Forward Dallas

[fndmom]

Does anyone know what the Forward Dallas plan is? Our HOA recently sent out an email that suggested its a bad idea. I'll admit that I know nothing about it but think it was odd to be included in neighborhood commuications.

[Dallaz]

It’s a land use plan. There’s nothing bad about it. Just NIMBYs trying to spark fear. It’s not zoning. Dallas has never been a city that actually planned things out (citywide as a whole), so this will be sort of a new thing. Dallas is changing whether we like it or not, but a plan to guide it the way that we want to see that change needs to happen too.


Here’s a good explanation




https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=-L4kox0blNY

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by fndmom

Does anyone know what the Forward Dallas plan is? Our HOA recently sent out an email that suggested its a bad idea. I'll admit that I know nothing about it but think it was odd to be included in neighborhood commuications.

The proposed version is a catastrophe in the making.

1. Adopting the plan would make zoning rules conform to the plan. IOW many zoning rules would by law have to be re-cast to conform to the plan.

2. It would allow something called ADU-By Right (ADU = accessory dwelling unit). Meaning across most of the city up to 29 ADU could be built per acre.

3. What this version of Forward Dallas is - is an attempt to steer the city way left of where it is now by forcing virtually everyone in the city to conform to a plan that focuses on things like environmental equality, mass transit/connectivity etc. It's literally a bunch of city staffers + the ex-city manager and five council members + Sharon Grigsby + D Magazine and a few die-hard citizens vs. everyone who lives in or aspires to live in a nice neighborhood.


https://douglasnewby.com/2024/01/for...llas-backward/

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/c...r-home-owners/

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by EDS_

The proposed version is a catastrophe in the making.

1. Adopting the plan would make zoning rules conform to the plan. IOW many zoning rules would by law have to be re-cast to conform to the plan.

2. It would allow something called ADU-By Right (ADU = accessory dwelling unit). Meaning across most of the city up to 29 ADU could be built per acre.

3. What this version of Forward Dallas is - is an attempt to steer the city way left of where it is now by forcing virtually everyone in the city to conform to a plan that focuses on things like environmental equality, mass transit/connectivity etc. It's literally a bunch of city staffers + the ex-city manager and five council members + Sharon Grigsby + D Magazine and a few die-hard citizens vs. everyone who lives in or aspires to live in a nice neighborhood.


https://douglasnewby.com/2024/01/for...llas-backward/

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/c...r-home-owners/

I don’t agree with ADUs being everywhere but do it like that it started the conversation. The idea of having no options for areas that actually do want it is crazy in today’s Dallas. There’s currently no zoning that allows for any form of missing middle housing. Even in areas that currently have it in historic pre-WW2 neighborhoods (Like Oak Cliff and Old East Dallas).

The NIBMYism comes into play when people want zero change across the board and want to shut down FowardDallas entirely. There has been a lot of that too. None of this is official and it’s still in the planning stages. I’ve seen some of their workshops online starting last year. They’ve flip flop and refined a lot of things, it seems like every time I watch a new video. I don’t believe in forcing my will on to people because it’s better to compromise, because no one comes out truly getting what they want. I think neighborhoods can be preserved but done in a way that allows for the city to grow too.

[R1070]

Zoning in Dallas is currently a mess. Anything to get the system cleaned up for a good way to move forward sounds good to me.

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

I don’t agree with ADUs being everywhere but do it like that it started the conversation. The idea of having no options for areas that actually do want it is crazy in today’s Dallas. There’s currently no zoning that allows for any form of missing middle housing. Even in areas that currently have it in historic pre-WW2 neighborhoods (Like Oak Cliff and Old East Dallas).

The NIBMYism comes into play when people want zero change across the board and want to shut down FowardDallas entirely. There has been a lot of that too. None of this is official and it’s still in the planning stages. I’ve seen some of their workshops online starting last year. They’ve flip flop and refined a lot of things, it seems like every time I watch a new video. I don’t believe in forcing my will on to people because it’s better to compromise, because no one comes out truly getting what they want. I think neighborhoods can be preserved but done in a way that allows for the city to grow too.

This plan is being dressed up as a way to create "affordable housing" but if you ask anyone to connect the dots on how that housing actually materializes, you will be met with the fact that if you don't support it, you must be a NIMBY and you must hate poor people and kittens and dessert and everything else under the sun.


