste the ‘Tesla of Coffee’ and More at the Dallas Coffee Festival

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Taste the ‘Tesla of Coffee’ and More at the Dallas Coffee Festival


Wake up and smell the coffee as the Dallas Coffee Festival returns.

Marina Alvarez

Craft Hospitality’s Dallas Coffee Festival is coming back for a refill — and make it a double. Taking place April 18-19 at Gilley’s, the “immersive coffee experience” will build on 2025’s inaugural success by expanding from one day to two, in anticipation of another sold-out crowd of more than 2,000 java junkies.

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New York-based Craft also hosts Coffee Festivals in Austin, Philadelphia and San Diego, among other cities. In addition, the company hosts whiskey, margarita and wine events across the country and operates a restaurant consulting business.

“One of the highlights of the first event was simply seeing how strong the Dallas coffee community is,” a company representative said via email. “Many of the city’s best-known roasters and cafés participated, giving attendees the rare chance to explore a huge cross-section of the local coffee scene in one place.”

With tickets starting around $30, it’s not a cheap date. Here are a few reasons why you may want to shell out the beans.

  1. Find a new local fix.
    Dallas Coffee Festival’s Texas representation is strong, with the majority of its three dozen exhibitors hailing from or operating cafés within the DFW area. Many are new to us, and that’s saying something given the volume of coffee we consume, including Flying Squirrel (Mansfield), Forest Flame (Arlington), Tejana Coffee (Dallas) and Kabita Indonesian Coffeehouse (Dallas).
  1. Taste “the Tesla of coffees.”
    A curious exhibitor, BVP Coffee Co., is a tech startup focused on applying AI-powered operations to the coffee business. Proudly “building the Tesla of coffees,” BVP aims to increase efficiency and scalability while reducing waste and environmental impact. They’re also seeking investors. Sounds slick, but how does it drive … er … taste?
  1. Connect with a cause (in a cup).
    Several booths will be hosted by companies with give-back business models. For example, Dallas-based Elevate Coffee Trading provides a month of clean water for a child in Guatemala with every bag sold. Cofounder Michael Iwasko is returning to the festival after a successful show last year, anticipating another opportunity to “build relationships with enthusiasts and wholesale partners who align with our shared vision for the cause.”
  1. And even if you don’t like coffee…
    While you’ll never truly be our friend (sorry), there are plenty of non-coffee perks to enjoy at the Dallas Coffee Festival. On the exhibitor side, Piper & Leaf Tea Co. from Alabama brews leaves instead of beans, and California-based COBA makes caffeinated chocolate bars. The festival will also feature a lineup of four live music acts (two each day) and food from Oak Cliff’s for purchase.

Gilley’s Dallas is located at 1135 Botham Jean Blvd.



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Lake Dallas home explodes, 1 taken to hospital

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Lake Dallas home explodes, 1 taken to hospital


Firefighters in Lake Dallas are fighting a fire that was believed to be caused by an explosion from within a house.

What we know:

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Around 7 p.m. on Thursday evening, Lake Cities firefighters and Lake Dallas Police responded to a structure fire in the 600 block of Mosely Street in Lake Dallas. Multiple other police departments have responded to the fire, including Lewisville PD and Highland Village PD.

At least one house fully collapsed due to the fire. Police believe an explosion was the cause of the fire.

At least one person was airlifted to a hospital following the explosion. Their condition is currently unknown.

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FOX 4 cameras captured firefighters working to put the fire out late Thursday evening.

What we don’t know:

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We don’t know what exactly caused the fire or how many people were inside the house when it caught fire.

This is a breaking news story. Check back on this article for more updates as they become available.

The Source: Information in this story came from the Lake Cities Professional Firefighters Association and FOX 4 reporting.

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