Major News Alert
Newly Formed D13 Together Coalition Unites North Dallas Neighborhoods to Stop Five Years of Neglect and Harmful Rezoning Under Council Member Gay Donnell Willis.
Thousands unleash unprecedented voting power to demand an immediate delay of three zoning cases and a reversal of Council member Willis’ crusade to demolish Dallas City Hall.
Residents and neighborhood organizations across Dallas City Council District 13 have joined forces to launch the D13 Together Coalition, a new alliance formed to end Council member Gay Donnell Willis’ pattern of broken campaign promises, harmful rezoning votes and repeated failure to represent neighborhood interests.
The coalition launches with support from more than 4,400 constituents who have signed physical petitions against the rezoning of Preston Royal, thousands of constituents who oppose Willis’ determination to demolish Dallas City Hall, and many more across District 13 who have spent five years — Willis’ entire tenure on council — being ignored on vital issues instead of receiving her protection and support. Today we organize to change that.
While the coalition represents a wide variety of issues, we request today specific action on four issues on the City Council’s August agenda. These include: next steps to abandon the iconic I.M. Pei-designed Dallas City Hall; the Preston-Royal rezoning; the Walnut Hill/Marsh rezoning; and the Melshire Estates planned development amendment — all recent examples of Councilwoman Willis’ broader pattern of unresponsive leadership.
We ask that Council member Willis vote against any agenda item that threatens the preservation of Dallas City Hall and that she delay all three August zoning cases for 120 days and convene meetings with respective homeowners and developers to create compromise solutions that are favorable to both.
If these three zoning cases are not delayed so that a solution favorable to all parties can be crafted, the coalition will follow procedures set in place by the Dallas City Charter to trigger a 60-day recall effort to unseat Council member Willis.
“District 13 voters have historically been among the most engaged in Dallas,” said coalition member Doug Hazelbaker. “After five years of frustration with our elected council member, we are standing together; we have tremendous influence, and we will take any and all appropriate action to ensure that our voices are not ignored.”
Mobilizing for Three Critical Votes
The coalition’s immediate focus is on three zoning cases scheduled for public action over the next two weeks.
On Thursday, August 6, the Dallas City Plan Commission will consider a proposed mixed-use rezoning request a Preston Road and Royal Lane. Less than a week later, on August 12, the Dallas City Council is scheduled to vote on controversial rezoning request for both Melshire Estates and the Walnut Hill/ Marsh neighborhoods.
The Walnut Hill proposal is a dramatic departure from existing zoning standards and threatens the long-term character of surrounding neighborhoods. The Melshire Estates case is a townhome-like development approved by Willis over unified neighborhood opposition give years ago that she is now willing to give more concessions to, in violation of what was previously approved.
“We support responsible development that strengthens our neighborhoods as we grow as a city,” Hazelbaker said. “What we oppose are rushed decisions that intentionally ignore residents, disregard long-term consequences, and prioritize outside interests over the epople who live and work here. We voted for Council member Willis because her campaign’s motto was ‘Neighborhood-Focused Leadership.’ She has done the opposite, and the injury to District 13 is unacceptable.”
About the Preston-Royal Development
Developers are seeking approval for a mixed-used development featuring buildings as tall as 240 feet, or approximately 19 stories, on a seven-acre tract at one of North Dallas’ busiest intersections. The proposal includes a hotel, luxury condominiums, apartments, retail, and office space and would require increasing the current 54-foot height limit by more than four times. A zoning change of this magnitude will set the bar citywide for allowing high-rise commercial development in and adjacent to to single-family residential neighborhoods, forever changing Dallas’ most beautiful neighborhoods from North Dallas to Southern Dallas.
Residents cite several concerns, including:
The dense cluster of buildings reaching more than four times the current height limit at one of North Dallas’ busiest intersections.
Changes to project plans after city staff review, including removal of a proposed traffic signal.
Overwhelming opposition: A petition drive generated more than 4,000 signature, while a city Blue Card survey of stakeholders near the development found 91 percent opposed.
About the Walnut Hill/Marsh Rezoning Controversy
The coalition is also opposing a proposed rezoning to allow 41 patio homes with the majority of them three-story reaching 36 feet in height on property currently zoned for two-story homes with a maximun height of 30 feet. The proposal is incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood and would establish a precedent for similar high-density redevelopment through District 13 and across the cirt if approved by the City Council on August 12. Despite 58 homeowners in opposition of this project, and only two in favor — which led to this Council — Willis has resurrected this case on behalf of the developer for another vote. D13 Together is mobilizing residents to attend the meting and express their views on all these projects.
A Pattern of Broken Promises
The zoning controversies are only the latest examples of a broader pattern in which neighborhood concerns have been ignored despite campaign promises by Council member Willis that residents would have a meaningful voice in City Hall decisions.
The coalition also opposed Council member Willis’ prominent support for abandoning Dallas City Hall. The rushed and secretive proposal has advanced without adequate transparency or meaningful public engagement despite widespread public concern expressed through the citywide Save Dallas City Hall movement. Similar local concerns have surfaced in Bluffview, Caruth Hills and other District 13 neighborhoods, further strengthening the coalition.
“When thousands of engaged voters speak with one voice, that voice cannot be ignored,” Hazelbaker said. “That’s why we’ve formed D13 Together. We’re building a permanent coalition that will hold our elected leaders accountable. We will ensure that District 13 residents finally have the representation they were promised.”
About D13 Together
D13Together is a coalition of neighborhood groups and residents committed to protecting the quality of life, character and long-term vitality of Dallas City Council District 13. The coalition brings together communities that share a common belief that residents deserve a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their neighborhoods. by organizing around shared concerns, D13 Together gives residents leverage that no single household has along — transforming individual voices into a united, informed and influential force that City Hall cannot ignore. During a time of great dissatisfaction with city governance, we encourage other council districts to adopt our model.