Reality check. If we want to create more housing units in areas of high traffic that could support public transit options for low income residents, we can start by re-zoning a bunch of underutilized commercial land and making it available for a combination of commercial and residential uses. Another reality no one in the urban planning fantasyland wants you to realize is that materials and labor are far and away what are driving the cost of construction and housing up. When we dictate high minimum standards for housing as policy, we will get high cost housing as a rule. There's just no way around that.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by R1070

Zoning in Dallas is currently a mess. Anything to get the system cleaned up for a good way to move forward sounds good to me.

Forward Dallas is most certainly not that.

[ChristieP]

Eliminating "single-family" zoning is one of the far left progressive movement's dreams. They love the huge apartment complexes like in the Soviet area, and they would love to be able to tear down single-family homes and replace them with these apartments, even in the middle of a current residential neighborhood! Building ADUs in a residential neighborhood is what Forward Dallas is all about.

And if you're thinking "Forward" sounds familiar... yes, it was Obama's campaign slogan, and it's also the slogan of the Socialist Party.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

This plan is being dressed up as a way to create "affordable housing" but if you ask anyone to connect the dots on how that housing actually materializes, you will be met with the fact that if you don't support it, you must be a NIMBY and you must hate poor people and kittens and dessert and everything else under the sun.


Reality check. If we want to create more housing units in areas of high traffic that could support public transit options for low income residents, we can start by re-zoning a bunch of underutilized commercial land and making it available for a combination of commercial and residential uses. Another reality no one in the urban planning fantasyland wants you to realize is that materials and labor are far and away what are driving the cost of construction and housing up. When we dictate high minimum standards for housing as policy, we will get high cost housing as a rule. There's just no way around that.

That’s the first time I’ve heard this. I thought the purpose was to help increase housing in general. They said Dallas is rapidly turning very unaffordable for the working class. Not mentioning low income residents. I believe the city is currently 33,000 units short.

I do 100% think Dallas should develop underutilized land. There’s a hell of a lot of it around transit stations that was literally built to accommodate TOD. Downtown has a lot of developable land, it could go there too. I think there needs to be smarter ways for the city to increase housing. I feel like there’s a lot of things that can be done including densifing more in areas (like commercial corridors and residential neighborhoods…some may want missing middle instead of a giant 5 over 1 apt building). TBH, if I had it my way, Dallas would be more urban or walkable…but that’s not reality for the entire city based on some ppl’s early sentients of Forward Dallas. It sounds like people are willing to burn down city hall over it lol. Y’all should really watch these council meetings sometimes though abt hot topics like this . LMAO even a few city council members attack/complain or grandstand about Forward Dallas *cough* Carolyn King Arnold (representing a portion of Oak Cliff) and Cara Mendelsohn (representing Far North Dallas). City staff always correct them and say “it’s not zoning.” The main reason why the compromise is the only solution. People know things need to change, but they just don’t know how to go about it. No clear consensus. Everyone knows the zoning in the city is antiquated and is a major reason why permitting is disastrous in the city.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

That’s the first time I’ve heard this. I thought the purpose was to help increase housing in general. They said Dallas is rapidly turning very unaffordable for the working class. Not mentioning low income residents. I believe the city is currently 33,000 units short.

I do 100% think Dallas should develop underutilized land. There’s a hell of a lot of it around transit stations that was literally built to accommodate TOD. Downtown has a lot of developable land, it could go there too. I think there needs to be smarter ways for the city to increase housing. I feel like there’s a lot of things that can be done including densifing more in areas (like commercial corridors and residential neighborhoods…some may want missing middle instead of a giant 5 over 1 apt building). TBH, if I had it my way, Dallas would be more urban or walkable…but that’s not reality for the entire city based on some ppl’s early sentients of Forward Dallas. It sounds like people are willing to burn down city hall over it lol. Y’all should really watch these council meetings sometimes though abt hot topics like this . LMAO even a few city council members attack/complain or grandstand about Forward Dallas *cough* Carolyn King Arnold (representing a portion of Oak Cliff) and Cara Mendelsohn (representing Far North Dallas). City staff always correct them and say “it’s not zoning.” The main reason why the compromise is the only solution. People know things need to change, but they just don’t know how to go about it. No clear consensus. Everyone knows the zoning in the city is antiquated and is a major reason why permitting is disastrous in the city.

1. What needs to change? Be specific please.
2. Forward Dallas isn't zoning but the plan would have primacy over zoning laws/rules so I'll forgive the council members.