It’s Fall Y’all 2025 Recap

Residents from across the neighborhood association recently came together for a fun-filled, Halloween-themed day!

A costume parade kicked off the festivities and kids of all ages enjoyed trick-or-treating along the route. Costume contest winners received gift cards and other fun giveaways from local establishments.

Once the prizes were awarded, the event kicked off in earnest! Women In Music Empowerment Club (WIMEC) and School of Rock added their artistry to the soundscape while event-goers nibbled on food from AwShucks and sipped beer from Goodwins. Pumpkin decorating, scratch art Halloween masks, and other fun crafts proved to be a big hit and delighted squeals erupted from the bounce house every few moments.

Maria LaFortuna, LGNA’s beloved fortune teller, returned for another year to reveal hidden insights into the futures of many an attendee – with complete and total accuracy, of course! And new this year was a beer garden with German pretzels, the aforementioned beer, and fun games like axe throwing and a football toss.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. In fact, there was very little sunshine! Mother Nature didn’t cooperate and sent us a late-Fall thunderstorm, which had us all soaked and running for shelter under the tents, so unfortunately we ended up shutting down the event a bit early. We will just need to commune a bit better with the spirits next year to ensure a dry event!

Through the generosity of donating attendees and of our sponsors, we were able to cover the cost of the event AND give the Peace Pantries at Mockingbird and Geneva Heights Elementary Schools $500 each. A big THANK YOU to our Platinum Sponsors – Courtney Conley at the BAR Real Estate Group, AwShucks, Pet Supplies Plus, and Goodwins – and to all our other sponsors!

And finally, another big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped plan and execute the event! The planning committee began meeting regularly back in July to ensure that everything came together and the many volunteers on the day of the event helped tremendously. Your commitment and effort is so very appreciated!

Zoning Reform Public Meetings

The City of Dallas will be holding public meetings on proposed zoning reforms.

Please see the meeting schedule at the bottom of the post.

Background

Many residents may remember that Dallas City Council passed an updated land-use plan back in September 2024 called ForwardDallas 2.0. The plan creates and defines “placetypes,” which dictate the ways that different types of land should be used, and acts as a guiding document for updating Dallas zoning laws. According to the City of Dallas website, “A placetype represents a holistic, larger scale vision for a community or place that incorporates a desired mix of land uses, design, and density.” In all, there are 12 placetypes defining different types of residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and other uses.

There was a lot of debate around the merits of ForwardDallas 2.0 prior to its passage. Kelly Dearmore wrote in the Dallas Observer “Contention over the plan pitted those favoring higher-density housing — meaning apartments — against homeowners in single-family residential areas who fear its effect on their neighborhoods and property values.”

Because the City Council passed ForwardDallas 2.0, the city must now update the zoning laws to conform to the ForwardDallas 2.0 land-use guidance.

Therefore, the City of Dallas Department of Planning & Development will hold public meetings to discuss the proposed zoning reforms.

Zoning Reform Info

Zoning Reform Website

https://www.dallaszoningreform.com/

Public Meeting Schedule

Thursday, June 12:
West Dallas Multipurpose Center (West) *
2828 Fish Trap Road, 75212

6 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 13:
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library (Downtown Dallas)
1515 Young Street, 75201

12 – 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 24:
Cedar Crest Golf Course (South) *
1800 Southerland Ave, 75203

6 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 25:
Dallas College Eastfield Campus (East) *
3737 Motley Dr, Mesquite, TX 75150

6 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 26:
Churchill Recreation Center (North)
6906 Churchill Rec Way, 75230

6 – 7:30 p.m.

Meeting Agenda & Expectations

What will be covered at the meetings?
The Dallas Development Code Diagnostic Report will be presented which includes a look at our current development regulations and introduces new concepts to modernize it. You can review the Development Code Diagnostic Report here

What to expect at the meetings?
The same presentation will be presented at each meeting. There will be a 35-minute presentation followed by Q&A.

Meetings are family-friendly. Activity pages will be available for children. Meetings with * denote simultaneous interpretation will be available. Interpretation will be available at all meetings.

Why is this Important?
The Dallas Zoning Reform effort is an initiative to modernize the Dallas Development Code. The code was last updated in 1965.  Since then, the code has undergone numerous small changes and updates. The result of these changes has left the code in a state that is hard to navigate, unpredictable in its outcomes, and unruly to administer and enforce.

Zoning controls how our city develops by regulating land use, building placement and bulk/size, parking requirements, landscaping standards, sign regulations, and numerous other aspects of the built environment. These rules collectively determine our city can grow and evolve, directly shaping the physical character of our community and impacting everything from housing availability and transportation patterns to economic development and environmental sustainability.

Celebrate Tietze Park’s 100th Birthday Festivities – 3 Nov 2024

Tietze Park celebrates its 100th birthday this year, having been founded in 1924! On Sunday, November 3, 2024, 1:30-4:30pm, Friends of Tietze Park (FOTP) plans to honor this special year with an exciting community celebration in the park.

Get involved by volunteering, sponsoring an activity, donating, and more! Check out the official FOTP Centennial website for more information.

This event will be free to all attendees and include:

  • Live Music
  • Bounce Houses
  • Face Painting
  • Gaming Trucks
  • Balloon Artists
  • Talks and Demonstrations
  • Food
  • Pop Ups with Sponsors and Local Vendors
  • Silent Auction
  • Informative Displays on the History of Tietze Park

– ForwardDallas Public Meeting – Update

As many of you know, the City Planning Commission (CPC) held a public hearing on ForwardDallas on Monday, June 17, 2024.

The commissioners voted unanimously against multiplex housing as a Primary use in the Community Residential placetype and instead made it a Secondary use. Multiplexes are defined as multi-family residences with less than nine units.

The motion to drop multiplexes as a primary use also proposed introducing residential design standards into the development code and strengthening the Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay ordinance to address topics like height, roof design, garage placement, lot coverage, impervious surfaces, and setbacks.

You can read more about the results of the meeting in:

As a reminder, the CPC will be holding the next briefing and public hearing on ForwardDallas on June 20th – both virtually and live at City Hall. ForwardDallas discussions will take place no earlier than 6:00pm.

     What: CPC Briefing & Public Hearing on ForwardDallas Land Use Plan
     When: Thursday, June 20, 2024 – 9am (ForwardDallas item – no earlier than 6pm)
     Where:
          Online
               Meeting Website
               (Webex link, presentations, pre-registration if you wish to speak online)
          In-Person
               Council Chambers, 6th Floor
               Dallas City Hall
               1500 Marilla St.
               Dallas, TX 75212

The ForwardDallas land use plan document is now expected to be presented to the City Council sometime in the Fall of 2024.

As a reminder, you may find information on the current proposed land use plan at the links below:

Main ForwardDallas Website
Draft Land Use Plan (June 2024; PDF)
PlaceType Map (June 2024)