Neighbors say home-construction crews have damaged one of Bluffview’s bluffs, demolishing trees and causing dust and drainage issues. Now, Dallas officials are reviewing the project.
Concerns about changes to the quiet corner of Canyon Drive and Watauga Road, which was once home to a dairy farm, came to a head during a contentious July 23 City Plan Commission meeting.
Neighbor Carolyn Blankenship Coleman described experiencing dust and noise issues while “about 100 trees” and other materials were cleared from the property.
“Bluffview is defined by its natural bluffs, creeks, mature trees, wildlife, and rolling terrain,” she said. “Expanding the property to create a flatter, larger building site is inconsistent with the character of Bluffview and risks further damage.”
“They have really removed the bluff by their going out and just scraping the site without, at the time, all the right permits,” Dallas Cothrum, a consultant opposing the project, alleged at the meeting. “They are creating a larger building site, and they’ve done it by digging into the bluff and the slope to create a much larger site to have a much larger house.”
Specifically, Cothrum and his team alleged that the work didn’t comply with Dallas development code requirements that construction be harmonious with the environment and nearby homes.
According to code, new builds should “conform in width, depth, and area to the pattern already established in the adjacent areas, having due regard to the character of the area, its particular suitability for development, and taking into consideration the natural topography of the ground, drainage, wastewater facilities, and the proposed layout of the streets.”
City Plan Commissioner Larry Hall described the concerns raised by neighbors as a “total blindside,” explaining that the commission was limited to considering the issue before it — the owner’s request to divide the 2.142-acre piece of land into two lots.
“I hope you guys understand that by state law, we are limited to what we can discuss regarding plat cases,” Hall said. “Our role today is to vote on the replat, not to address the demolition.”
The commission approved the requested division. Willis said a previous grading permit submitted March 23 was withdrawn and the replat approved by the CPC July 23 remains under review.
Following the July 23 meeting, neighbor Steve Byars spoke at an August D13 Together press conference to discuss concerns of some Bluffview residents.
“They removed over 20 feet of topsoil and bedrock, permanently changing this landscape,” Byars alleged. “We watched in horror and felt helpless as our calls to the city for help went unanswered.”
Dallas City Council member Gay Donnell Willis, who represents the Bluffview neighborhood, said she became aware of neighbors’ concerns in March and that the city has been monitoring the site. Work on the site has been suspended following notice by city staff of “unpermitted paving and grading” on the site. Willis said the owner has stopped work there and is taking steps to obtain the appropriate permits.
She said Dallas Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability staff visited the site and, by April 1, confirmed dust suppression measures were adequate, but referred the issue to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Willis also said the Planning and Development Department inspector confirmed no building permit was legally required for the lot size. She said code enforcement staff have continued to visit the site to ensure work hasn’t continued.
Willis added that city staff continues to track the project, and that several city departments are working to address neighbors’ concerns.
“Planning staff noted that there are no additional code violations or evidence of continued unpermitted work on-site,” she said, “and the applicant is actively working to address the action items from their initial meeting with city staff.”
As of Aug. 27, Willis said the city’s chief arborist was reviewing two tree removal applications submitted for the property after the trees had already been removed.
“While no citations have been issued at this stage, the City will use the outcome of those reviews to determine the appropriate tree mitigation requirements and any necessary enforcement steps, noting that the developer’s submitted design plans reflect an intent to heavily replant the properties,” Willis added.
Author
