|
Dallas Homeowners League + Old Oak Cliff Conservation League + North Dallas Neighborhood Alliance + Preservation Dallas working together for Neighborhood-Developer Compromise Language! URGENT - ACTION ALERT City Council to VOTE on Wed Dec 10, 2008 Form Based Zoning code Neighborhood Protections at risk - Last chance for neighborhood voices! Urge vote FOR GREEN language to MAINTAIN RESIDENTIAL PROXIMITY SLOPE, RESIDENTIAL TRANSITION BUFFER & CRITICAL MASS! We need YOU to act now (before Wednesday!) ++ Contact your Councilmember Today (may copy the rest of Council and Mayor) Ask them to VOTE for the GREEN Neighborhood-Developer Compromise language. Let the Council know that the Neighborhhod Protections in their package as the GREEN print choices are essential to maintain stable quality neighborhoods. ++ Have YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD email, fax or deliver a letter to your Councilmember (copy all). Sample message: The ABC Neighborhood Association is located in District 3 and represents 500 households. We request that you vote in favor of including neighborhood protections in the new Form Based Zoning code. On December 10th, please vote for all of the GREEN colored language options provided by the Neighborhood-Developer compromise group. These protections will allow neighborhoods to support these zoning applications, and provide developers a workable tool to build successful new walkable, live-work-play developments. VOTE GREEN! Thank you for your continued service to our City. ++ Turn-out at previous Council meetings was FANTASTIC! You may attend again on Wed Dec 10, 2008. Public Hearing is closed but ALL neighborhood supporters are WELCOME TO ATTEND! People in the audience with our bright stickers helps to put faces on this issue! ++ More info on key issues for neighborhoods ++++ 1. INCLUDE Critical Mass intent language - these dense districts are intended to be in groupings of 25-40 acre minimum areas. Must group this type of zoning together to support the retail, restaurants and other businesses, and to allow reduction in car trips (to justify reduced parking requirements) and infrastructure costs. This zoning can be applied to any size lot, as long as it is in a total area that is large enough to work. Without enough critical mass, reduced parking and additional cars could spill over and impact existing neighborhoods. 2. Apply Residential Proximity Slope (RPS) as it applies to all zoning in Dallas! RPS protects our homes from towering buildings springing up next to them. A building next to a single family home must move 3 feet away for every 1 foot in height over 26 feet. This has been applied city-wide in all zoning categories for 20 years – and has allowed us to sleep well knowing our homes are protected. WE MUST MAINTAIN RESIDENTIAL PROXIMITY SLOPE (RPS) WITHOUT FAIL – IT SHOULD APPLY TO THE NEW FORM BASED ZONINGTELL COUNCIL TO VOTE GREEN OPTION 2. Require Residential Transition Zone – Very small buffer of ½ block (from alley to street) between the dense mixed-use Buildings and an established single family neighborhood. Half block transition from large buildings to single family homes can be townhouses, duplexes, small lot homes - provides buffer and gives a variety of housing options right next to the neighborhood. This was requested by the City’s own consultant hired to write the form-based zoning ordinance, and is used by all leading planners in developing these type of live-work-play dense walkable developments. All of these elements were negotiated as part of the historic compromise between developer and neighborhood interests, and now are being challenged. These simple protections for established neighborhoods will allow neighborhoods to SUPPORT FORM BASED ZONING REQUESTS, and ensure that new developments under this zoning are GOOD NEIGHBORS! Without these simple protections, neighborhoods will be forced to City Hall to fight zoning requests! COUNCIL SHOULD VOTE FOR ALL GREEN OPTIONS –GO GREEN! Contact Council today to maintain Proximity Slope, Transition Zone & Critical Mass! Thank you for taking ACTION! |
