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Dallas, TX
Here’s a way Dallas might build more single-family homes
There are a lot of ideas being discussed now to help address the problem of home affordability in Dallas.
One that deserves strong consideration is lowering the minimum-required lot size for the construction of a new home.
The idea isn’t uncontroversial. In its early years of development, Dallas and surrounding cities had such abundant land that larger lots were much easier to afford. Now, the cost of land is a key driver in rising prices. Residents in many established neighborhoods worry that lowering lot sizes could lead to dramatic changes in the places they call home.
We agree that the city must be sensitive of longtime residents’ concerns. But we also think that reducing the amount of land needed to build a home could go a long way toward ensuring that Dallas continues to flourish as a city that is affordable to people at every income level, and especially to the middle class who too often are being priced out of life here.
In December, five Dallas City Council members signed a memo to initiate conversations related to reducing minimum lot sizes and allowing duplexes and quadplexes by right in single-family neighborhoods.
The discussions predictably devolved into chaos because complicated and potentially disruptive solutions were all lumped together. Different zoning and land use changes need to be considered separately. The idea to allow duplexes by right should be put on hold for now, but city officials should seriously explore the pragmatic solution of reducing the minimum lot size.
The minimum lot size varies in Dallas, but it ranges from around 5,000 to 7,500 square feet. Austin’s City Council recently adopted a resolution to reduce minimum lot size from 5,750 to 2,500 square feet. It’s expected that reducing minimum lot sizes allows developers in the market to build more single-family homes. Smaller lots would make the land, and therefore the homes, less expensive.
The move would introduce more housing while still incentivizing home ownership over renting. Lowering the minimum lot size does not mean that larger lots would be taken away; it just means that families who can only afford smaller homes would have options beyond renting.
Reducing minimum lot sizes has been embraced across the political aisle as commonsense policy. The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank, recently published a report that found that less restrictive municipal regulations around lot sizes would allow the market to work better to close the housing affordability gap. At the state level, Sen. Paul Bettencourt had introduced a bill that would prohibit big Texas cities from mandating lots larger than 1,400 square feet. The city should work with residents now to gauge their interest in this kind of reform, before the state makes a law. City officials could consider piloting reduced lot sizes in certain neighborhoods where residents are open to more density.
For Dallas to remain the vibrant city it has always been, residents and city officials will have to come together and consider how to use our land most effectively. Reducing the minimum lot size could be that measured solution to support younger residents without impacting long-time homeowners.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
Dallas, TX
Eagles vs. Cowboys Live Updates, Score: Can Dallas Get a Big Win?
We’ve got a good old-fashioned NFC East rivalry matchup in store for “America’s Game of the Week” on Sunday.
The Eagles (8-2) and the Cowboys (4-5-1) meet up in Texas for the latest installment of one of the NFL’s top rivalries. Philadelphia won the first game between these two teams to open the season back in September, taking down Dallas in a game that was much closer than many expected.
However, the Eagles have largely looked the part of a defending Super Bowl champion since that game. They enter Sunday’s tilt as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Cowboys, however, have had a bumpy year. They have a tough hill to climb to make the postseason, but it seems possible with newcomer Quinnen Williams leading an improved defensive unit.
Will Philly maintain control of the NFC, or can Dallas start a winning streak and make a playoff push?
Follow along for Sunday’s highlights!
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Cowboys can’t get out their own way
4:53p ET
Tom Brady has liked the year Jalen Hurts has had
4:47p ET
The Eagles’ defense can travel
4:46p ET
One drive, one TD for Eagles
3:46p ET
Setting the stage in Dallas
Live Coverage for this began on 3:47p ET
Dallas, TX
Hundreds line up in southern Dallas for Thanksgiving meal distribution
Dallas, TX
This North Oak Cliff neighborhood is Dallas’ friendliest
Nextdoor, the social media platform that connects neighbors through shared recommendations and local updates, recently released its ranking of the friendliest places to live in Dallas. At the top of the list is South Winnetka Heights, an Oak Cliff neighborhood of about 95 homes, many of which date back to the 1920s and ’30s.
Lists like these are subjective, to put it mildly, but in a sprawling city like Dallas, friendliness can feel like a lost art. It’s heartening to see neighborhoods that value connection where the neighborly spirit is thriving.
Last year, the neighborhood just a few streets away from Bishop Arts became an approved conservation district. The ordinance protects the roughly four blocks of Craftsman and bungalow-style houses south of 12th Street, which divides South Winnetka Heights from the Winnetka Heights historic district.
In December, the historic district hosts a holiday home tour, when residents open the doors of their Craftsman homes to visitors. It’s clear that residents take pride in showing off their neighborhood and its Prairie-style and Craftsman houses.
Michael “Patty” Evans has called South Winnetka Heights home for over 20 years and was among the residents who pushed for its conservation district status. He explained that the rules are looser than those of their northern neighbors in the Winnetka Heights historic district — protecting the character of the homes without stricter material or design regulations.
Nextdoor determines neighborhood scores based on factors like posts with positive or negative tones, fulfilled neighbor requests and posts expressing neighborhood pride or dissatisfaction. But that community feel isn’t limited to online.
Evans described the streets around him as a “tight neighborhood.” He said neighbors take the time to introduce themselves to new residents, and that this creates a network of people who know one another and keep tabs on what goes on in the neighborhood.
As much as Chicago or New York are cities of neighborhoods, Dallas is also a city of neighborhoods, and we should try to preserve this sense of community where we can.
As new developments and luxury apartment complexes come to Bishop Arts and more residents and businesses gravitate toward areas like Uptown, finding ways to stay connected to the local community feels increasingly important.
Evans said that sitting on his porch in South Winnetka Heights, especially when the leaves begin to fall, he can see downtown Dallas.
The city is a lot smaller than it can feel, especially when neighbors take the time to talk to each other, and not just online, but also by waving from their porches.
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